Day 62 - SBTV.com Highlights Extreme Business Makeovers 2010

In case you couldn't tell ... for beginning just after Valentine's Day, my life begins to revolve around my annual Extreme Business Makeovers event. It's hard to describe just how special it is. I can only say that it's something you really have to experience for yourself.

If you haven't visited the site lately, you should hear some of the interviews that I've been posting on the blog there. Alisha Whiteway - aka AlishaTV - has been doing a great job interviewing the speakers who will be sharing with us at this year's event.

Here's another cool thing that I just received - a spotlight video announcement that SBTV.com just did about XBM2010 in their Bizz Buzz segment...

Hope I get a chance to see YOU at Extreme Business Makeovers 2010!

About This Chart: For those who haven't been following, I created this daily chart for the purpose of communicating and tracking some of my more important goals - publicly. You can read about it in THIS EARLIER POST.

Day 36 - The Hidden Benefits of Branding

Have you ever struggled with making a decision about a business direction or opportunity for your company? It can seem like there's no end to the options and there's not always a clear right or wrong answer.

Often, the calls I get from my newest clients revolve around helping them sort out the possibilities and make the best decision they can. I'll lead them through a simple decision tree process to come to a solution that they think AND feel is right for them.

While having a good system for making decisions is helpful, I tell them that they'll never have to make 90% of those tough decisions if they have a well-developed corporate brand! Huh? What's that Thom? What does a brand have to do with business decisions.

Well, if by "brand" you are simply thinking about a mark or logo, then not too much. But, if you understand the full scope of what a brand can and should be, then it has everything to do with your direction as a company. While there are many different definitions and understandings of what a brand is, here is how I break it down...

A Brand is the overall perception of your product or service in the marketplace. It is not merely the ideal communication of a logo or tagline externally. A mature brand actually encompasses feedback from the marketplace about the reality of their experience with your product or service.

There can be many facets to a well-developed brand. But, there are 3 primary ingredients:

1) The Look - The logo, packaging, vehicle, decor, ambience, uniforms or any other ingredient used to make an initial impression upon or connection with your target audience.

2) The Promise - What exactly your company promises to deliver to your clients. The most powerful ones focus on avoiding/alleviating a pain or delivering a pleasure.

3) The Experience - The style and competence of delivery and feeling that clients experience in doing business with you.

If you have thoroughly thought these through and decided what your intention is in all three of these areas, then you'll have a much better chance of consistently delivering on the expectations that you build in the marketplace.

As an added benefit, most of those nagging questions you have concerning new directions or opportunities won't even have to be made. Viewed through the prism of your "look," "promise" and "experience" you will find many options are legitimately "good," but not the BEST for you or your clients long-term. And, as you know ... in business, what you DON'T do is often as important as what you do!

About This Chart: For those who haven't been following, I created this daily chart for the purpose of communicating and tracking some of my more important goals - publicly. You can read about it in THIS EARLIER POST.

Day 28 - A Cool Time-Saver

Not to go totally "techno geek" on you, but I absolutely love my Evernote.

If you don't know what it is, here's the CEO giving a super brief explanation:

In short, it's my online clip file of everything from web pages and articles to meeting notes and thanks to my iPhone - even offline magazine articles.

I've been using it for a while and literally have over 1,000 different easily searchable notes on my Evernote.

But, the reason why I brought it up today is that I'm all excited because I just found out that since Evernote can search by text that's IN A GRAPHIC, I can quickly take an iPhone snapshot of business cards that I receive and easily find the one I'm looking for later. Here's a demo of how it works:



Clearly, some cool online tools add to your time on the computer. Evernote has saved me tons of hours and helped me easily organize my information.
It's worth checking out (and, NO, I'm not an affiliate or anything). They have a free level and premium level for a whopping $5/month.
______________________

About This Chart: For those who haven't been following, I created this daily chart for the purpose of communicating and tracking some of my more important goals - publicly. You can read about it in THIS EARLIER POST.

A Winning Game Plan For A Rough Economy

Between higher gas prices, a media that has conducted a rather lengthy campaign to convince us "the sky is falling" and a natural correction in the markets due to government agencies and large finance companies artificially bolstering the housing sector for several years, mass consumer fears appear to have taken hold. The result, of course, is that even those who have been minimally impacted are pinching their pennies and not spending anything they don't feel they have to. Since over 70% of our economy is based on U.S. consumer spending, if the overall public mood remains negative, it is possible this will devolve into a more long-lasting slump.

Note: If you prefer to listen to this article, you may click here:

That, of course, is the GENERAL economic outlook. However, that does not have to be your PERSONAL economic outlook. The facts are irrefutable; in times of economic shift, there are massive opportunities that accompany adversities. In fact, while millions get fearful and sell off their stock market holdings at a loss, the calm and focused few make money by shorting the market or picking up deals that will soon rebound. In my neighborhood, someone recently picked up a home that had been sold 2 years ago for $1.2 million dollars - for a greatly discounted $475,000. They are now renting it back to the original owners for a monthly profit! And, in the general business arena, while some are losing customers, others are making tremendous market share and revenue gains!

"Are You Playing To Win? Or, Are You Playing To Not Lose?

So, what makes the difference between those who gain and those who lose? I would suggest that it is the quality of their questions and expectations. In short, are you playing to win? Or, are you playing to not lose? We see it in professional athletics all the time. Oftentimes in a championship game we will see an underdog up against a team who has proven themselves to be superior throughout the balance of the season. They are dominant, scary and clearly have the momentum on their side. In other words, like today's economic outlook, the challenge is very real.

If the underdog looks at their situation with any intellectual honesty, they will conclude that, barring their rising above their current comparative limitations, they will lose. However, not all underdogs respond the same way. Some will play with a mindset and game plan that is set on not losing. They strive and toil and fall all over themselves to try to keep the superior team from trouncing them. They inevitably lose and often, they lose by blowout margins. Other underdogs, however, play to win. They may intellectually recognize that the other team has some very dominant forces and on an average day, would be headed toward victory. So, they decide that it is not going to be an average day. They decide to "leave it all on the field" and play to win. The result - either a spectacular victory or at worst, a highly respectable loss where they held the dominant team to a fraction of their usual margin of victory.

