Real Small Biz – Good News

Real Small Biz – Good News

Go golfing when you want. Play with the kids more. Coach a team. Be around so I can act in a play. Get a new truck. Sleep late when I want to. Don’t want to be told what to do. I like my life now. I can change it up every couple of years. I could always do it better anyway. Leave an impression. Make my wife proud. I can fire my clients. Work from home. Help my brothers and their kids. Be the boss. Take control. Have some fun. Challenge myself.

“What is the good news about having your own business?” was the question.

These are the real answers by real small business people. I know because I’ve heard them say it first hand. And these answers aren’t so unique or rare. These are, when you really get down to it, what real people who own businesses say.

And now that you know that, what the heck do you have to offer that helps these people keep rolling in this good news?

Yeah, you’ve got some thinking and reworking to do. Have at it.

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

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Bigfoot Anyone?

Bigfoot Anyone?

Preparing for marriage, I hear that very smart couples often schedule time to talk about things like goals, finances, religion and planning for a family.

But what about other important things like whether Bigfoot exists?

Really, shouldn’t we talk about this?

Of course we should. Believe in Bigfoot? Well that’s a darn good sign you have the creativity gene, the adventure gene or the intangible wonderment of someone eternally optimistic that despite seemingly insurmountable odds, something so tall and hairy could indeed survive undetected in the mountains of the Northwest.

Don’t believe in Bigfoot? Well that’s a darn good sign you are have that realist gene, that smart analytical gene or that intangible honest ability to discern, dissect and derive what is or isn’t happening with the follicle King of the forest.

Maybe we need to discuss Bigfoot outside of the marriage thing too – Like when you are trying to hire your next employee or interviewing a potential consultant, interior designer or accountant, why not ask him or her “What are your feelings about Bigfoot ?” Don’t you think the way they answer is important?

I’m just sayin’, but I know Apple believes in the big guy. Every time you type his name in their stuff (like this blog I’m writing), they auto- correct it to one word with starting with a big ol’ capital “B”. (Why am I not surprised?)

So get your night vision goggles ready and that plaster footprint cast liquid stirred up ( or not) and go ahead and sit your significant other down for a talk, or add the question to the interview guide, or even add it to today’s meeting agenda cuz’ Bigfoot is a big deal.

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

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Bake Sale Confessions

Bake Sale Confessions

Last week at the Bake Sale I lied, cheated and deceived.

And while I kind of feel bad about it, I kinda don’t.

I did it all for charity.

And OK, I did it to prove a point too. One you need to remember.

Jeanie and I were in charge of the Bake Sale table for that hour. Sales needed a boost. It was all for a good cause – a charity that needed money to do good. Jeanie and I go way back in the sales world. We knew we needed to apply our skills. I winked, she smiled and knew what I was going to do.

One large plastic tray laying on the table had a single package of wrapped homemade cookies left in it. “$1.00 for 2 cookies” it said. A lady walked by, saw that it was the last one and ….poof!…. she bought it and it was gone. An empty tray now. A nice big empty tray. Perfect. I took 2 sorry looking single packages of other homemade cookies hadn’t sold at all and placed them along with their description and price tag in the newly emptied large tray and walked away.

Those unsold cookies looked so puny in that big tray but they also looked like the only two left in what must have been (perceptually anyway), a full spread of those cookies at one time.

What hadn’t sold at all; these 2 cookie packages – were gone in less than 5 minutes. Charity Cha – Ching!

That tray was gold. When it emptied, I placed other items ( many that were single sole items to begin with) and put them that tray tucked up against the corner looking like the last of the most popular product on the table. Disappeared they did.

On occasion, I admit I threw in a whispered “That’s the last one….” to the unsuspecting passerby while pointing to the giant tray of what must certainly look like the hottest selling treats in the Bake Sale. Folks stopped, then stared, then snagged the item and shelled out the cash.

The ultimate of course, was the single $10 raspberry pie that was always just a single pie made for the Bake Sale. I realize as I write this, that my local Priest reads this blog but I have to admit my white lies went eggshell on me and I shouted “This is THE last raspberry pie!” and placed it carefully in what had become the Solid Gold Tray of Charity. It sold right away along with my soul perhaps, to the Devil.

I’ll take my chances with the Devil because of the Cause (Rev. Paul, help me out here will ya? ). No one was hurt. And the event was something that totally outweighed the means I suspect.

It’s not rocket science; this Bake Sale behavior. It’s Psychology. We are simple, good people who act way more on emotion and peer pressure than logic. Way more than we’d like to admit. So if you mix popularity ( it must be good) with scarcity (there aren’t many left!) like the “last remaining” baked items put in that big tray – you create a recipe most people can’t avoid tasting.

It’s why we stand in line for IPhones, why we rearrange our lives in trying to get tickets for one of only two shows and why we pay high prices for the best seasonal seafood.