As you can tell, I'm not one who embraces the general population's negative views and attitudes about market conditions. But for now, let's dispense with our positive vernacular and take a cold, hard look at what have become facts. The negativism in the economy has become the opposing team. It is big, It is scary and It is winning. And, whether or not you are playing on the front lines that have already been negatively impacted, or whether you are in the backfield, it is going to change your circumstances.

Separate Yourself From The Millions Who Will Lose In This Economy

So, the question is, "What is YOUR Winning Game Plan?" Do you have a strategy and tactical plan to grow during this time? Or, are you like the masses - cowering and fearful and attempting to hunker down till the storm passes? There is no status quo in business. Short of a salaried job, the numbers on your monthly income statements are not stagnant. They are going up or going down. And, just like a Karate student who is attempting to break a board, if your focus is on the board, you will fail. Your focus instead needs to be beyond the board! So, ask yourself ... What opportunities does this economy present me with that I didn't have before? How can I use this opportunity to grow and win? How can I help those around me come out winners as well? By asking yourself these questions, you will separate yourself from the millions who will lose in this economy. You will have responsibility versus being a victim of circumstance. And, whether you win or lose, you will be FAR better off than you would have been.

Time to Adjust the Sails

I'm back from North Carolina with the family... totally charged up and ready to plough through the rest of 2008 with a joyful fury!  ;-)

During my two weeks away, and the subsequent few days I've been home, I've noticed a dramatic shift in the mood of even my most optimistic friends and a generally dour outlook from strangers I've met. Between the erratic economic indicators, some very real issues in the banking/mortgage sector and the culmination of an almost endless multi-year campaign by the media to assure us that we're heading into economic crisis, it appears that the mass psychosis has taken hold. So now, what has been conceived in the minds of the masses is actually manifesting in very real situations. Even those of us who haven't had to sell real estate or stocks feel the pinch at the gas station and grocery store and many businesses are getting into survival mode.

If you're feeling a bit anxious about the economy and how it will effect you, I'll offer these simple thoughts.

1st - Remember - our journey in business and in life is NOT a like a train on a track. I've never seen a business fully execute according to plan. They often hit or surpass their goals, but seldom, if ever, in the neat and tidy way they were envisioned in the plan. No, our journey is much more like an oceanic sailing adventure. 

We determine the destination we are wanting to reach and the timeframe in which we want to reach it. We chart the course and we set sail. Then, all bets are off. Winds change direction and storms unexpectedly roll in. Our job is simply to control our own responses and adjust the sails and steer the ship to compensate for the outside forces that come our way. As the Bible puts it .. "In his heart a man plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps."

In a time of shifting economic conditions, it's time for us to remember that we have no control over the outside forces. So, we can either waste our time cursing the winds or we can adjust to take advantage of them in a way that we perhaps hadn't thought of before.

The Chinese symbol for Danger is the same as the one for Opportunity. You will only be able to recognize and take advantage of the current opportunities that are emerging if you are asking yourself quality questions like "Who is making money now that might not have been a few months ago?" and "What can I do right now to profit while others are living in fear?" In a time of dramatic shift, those who keep their heads on straight and their focus on their goals, will adjust the sails instead of dropping anchor. They will use the same force that grounds other vessels to propel further and faster along their course of success.

2nd - Don't lose your joy and zest for life! The Bible says, "The joy of the Lord is my strength." So, no joy, no strength to overcome ... to be buoyant and rise above situations.

Even if you've taken a big hit, put it all in perspective and remember what and who you value ... what really makes your life rich and rewarding. Money most definitely makes life easier, but nothing and no one can take away the true richness and rewards that reside in the heart of someone who is "living out loud" the way God has wired them to be and according to the values that they have in their hearts.

Times like these offer a fresh start. They cause us to get out our maps and dust off our compasses and evaluate where we're at and make the adjustments necessary to stay on course, or in many cases, get back on course... in all areas of our lives ... spiritual, relational and professional.

If you're one that perhaps has drifted way off course take heart. Thank God for the threatening storms that made you take notice. Be at peace with where you're at (it is what it is and you can't change it) and use the knowledge you've gained from experiences that landed you where you are to propel you forward.

I'll end with a few You Tube music videos. For me, music can touch my heart and lift and direct my spirits in a way that mere words cannot. So, hopefully, these clips will resonate with you as well.

This one is by Point of Grace - great song to remember to play full out!

Here's Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield to remind you that you are writing your story every day and you can make it what you want it to be.

Finally, Vivere (Dare to Live) by Andrea Bocelli and Laura Pausini



Hope you enjoy them and experience renewal.

Be buoyant and get excited about what lies ahead.  I believe in you!

All the Best,

Thom

Could I be replaced by a machine?

So my parents are all moved into their new apartment at an assisted living facility in Hendersonville, NC. Jody and the kids and I came up to spend some time with them and my siblings, brother-in-law and nieces.

Beyond all the emotional challenges that this move has presented to my folks, there are also some very practical challenges of moving from a large, 2 story home into a more manageable 3 bedroom apartment ... the biggest of which is storage.

My brother David and I decided to take advantage of my being there by installing some shelving in their closets to help them maximize the space. So, off we went to the local Lowes to pick up supplies where we experienced what my business partner, Bob Burg, and I have termed "Anti-Wow' customer service.

First, though we were passed by MANY Lowes employees as we combed the aisles in search of the shelving units, not a single one even acknowledged our presence, let alone asked us if we were finding everything we needed.

Then, when we did find the particular set of modular shelving units that we were seeking, they were out of stock on the shelves we could reach (certainly not their fault), but fortunately, there were more boxes of them available on the top shelf of the  warehouse-like aisle. Immediately, I attempted to flag down an employee who could help us locate the person who could retrieve the product we needed only to be literally waived off as if I were attempting to hail a cab in front of Carnegie Hall after a show. This rather odd customer service technique was displayed by not just one, but two employees who, by all indications, were on duty and fully capable of speech (though perhaps not rational thought).

Okay, so I'm certainly not going to let a little customer service glitch foil my efforts to help my parents out. Next step ... I'm off to the Customer Service desk where, after over a minute of waiting with no one else in line, the customer service representative was nice enough to break off her conversation with a fellow employee about the concoctions they drank at their 4th of July party, so I could ask her to please send someone to our aisle to retrieve the boxes from the top shelf. She immediately hopped on the PA system to send the message. So, I returned to the aisle to wait ... and wait .... and wait ... for OVER 20 minutes - with still no sign of anyone who was going to help us and with employees passing us by right and left.

If I were there alone, I would have driven to the Home Depot 2 blocks away after only about 10 minutes of waiting. However, I did have my older brother there so we were able to take advantage of the time and catch up on the happenings in each others' lives (though both of us would probably have preferred the conversation over a glass of wine back home or a Cider and darts at a local watering hole.)

But alas, here we are still waiting and wondering if anyone even heard the announcement that the customer service representative had made. Back again I went to the customer service counter as I asked her once again to help me. Put out, our once-friendly representative reminded me that she had already honored my request once before. But, since I was still without the product I was so desperately attempting to purchase, she reluctantly agreed to issue the dictum one more time.

9 minutes and 22 seconds later (I'm now very conscious of the time), an employee comes to retrieve the boxes from the top shelf (which took him 37 seconds total).

Ahhhh, now it's off to the checkout where we are faced with the decision of going to a checkout line with a real live cashier and only one person in line before us, or go to the self-checkout station where there are 2 people at each of the 4 machines. You guessed it - we went for the machine. It was quicker and in my imagination (based on my experience there that day) probably friendlier as well. 

My point? Well, it comes down to the value-added benefit of service. Those employees at that particular Lowes store added virtually nothing to the sales experience and when they did actually perform their job, it was with great reluctance and poor attitude. Rather than be driven to deliver such a high level of customer service that they could not possibly be replaced by a machine, they seemed almost hell-bent on hastening the process of their demise.

After experiencing the let down of their real customer service that day, I opted to checkout with a machine. And, you'd better believe that if I heard of a store that had mechanically rotating shelves so that I could move the top shelf down myself, I'd be bringing my business there... bing, bang, boom - I'm empowered and former employees are looking for work (and likely blaming the big "heartless corporations" for putting profits above people).

However, don't take this as a rant against certain parts of the retail sector. Frankly, there are some companies as a whole and individual employees that are so good at delivering service which does in fact add value, that I wouldn't consider going to their competitor - even for a lower price.

So the question we all need to pose ourselves is this ... Are there any areas of our customer service where we are resting on our laurels ... that we take advantage of the competitive benefits of our primary service or our products and are falling short on cultivating relationships where people LIKE doing business with us?

If you sell nutritional supplements, could the customer just as easily buy them through the company directly and not miss a thing with you removed from the equation? If you're a CPA, could a hot new computer program with super new fuzzy logic (like a "Quicken on steroids") make you look replace-able? For me, if someone developed a fuzzy logic marketing plan builder that reveals hidden assets and provides a plan to maximize them, is there anything I bring to the table above and beyond the pure and simple intellectual output that would compel someone to do business with me? Could I be replaced by a machine?

Food for thought .... 

All the Best,

Thom

End of June already???

It's the end of the month already and I've been so swamped that I have neglected to post much of anything. Sorry about that!

The Extreme Business Makeovers event was a smashing success on the 19th-21st. Over a week later now and I'm still getting people sending me emails and cards to thank me for putting it all together. I've got to say, it was an incredible lineup of speakers and each one not only delivered different expertise, but they have the same deep care for our participants that I have!

So, now that 2008 is half over, it seems an appropriate time to measure where I'm at for the year ... what's working, what's not and how to maximize the strengths and workaround the weaknesses.

Which leads me to the topics of balance and structure - not something that a typical "creative" type like myself excels in. I tend to bounce back and forth between juggling 50 projects at once or getting ultra picky and ultra focused on a particular project. The end result is the same ... a lot of busyness and much less fruitfulness. And, I've also done a lousy job at consistently taking care of myself by getting enough sleep and eating regular small meals versus my feast or famine pattern. Do you ever feel challenged in that area?

Well here's how I'm handling it for myself. First, I've created a block schedule, as per my friend, Stephanie Frank's advice. In it, I account for Focus Time (for projects), Flex time (general office stuff/communications, etc...), Family Time and Free Time. By making sure I have that Focus time when the door is shut, the phone is off and I'm not checking emails, it's much harder to get sidetracked or distracted by the tyranny of the daily urgent stuff and neglect the big projects that have huge payoffs.

Also, starting tomorrow, I'm taking a couple weeks for a working vacation - first to go to Hendersonville, NC to visit with my Mom and Dad, my sister and brother-in-law and their kids and another of my brothers. Then, after that, we head to the Outer Banks of North Carolina for a mini reunion with my In-Laws and my wife's sisters and their husbands and children. With 13 grandchildren and 8 adults all staying in the same house, that should be a fun time. And, of course, the time out-of-pocket will give me the time to come back to the office ready to implement my new schedule versus if I didn't have that transition time for my mind.

On the positive side, I'm working on a book and should have a really large chunk of it done by the time I return! I'll save the details about that for another day.

If I don't post before then, have a super and safe 4th of July holiday! Be sure to take time to be grateful for this incredible country we live in!

All the Best,
Thom

Down to the wire

Extreme Business Makeovers 2008 kicks off tomorrow at 8:30 am at the Caribe Royale in Orlando. Which means ... I haven't had more than 2 hours of sleep a night for the past week.

It always amazes me just how many details there are in events like this. There are lots of parts that I don't mind letting someone else handle. But, there's a lot of it that I feel the need to be involved in from a quality standpoint. I'm not talking about if the food is good or the coffee is hot. That's not my focus at this event. It's things like ... Do we have the best video clip to use to set the mood and mindset for the next speaker? ... Do we have the right music to play during breaks so that we fill the atmosphere with positive attitudes and energy without trying to become a pep rally? ... Are the workbook materials going to help our participants walk out the door ready to apply what they've learned immediately?

But, I have to say ... it is very easy to get hung up on decisions concerning food and beverages, signs, name badges, graphics, etc... and lose track of the only really important item - making sure the "deliverable" of information and motivation surpasses all expectations.