But it’s also why we look twice at the last products on a shelf amidst a sea of like products in a supermarket or club store. It’s also why QVC still tallies “how many left” on the bottom of the screen during a pitch. It’s why in the end, we respond so well to things that are popular and scarce. It makes us want.

I’m not advocating lying or cheating or deceiving. (OK, maybe a little for charity). But you all have products or services or even people that are truly popular and scarce. Shout it out! Find your Solid Gold Tray and place them there. Let your customers, prospects, colleagues or employer see what is so precious and rare.

From a Bake Sale, to your company’s Biggest Sale, to just Better Sales for you no matter what you sell – remember the power of the near irrestistable mix of popularity and scarcity; it’s an influence like nothing else.

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

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Nobody Good

Nobody Good

It sticks with me; a glorious opportunity.

It was on a large conference call. The leader was talking.

“We asked hundreds of small business owners this same question about who they think of when faced with this challenge. And do you know what they said?”

(Long pause)

“Nobody”.

Wow. Nobody! That is wonderful!!

It grows wearisome to enter the market place and find that you are yet just another competitor.

It grows wearisome to plan, to process, to test, to test some more, to test yet one more time and then find out you are pretty much like the other guy.

It grows wearisome to follow the “shiny bright thing”, or to dig up “old tapes” from another company that didn’t get it right or to just chase the “short term gain”.

I don’t want to follow, dig up or chase anymore. I want to invent. I want to lead.

So when you ask an audience and the answer is “Nobody” or “I can’t think of anyone” or “No idea”, realize that that is the sound of glorious opportunity yet to be embraced.

Have at it.

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

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P.S. “Nobody” is opportunity on an individual level too. Ask your team, your boss, your colleagues “Who do you look to for __(fill in the blank)__ ?” If the answer is “I don’t know”; that space is yours for the taking!

Angela’s Assist

Angela’s Assist

“What are you buying it for?”

“Oh, that’s wonderful…”

“Let me do that for you…..”

“I think you should grab a couple more…”

“That looks beautiful on you…..”

“Oh, I don’t like that one on you so much, not conservative enough…”

“You know what would really make that look sharp…. is a belt..”

“A necklace will really tie it together and show your personality…”

“You may want to grab another blouse with the 50% off promotion and mix and match this.”

“Good luck, I know you’ll get the job”.

Yep. That’s pretty much verbatim what sales associate Angela said to my 23 year daughter 2 weeks ago as we shopped for her first real business suit as she was about to interview for a customer service role in one of the largest investment firms in the world.

It was a memorable almost “wow” service experience as her mother and I watched Angela guide her through the buying process. She wasn’t pushy; she wasn’t hovering as in fact, Angela was helping two other customers at the same time.

It was however, so smart. It started with the right question. Not just “What are you buying?” But, “What are you buying it for?”

The rest of her comments and questions make smart sense. They are honest. They are helpful. They are overtly credible and said with the tone and content that she has “totally been here before”. And it was in the end, not about the suit at all – but about the goal our daughter had in mind – landing that job.

She did land that job. [Today, in fact :)]

And while the business suit Angela helped pick out for our daughter probably wasn’t the reason she got the job, it sure didn’t hurt and better, what a great lesson in customer service Angela gave her to steal from for the interview. It works on a lot of levels.

You can steal shamelessly from Angela too. Read the comments she made and the questions she asked. Think about them. Apply accordingly.

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

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PS: If you’d like to see Angela in action, head to the clothing store Ann Taylor at Pheasant Lane Mall in Nashua, NH. I’m sure she won’t mind that I sent you there. 🙂

An Inspired 28 Minutes

An Inspired 28 Minutes

You don’t need to know who Curtis Martin is. You don’t even need to know football.

All you need is 28 minutes to watch his induction speech into the Football Hall of Fame this month.

It’s got nothing to do with football or winning or awards or records.

It has everything to do with a higher and nobler purpose in whatever it is you do.

And I promise you, it is one of the most inspiring, moving and worthwhile 28 minutes you’ll ever spend.

It may even change you.

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

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Thank you Life, I needed that.

Thank you Life, I needed that.

I didn’t blog, tweet, update status, check email, VM or watch TV for a week. I don’t remember the last time I did that. One colleague had my number to call me if absolutely needed and halleluiah, she didn’t call.

I went on vacation last week. On a lake in New Hampshire.

Thank you Life, I needed that.

Interesting and strange new (old?) things happen when you unplug for a week;

You tend to see more up high. (Maybe because your head is not so literally “down” all the time?). I saw leaves actually already changing color (in mid August!). And because I was looking up more, I bet that is why I saw that eagle on Tuesday.

You really do laugh harder (like the crying laughing kind) around real human faces than at gorilla glass or a monitor in front of your mug. Monopoly (yes – the board game) was a total blast. And it’s true my dear 15 year olds, this game does require you to use math skills “for real!”