Hey, look for another post tomorrow morning. I'm thinking about letting those who couldn't make it have a few sneak peeks throughout the day with a live stream from the event. If I decide to do this, I'll go ahead and post the times here.

Meanwhile, be blessed. I'll let you know afterwards how it all went.

Thom

The Entrepreneurial (and independent sales pro's) Trap

Happy Friday!

One of the experts who will be training the participants (AND me) at
our upcoming Extreme Business Makeovers event in Orlando wrote
a great article that I thought would be well worth your time. Though
I'm still a "work in progress," I can say personally that Stephanie's
simple systems have helped me improve and be much more conscious
about working ON my business, not IN it.

Remember - if you want to save over 50% on your tickets to Extreme
Business Makeovers 2008, you must type the word - SUCCESS - in the
coupon code box on the online Check Out page after you click to
reserve your seats and select the one or two ticket option. The web
address, once again, is http://www.extremebusinessmakeovers.com

Here's the article ... Enjoy!
Thom

______________________________________________________
The Entrepreneurial (and independent sales pro's) Trap
By Stephanie Frank


by Stephanie Frank

You're a smart, hardworking entrepreneur, and you're moving fast.
You are highly educated in your field and your business is growing
and getting busier each day. But somehow, you find yourself stuck.
You're doing more tasks that take you away from your core business,
you are working more and earning less. You need help. Wouldn't it
be great if there was someone, anyone out there who could help you
take away some of the daily tasks so you could focus on the things
you really love?

Maybe you've looked, tried to work with or even hired people to
help you manage your business. But somehow, every time, things just
didn't go right, and there you were, left again with the mounds of
paperwork, details and projects to manage. Alone.

"No problem," you tell yourself. "I can do it faster myself anyway."

In that one statement, you just fell into the biggest trap of your
entrepreneurial career.

Growing and leading your business is by far the biggest challenge a
business owner faces. After all, you are highly specialized in your
field - which is not business management. Unfortunately for most
business owners, when a new employee or contractor comes into the
business, one of two things usually happens.

1. The business owner and new hire spend hours, days, weeks and
sometimes months working side by side, with the business owner
explaining all of the intricacies of the job. When the employee or
contractor gets good at the job, the business owner begins to
panic, wondering if the person will stay. When the person leaves
the company, the process repeats. Frustration, fear and doubt
plague the business owner.

2. The new person is hired and told briefly what is expected of
him/her. The big picture is provided and the person is left up to
his or her own judgment as to how the job gets done. The person
does the job in a different manner than the owner and is
reprimanded for doing things a new way. The employee feels
disempowered, afraid, and leaves. Frustration, fear and doubt
plague the business owner once again.

It doesn't have to be that way.

You can have the freedom, focus and results you want in business.
Solving this problem is simple. You probably weren't trained in
school as a business manager, so you must first understand that
business operations management is a required skill for a success in
business. Most people make it too hard, by hoping for a single
person to show up on their doorstep, smart, focused, creative and
able to take away the tasks that lay before them with hardly a
second thought. I'm about to burst your bubble, because that person
is probably already in business for themselves. It's up to you to
create the environment where other people can be empowered to
assist you. Here are four simple steps to get you started on the
road to turn-key success.

1. Create total focus.

Get out a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle. Title the
page Total Focus. On the left side, write down all of the tasks you
do in a week, from answering the phone to shipping to providing
service and creating new products. On the right side, write down
the three things you love doing. Compare the lists.

2. Group tasks for easy delegation.

Next to each task, label it with one of the three major business
areas:

- Administrative (office paperwork)

- Sales/Marketing (attracting customers or making the sale)

- Production (producing/shipping and delivery of products or
services)

3. Start Documenting.

For each task, write down the steps to completion. You might start
with “Here's How We _____________” to prompt you. Use whatever
method is simplest for you - a screenshot, written or typed steps,
diagrams - just get it down on paper and put it in a binder called
Procedure Manual.

4. Get Help.

Begin looking for people to work on tasks that are not in your
"love to do" column. Start small. The right person works only a few
hours per week on the things that take you days.

There is no magic person who can do all business tasks (except you,
of course!). With your Procedure Manual in hand, you can delegate
properly, relax and enjoy building your business, the simple way.

Stephanie Frank is an internationally known author and speaker.
Take the free quiz "Do You Have What It Takes To Be The Next
Accidental Millionaire?" and receive $1,574 of business building
tools and resources at http://www.AccidentalMillionaire.com

Learning Entrepreneurship from a Billionaire!

How Many BILLIONAIRE Entrepreneurs Have You Been Able to Meet AND Learn From IN-PERSON?

(Note: Click above for Audio - The sound is clearer after first 40 seconds)

Bill Bartmann, who Inc. Magazine describes as "The Billionaire Nobody Knows," is one of the incredible experts who will be teaching us at Extreme Business Makeovers 2008!

Bill didn't take one million or even one hundred thousand and make his Billions. In fact, he and his wife Kathy borrowed $13,000 and grew it into a company that produced over $1 Billion in annual revenues. He's going to share with each of us how to navigate the waters of entrepreneurship to maximize our individual strengths and become the most successful entrepreneurs or intrapreneurs that we can be!

Describing himself as the "poster boy for failure," Bill is very down-to-earth and teaches in a way that we can all relate and apply.

Check out the brief, 10 minute preview call I conducted with Bill. (The sound quality leaves much to be desired, but you can certainly hear Bill's heart and experience loud and clear).

After that, GET REGISTERED for Extreme Business Makeovers 2008 by visiting http://www.ExtremeBusinessMakeovers.com and click to reserve your seat. Something Special: for my readers only, if you enter the word SUCCESS in the Coupon Code box at the Check Out, it will automatically deduct $100 from the advanced ticket price!

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me directly at thom@burg.com.

I look forward to seeing you in Orlando!

All the Best,

Thom

It was MY idea

The victories won by a master of war gain him neither reputation for wisdom nor merit for courage. How subtle and insubstantial, that the expert leaves no trace. How divinely mysterious, that he is inaudible. Thus, he is master of his enemy's fate. -- Sun Tzu, The Art of War

It's almost comical how many times I've been in a meeting where I sold an idea or solution in such a way that I almost left no fingerprint on it. In fact, in most of the situations that I'm referring to, the owner, CEO or biggest VIP in the room believed THEY came up with the idea.

I gotta say, as much as I enjoy the outcome of actually getting what I was wanting, there's something in me at those times that just wants to jump up on the conference table and shout ... "DIDN'T YOU PEOPLE JUST HEAR ME LEAD HIM TO SAY THAT?"

However, I'm reminded of the quote above from The Art of War by Sun Tzu. And, although business isn't war, anytime you are presenting a concept or solution that involves change, there is great potential for conflict and therefore many of the same principles apply. Basically, Sun Tzu is saying that we can be masterful and be more effective if we don't worry about being recognized for it.

It's amazing how well this works in numerous scenarios - selling products/services ... gaining support for your new initiatives with staff, partners or vendors ... leading volunteers in a ministry or non-profit organization ... EVEN helping your teens to make wise choices and feel it was their idea!

So, despite my ego crying out to be recognized for my "brilliance," I'll keep choosing to swallow my pride and walk away getting everything I was looking to accomplish. But, between you and me - It was my idea ;-)

Going with the Flow

Well, Mother's Day turned out to be very nice - though not exactly what was expected. Here we showed up at the restaurant where we had reservations for over a month ... and they were CLOSED!!!! In addition, we were greeted by a police officer who told us that they would not be opening again anytime soon. (Of course, I "googled" it all right away on the ole iPhone, but apparently, there's no news about it and we still don't know what happened ... but, I bet there's a pretty long list of disgruntled ex-patrons out there now.)

Obviously at noon on Mother's Day Sunday, we weren't going to have any luck getting into another A list restaurant. Argghhh! Fortunately, I had been to a restaurant almost across the street with my two oldest boys one day, so I knew that the food was solid and that they didn't take reservations. Off we went to the new choice and made it in just in time to beat the later church crowd ("Thanks" Discovery Church for an earlier church time ;-)  ) We wound up having a nice time, the food was solid and the kids, especially, thoroughly enjoyed it. AND, since we saved a ton of money on what we would have spent as a family at the original restaurant choice, I told Jody that we could go out to one of her very favorite Japanese steakhouses - Mikado at the Marriott World Center - for a date night. So, she wound up getting her Mother's Day with no dishes and good and plentiful food AND another relaxing, higher-end date to boot! ;-)

If you're like me... these types of things happen all the time in business as well. Whether it's a marketing promotion or plans for a public program that we're putting on, it seems like there is often a fair amount of difference between what was planned and how those plans play out in reality. 

There are definitely some times when initial feedback you get seems negative and you just have to stay the course and fight on through to get to the goal you have established.

Other times ... perhaps too many times ... I find myself fixated on the MEANS and not the END. So, instead of adjusting the sail to capture the wind as it is really blowing, I figuratively shake my fist in the air and curse the wind for not blowing the way I want it to blow. In those times, I fall short of where I want to be, versus surpassing what even I had in mind.

Anyone else ever have experiences like that?

Be Blessed,

Thom

Great meeting the other day ...

Hey, I'm actually getting out of my comfort zone and trying some new things this year. I figured since my business partner, Bob is the maven of networking and referrals, I should actually try to cultivate relationships with the many people I already meet online and in person every day.

Well, a few weeks ago, I met Jimmy Vee at a Charlie Jones (LOVE that man) event here at my church here in Orlando. Wonders never cease - I actually made it a point to follow-up by contacting him and Tuesday, I met with him and his business partner, Travis Miller (another cool cat) at PF Changs.

Okay... first, the food was AWESOME (not  to fixate on food, but PFs is really good and I'm not treating myself too much lately as I've resolved to shed 100lbs this year). More importantly, the company was PHENOMENAL. 

Before our meeting, I had discovered that they were marketers right here in my neck of the woods. I never know what to make of info like that unless I know what type of marketing philosophies and practices are employed. It turns out that these guys are marketing pros (the real kind based on solid, proven and measurable direct marketing principles not general advertising garbage). On top of that, they are actually passionate, honest and mission-driven guys. Wow... 3 honest marketers in the same city ... let alone at the same table at a restaurant ... that's like alternate universe kinda stuff ;-)

At the end of our meal, they gave me their new book, Gravitational Marketing which was just published by Wiley. Tonight, I've got to read a galley copy (not out yet) of David Bach's Go Green, Live Rich. But, I'll crank through Gravitational Marketing this weekend (there's a lot of meat there to get through) and let you know how it is on Monday. (sidebar - Don't go out and buy Gravitational Marketing yet ... though I have a feeling it's fantastic ... Jimmy and Travis are putting together a special campaign for March 19th, so "keep your powder dry" till then.)

Meanwhile... I hope you like my new free flow dialogue. It feels really awkward to someone who's more used to writing articles. But, my wife tells me she prefers the peek into my rather warped mind more than my prose and "faux heady" thoughts. I'll let you be the judge.

Blessings to ya!

Heralding The Age of Authenticity

Okay... starting AFTER this post, expect less lengthy articles like this and much more commentary and questions concerning the things we all deal with every day as entrepreneurs, husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, children, etc... I've got a renewed vision to see this blog be more spontaneous and a dialogue versus monologues from me. That having been said, here's an article that explains the origins of this renewed vision ...

_________________________________________
Heralding The Age of Authenticity
by Thom Scott

Recently, I was blessed with the opportunity to be part of the phenomenal Strategic Profits "Live" Conference. My hats off to Rich Schefren and his team who did a fantastic job of designing and hosting the event, as well as assembling a top-shelf team of experts including my original marketing mentor, Jay Abraham (www.abraham.com), as well as my new friend and Web 2.0 master, Gary Vaynerchuk (www.winelibrary.com).

During the entire 7 days of intense training, whether the topic was leadership, product launches, direct mail or personal branding, one theme rang supreme ... "Growing Beyond Me-Too."

Of course, this was tremendous validation of my "Marketing From The Heart" System which actually leads my clients through the process of becoming authentic and attractive. It was also validation of The Law of Authenticity as expressed by my business partner, Bob Burg and his co-author, John David Mann in their national bestseller, The Go-Giver.

As with any true principle, The Law of Authenticity has ALWAYS been effective. However, the fact that it is included in The Go-Giver as well as my "Marketing From The Heart" System and that every speaker at this conference addressed it is, I believe, indicative of an emerging trend in business. I'll call it, "The Age of Authenticity."

The more I have studied this theory of mine, the more I see past examples of "packaged" and somewhat inauthentic messages that were made possible by one-way media. Even the first generation of businesses on the web utilized static, brochure-like web pages that enabled small, start-up companies to appear as big and impressive as established mid-to-large size concerns. In fact, many rushed to establish a presence on the web in order to take advantage of that “benefit.”

However, 2 changes have occurred that I believe are putting an end to the "Age of Packaging" and ushering in "The Age of Authenticity." The first is that we have become collectively sick and tired of over-hyped advertising. We're weary of people who are different before and after the sale. In short, we're weary of inauthenticity. From politics to television to the business arena, we have begun to see that reality (or at least messages closer to reality) sell better than their overly-packaged counterparts.

Why did this shift in thinking occur? Well, as my dad used to say, "nothing kills a bad product faster than good advertising." Not that all of the products or services were bad ... but by and large they simply didn't deliver on the "magic bullet" messages that were used to sell them. And, even though these hype-filled approaches can still be very effective in the short-term, they inevitably leave clients feeling somewhat ambivalent.

(Parenthetically, many also have a product or service that truly is good and unique and they seek to add value, BUT mimicking others’ approaches, they haven't stood out from the competition. These true value-providers have become increasingly frustrated by their lack of market penetration. In their search to find a tactic that will work, they have stumbled upon a rare and powerful force in communications - the truth!)

The second big change that ushers in this new age of authenticity is the introduction of web 2.0 which facilitates and has popularized two-way communications on the internet. Ask any reality tv contestant... with the camera rolling 24/7, the real you is bound to show up at some point. The same is true on the web ... blogs, video podcasts and other popular mediums eventually betray their authors’ true selves if they are in any way inauthentic. Also, because of the wealth of available information and cool services like Google maps, it's no longer possible to "fake it till you make it," as anyone can quickly pull up an aerial view of my house, among other things, to verify whether or not I really have that Ferrari parked in front of my golf course mansion.

Okay, so we have this new "Age of Authenticity" thing happening. So what? What does it mean to us and how do we put the power of the Law of Authenticity to work for us? Glad you asked - since you may know that I am big on application! Well, believe it or not, so many of us have been conditioned, at a very early age, to become or act like something we're not in order to gain approval, that it often makes being truly authentic more difficult than wearing a "mask." Real authenticity takes the courage to willingly experience the polarization of relationships with those that love you and rejection from those who do not.

While the path to authenticity is often a progressive and evolving journey, one that takes my clients several weeks to navigate, I would advise that if you feel that this is something you need, you can begin your journey to true authenticity with the following questions:

Does the image that I portray to others really express who I am or the essence of my company? Do I like the people I am attracting as clients? Would I hang out with them if I didn't do business with them? Do I try to cover up my past mistakes and setbacks, or do I share these with others to reveal my inner motivations and help them grow through my experiences? Do I attempt to show great proficiency at every facet of my business or personal life, or do I clearly express my giftedness and challenges and seek to find others who can compensate for my weaknesses? How can I embrace the positive side of my quirks and allow others to see them? How can I live my life in such a way that when I am gone, I have left my thumbprint on the world and the lives of those in my sphere of influence? You get the idea.

While I tend to address topics like this through the lens of business, authenticity is obviously a message that reaches into every facet of our lives. It is vital to both our personal happiness and our success and something that I need to grapple with every morning as I face the man in the mirror.

In Defense of Optimism

"Two men look out through the same bars: One sees the mud, and one
sees the stars."
-- Frederick Langbridge, A Cluster of Quiet Thoughts

If you've made a bad decision at work that wound up in a loss, will
you jump for joy and push for better results the next time or will
you be discouraged and find an excuse not to stick your neck out
and attempt big things again?

In life, you are always filled with choices. You may opt to have a
pessimist's view and live a self-defeated life or you may decide to
take the optimist's route and live a challenging and fulfilling
life.

In an increasingly cynical society, optimism has, in many circles,
become synonymous with naivety and foolishness. In fact, when I was
growing up, someone thought to be too happy and too optimistic
would be called a "Pollyanna."

Well, I think Pollyanna got a raw deal. What was her big crime? She
always looked for things she could be glad about in the midst of
seemigly bad situations. And, in the end, when she was confronted
with possibly being paralyzed for life, it was the entire town
(that her "glad game" had positively affected) that wound up
bringing that message of hope back to her so she could have the
courage to move on. Am I missing something? Is this a bad thing?

One of my favorite theater productions is Les Miserables. So, I was
amazed when one of my business associates told me they saw it
and felt it was terribly depressing. While he was looking at the
horrible plight of those in the show, I was focused on the
indomitable spirit that allowed some to experience bits of joy in
their plight and empowered others to rise above their plight in the
end. (Note: this is not a social commentary on the French
Revolution as I believe lobbing off heads of aristocracy to be
pretty nasty business and a bad reaction to an equally horrible
system of injustice.)

So, what difference does it make? Don't we need to look at
things "realistically?" Why bother to be optimistic?

Well, optimism has been linked to positive mood and good morale; to
academic, athletic, military, occupational and political success;
to popularity; to good health and even to long life and freedom
from trauma.

On the other hand, pessimism has been linked to growing rates of
depression. It affects middle-aged adults the same way it hits
younger people. The mean age of onset has gone from 30 to 15 ... no
longer a middle-aged homemaker's disorder but a teenager's
disorder, as well.

OPTIMISTS EXPECT THE BEST

The defining characteristic of pessimists is that they tend to
believe bad events will last longer than they usually do,
undermine everything they do and are their own fault.

The truth is optimists are confronted with the same hard knocks of
this world. What differs is the way they explain their
misfortune... Exactly theopposite way. They tend to believe defeat
is just a temporary setback, that its causes are confined to this
one case. And, if it truly was their fault, they're happy to know
so that they can make sure it won't happen again in the future.

Optimists tend to focus on the lessons within the 'problem' at
hand. They use 'positive re-framing.' In other words, they most
likely reinterpret a negative experience in a way that helps them
learn and grow. Such people are unfazed by bad situation, they
perceive it is a challenge and try harder.

They won't say "things will never get better," "If I failed
once, it will happen again" and "If I experience misfortune in
one part of my life, then it will happen in my whole life."

Because optimists look for opportunities in times of crisis, they
are able to capitalize on them. In doing so, they will either
lessen the negative impact of their crisis situation, or, they'll
somehow find the opportunity within it to grow and improve and
build something spectacular out of the same crisis that cripples
another. Whether it is a John Walsh of America's Most Wanted, or
direct marketing millionaire, Jeff Paul, living in the basement of
a family member's house because his business went bust, history is
filled with those who took tragedy and turned it into triumph.

PEOPLE RESPOND POSITIVELY TO OPTIMISTS

Optimists are proactive and less dependent on others for their
happiness. They find no need to control or manipulate people. They
usually draw people towards them. Their optimistic view of the
world can be contagious and influence those they are with.

In life, these people often win elections; get voted most congenial
and sought for advice.

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, OPTIMISTS GET TOUGHER

Optimists typically maintain higher levels of subjective
well-being during times of stress than do people who are less
optimistic. In contrast, pessimists are likely to react to
stressful events by denying that they exist or by avoiding
dealing with problems. Pessimists are more likely to quit
trying when difficulties arise.

Optimists persevere. They don't just not give up easily - they are
also known for their patience; inching their way a step closer
to that goal or elusive dream.

OPTIMISTS ARE HEALTHIER AND LIVE LONGER

Medical research has justified that simple pleasures and a
positive outlook can cause a measurable increase in the body's
ability to fight disease.

Optimists' health is unusually good. They age well, much freer
than most people from the usual physical ills of middle age.
And they get to outlive those prone to negative thoughts.

We are all raised with different patterns of behavior. Optimism may
not be your natural state. It isn't mine. That is why I keep
filling my mind with great teaching and lessons from positive and
proactive thinkers. I fill the wall of my office with verses,
quotes and thoughts to remind myself of who I am and how I want to
be. One of these quotes is from George Bernard Shaw. It says:

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the
unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to
himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable
man."

So why not be an unreasonable optimist today? And bring
progress to your own life and the lives of those around you.

Roadmaps for our journeys

"What this power is I cannot say; all I know is that it exists and
it becomes available only when a man is in that state of mind in
which he knows exactly what he wants and is fully determined not to
quit until he finds it."
-- Alexander Graham Bell
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Okay... I know. It's been forever since I wrote my last article. I am back in the saddle and will start posting at least once a week from now on. (I was recently at an intense workshop with Stephanie Frank -- www.TheAccidentalMillionaire.com and am working through all I learned to make sure that I schedule more time for the important and not just the urgent.

So, it's summer vacation time. If you're like my gang, with the logistics of 6 kids and all that
comes with them, you are likely long past the freespirited younger days when you could
take off accross the country with a bathing suit, two pairs of shorts, some deodorant, toothbrush and a wallet - not even knowing or caring where you are going. Nope... for most of us, vacations take some planning - sometimes, a lot of it!

In reflecting on our family vacations, I had some thoughts about the Life journey that
we all find ourselves on.

* A Roadmap for Your Life
-Thom Scott, Managing Partner, Burg-Scott Communications, Inc.

It may have taken me the first 40 years of my life to really
embrace, but "success" is more than economic gains, titles, and
degrees. To me, real success is about reaching the destination that
you have chosen... the one that you have been uniquely created for
- AND enjoying the journey along the way. As with any journey, in
order to successfully reach your destination, you will need to
create a personal plan (or roadmap) - just like most of us do for
our own family vacations - that defines the following details:
starting point, destination, vehicle, luggage, landmarks, and route.

Starting Point: Who you are

You can't get where you want to go, without knowing where you are.
The starting point on your Roadmap For Life is who you are right
now. Most people when asked to introduce themselves would say, "Hi,
I'm John. I'm an electrician," or some such similar statement. That
does not tell you about who John is; it only tells you his present
occupation. To gain insights about yourself, you need to look
closely at your beliefs, values, and principles aside from your
economic, professional, cultural, and civil status. Moreover, you
can also reflect on your experiences to give you insights on your
good AND not-so-good traits, skills, knowledge, strengths, and
weaknesses. Upon introspection, John may realize that he is highly
motivated, generous, service-oriented, but impatient. His
inclination is in making things work correctly. Furthermore, he
believes that life must serve a purpose.

Note: If you are like many who have a hard time identifying their
strengths, try finding them in your weaknesses/challenges.
Oftentimes, a weakness is a strength that's being used the wrong
way, or for the wrong reasons. For instance, a parent who easily
slips into scolding and yelling often possesses the seeds of great
leadership. They are decisive and goal-oriented. The skills just
need to be developed. Someone who struggles with shyness is often
very good at cultivating deep, quality relationships versus a
plethora of acquaintances. You get the idea.

Destination: A vision of who you want to be

One of the amazing things about the way we humans are created is
that we don't have to settle for who or where we are in life. We
can become who and what we desire. So,who do want to be? What do
you want to spend your time doing? What do you want to have? Who do
you want to help? this is your vision. Knowing yourself (where your
starting point is) will help you develop a clearer idea of who you
want to be; and the things you want to change whether they are
attitudes, habits, or points of view. If you hardly know yourself,
then your vision and targets for the future will also be unclear.
Your destination should cover all the aspects of your being: the
physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. Continuing John,
after he defines his beliefs, values, and principles in life, he
may decide that he wants to have a life dedicated to creating a
legacy for his children.

Vehicle: Your Mission

A vehicle is the means by which you can reach your destination. It
can be analogized to your mission in life. Your mission is a
natural extension of your vision for your life. For instance, we
see that John has decided that he wants to have a life dedicated to
creating a legacy for his children. He may choose to accomplish
this by raising them to be responsible members of society,
developing a business that is a financial asset long after he is
gone and by being a consistent example of a great husband and
father as well as a "servant leader" of others.

Luggage (not to be confused with baggage): Your knowledge, skills,
and attitudes

Clothing, food, drinks, medicines, and other travelling necessities
are often packed for physical trips that we embark upon. Applying
this concept to the Roadmap For Your Life, you also bring with you
certain knowledge, skills, and attitudes. These determine your
competence and help you in attaining your vision. Given such, there
is a need for you to assess what knowledge, skills, and attitudes
you have at present and what you need to gain along the way. This
two-fold assessment will give you insights on your landmarks or
measures of success. John may have realized that he needed to gain
professional knowledge and skills to transform his current
self-employed situation (most often trading time for dollars) into
a true walk-away business that can be an asset for his kids. He may
have also determined that he needed to learn better coaching and
persuasion skills in order to have greater influence in his kids'
lives.

Landmarks and Routes: Breaking your trip down into sections.

Living in Central Florida, if I want to travel to Georgia, I can
get in my car and power on through without stopping in order to
arrive at my destination within a few hours. However, if I'm going
to drive to Los Angeles, I will need to break my trip down into
manageable daily sections. Landmarks (sub-goals) confirm if you are
on the right track and if your pace will be able to deliver you to
your destination in the period of time that you desire. Your routes
are the specific tasks that you perform every day that are either
moving you closer to your landmarks and destination, or further
away. Thus, in planning out the Roadmap For Your Life, you will
also need to have landmarks and a route.

Your landmarks (subgoals) must be specific, measurable, attainable,
realistic, and time bound. I cannot realistically drive to Los
Angeles in 30 straight hours. At just over 2,500 miles, it will
take 36 hours in driving time alone, not including pit stops and
sleep. Likewise, it may not be realistic to set a landmark of
earning a master's degree and a doctorate degree within a period of
three years, since the standard number of years to complete a
master's degree is two years.

There are many different routes which can be chosen to reach any
given destination. The key is to choose routes that fit your
lifestyle and personality so that you can truly enjoy the journey
rather than "gritting your teeth" and being miserable till you
finally get to where you want to be.

Anticipate Turns, Detours, and Potholes

This one is very difficult for me and may seem counterintuitive for
those of us who try to think positively. It is important that you
"expect the best, but plan for the worst." I've learned, with much
trial and error and self-inflicted pain, that despite all my plans
and route mapping, detours, delays and potholes happen. I can
either fight them (and wind up in a ditch at the side of the road
that I want to take), or I can follow the detour signs - as long as
I see that I'm still progessing on the journey to my destiny.

In the Bible, Proverbs 16:9 tells us, "In his heart, a man plans
his way [read "route"], but the Lord determines his steps." Of
course, we often want the quickest, most direct route to our
destination. But, more often than not, our route will be more
circuitous and bring us on some detours that we would rather not
take. In those moments, we can choose to be grateful for the route
that is there and examine the sights and learn from the experiences
that come with the perceived inconveniences. Or, we can curse the
road and all the drivers around us, slam on the brakes, or attempt
to drive past guard rails and warning signs to get to the road that
we believe (often falsely) is best for us. Peace and progress or
strife and struggling ... the choice is ours.

There is no right or wrong in creating the Roadmap For Your Life -
as long as it is all based on the real desires and uniqueness that
you were created with. The important thing is that you actually
create one - so that you can know, every day, that you are living a
life on purpose and always growing and moving towards your chosen
destination. Having a Roadmap for Your Life will ensure that your
daily choices (route selections) are heading in the right
direction. With greater clarity than you've ever had, you will
eliminate the hasty and spur-of-the-moment default decisions that
cause others to lose their way. You will confidently know that you
will arrive at your destination and you will be truly free to enjoy
the journey along the way.

A Marketing Tactic To Be Aware Of

As I promised yesterday, now I'm going to tell you about the new secret weapon I'm using for getting videos onto the 30 top video sites on the web - in all of about 10 minutes!

It's called Traffic Geyser and it's simple, but really cool. In short, it eliminates having to manually go to each video site on the net, remember my passcodes, manually input submission forms and then upload my video to each (which, depending on the size of the video and internet connection speed, can be anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour per site). Now, I can upload my new video once onto the Traffic Geyser system, complete a single submission form and hit "send." The system takes it from there and submits it to all the sites automatically.

In order to prepare the first time, I did have to get registered with each of the sites and input the username and password for each on the Traffic Geyser system. Once that was done, however, it now takes me just about 15-20 minutes to submit to all 30! That's a cool thing. There are even some tools on the system that I don't use, but that are still pretty neat... like for those that aren't video savvy, Traffic Geyser has a built in video creator that enables you to take an audio and upload some graphics to create a video file that can be posted.

So, what do video postings do for business? Well, lets just say that typically, I would not have submitted to THAT many video sites - probably just sticking with the big 5. And, I certainly wouldn't have taken the time to submit all at once. So, imagine my surprise when I use Traffic Geyser the very first time and wind up crashing our server because of the flood of traffic that it caused! Now, crashing a server is NOT a good thing. But, lesson learned ... it IS good to know how to create that kind of traffic. Also, the search engine ranking on the sites I've used it for is rising pretty quickly due to the additional backlinks that it's generating.

Now, as with ALL tactics, this WILL come to an end - or at least change significantly. As more and more people start to post their advertising videos on these sites, it will become like the old ezine article submitters, when ezine publishers had to eventually make it a more controlled and personalized submission process to avoid the spam that was resulting. At the point when video websites like Google Video and all the others start to block submissions from services like Traffic Geyser, either the service itself will evolve or there will be something completely new out there.

Yet another reason to not get so wrapped up in tactics. They change too rapidly and their effectiveness comes and goes with their popularization. Instead, if you want to be the best and most successful entrepreneur you can be, focus on the overall skills and principles you need - the ones I mentioned in my post here on Tuesday of this week. THEN, hire and partner with the tacticians you need who will keep up to date on the latest, greatest tools. That's the difference between working on your business and in your business! That's why we created The Success Mechanics Extreme Business Makeovers Seminar and we're bringing in the experts like Fran Tarkenton, Bob Proctor and Stephanie Frank - to teach you how to get to that point where your business is totally working for you... instead of you working for it!

All The Best,
Thom