You definitely need both hands to go fishing, to swim, play bocce, baggo and Frisbee. I had forgotten about that. Oh and when you go undefeated in bocce and baggo (as I did) – using both hands to taunt your opponents is a must.

You can sustain commitment too for more important things. If I was worried about “staying connected” we never would have set the Lake Webster McCarthy Family volleyball record of 163 volleys without a drop. Why? Because 5 of us stayed in the water for 4 straight hours to set the record.

You realize some little/big things you never would if you were hunting all day for a closer cell tower or wifi. Family and friends have more than just a profile, friend count or followers; they sleep late or get up real early. They cook well (and you never even knew it). They can tell a great story, do good impressions, do a 360 dive off a dock while clapping hands 6 times, reveal things about themselves you never knew (hate horseradish and love pickled olives?) and can do a perfect underwater handstand.

They say a good vacation gets you rested and recharged for work. That’s kind of true. I think it can recharge you a bit for Life too – especially if you make sure the only thing that really needs recharging when you get back are the abandoned gadgets you left behind.

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

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“That’s Not a Real Puppy”

“That’s Not a Real Puppy”

“What? Thats not a real puppy. That’s too small to be a real puppy.”

I love this commercial on a lot of levels. And I love that line about the puppy. I quote it often when I see heads down staring into the great smartphone abyss (and my family thinks I’m crazy because I say it). Have a look at the commercial first and refresh your memory – I’m sure you’ve seen it. Then, let’s talk about it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUGmcb3mhLM

I get it’s about a car. And about how this car ( the Toyota Venza) actually gets you somewhere to interact with people.

And I get it’s about how “younger” people may not quite understand what “being social” really means and Mom and Dad do. OK cool. Great message.

But it says a lot more to me than that.

It says that sitting at a computer or with your smartphone all day with your fans, friends and followers probably isn’t a good thing all an all. And it is starting to show.

Last week in USA today, it was noted that driver’s license acquisitions across the US are way down over the last few years with many teenagers delaying the getting of a liscence till nearly 19. A key factor attributed is the rise of social media and requisite devices we all have; that the need to hope in the car and physically “get together” is not there.
One of the hottest Training trends is Companies creating courses for new employees teaching them how to speak effectively in meetings and on the phone. The courses also contain training about how to use proper eye contact. All this because “conversation isn’t something folks are that good at anymore”.
It’s no surprise that in the developing worlds you are far likelier to see investment in wireless networks than in roads development first. Makes sense on a competitive level but getting connected and getting around isn’t getting easier unless you have smart phone.

Are we destined to in 5 years time be holed up in our basements, bedrooms and boardrooms connecting online and online only?

Technology at its best, is disruptive and changes the status quo. But when part of the status quo was a round of handshakes and a smile, a face to face lunch in in the cafe with a colleague, attending a party or an outdoor cookout, or a backyard game of volleyball or going for a walk – what’s so wrong with that?

I’m as guilty as anyone taking too much time online connecting with my Blogging. Twitter and the like and I can see how easily it can keep you in your chair. I think we have to fight that and fight it hard. I think that soon – digital isolation is not going to just hurt you at home (“687” friends isn’t really possible) but at work too. If you have only an all-digital relationship, how long before your prospects or customers say.. “What? That’s not a real person. That’s too small to be a real person..”..

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

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The Luckiest Man In The World

The Luckiest Man In The World

3 years ago today I married her.

No surprise to any of you readers out there that this 3 year old post is shared again today. It is still one of the most viewed pages at the site.

Nothing here is going to help you do your job today so sorry about that, but I don’t expect to be publishing anything else on any given June 13th, in the many years to come.

By the way, nothing’s changed in 3 years except I feel even luckier

****

originally published June 11^th, 2009

The Luckiest Man In The World

I admit I’m not an expert on marriage and have the track record to prove it. But my guess is that you’ll be alright if;

You marry someone who feels it is more important to be there for others who have less or are in need, than to be there for everyone.

You marry someone who works hard, never misses a day, and defines her performance only by the happiness of her customers.

You marry someone who when she first met your child of 6 years old, knelt down, looked at him eye to eye, said hello and then gave him a big hug.

You marry someone who loves with all her heart, the movies from the 30’s and 40’s because they always have happy endings.

You marry someone who cries tears of joy almost daily just upon hearing that a total stranger had a baby or if she happens to she see two toddlers walking, holding hands.

You marry someone, a single mother who from her teenage years has raised a beautiful person in her daughter with the crazy belief that “I want to raise her not to be like me”.

Susan, your daughter is just like you and it is the greatest gift you have given her. My son has known you nearly half of his life and I swear, he loves you as much as I do.

Saturday, I get to marry you.

I think we are going to be more than alright. It’s a trite statement but there is a reason someone came up with it. Now, I know.

I am the luckiest man in the world.

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

I Hate You Ann Peterson

I don’t really. Just in a few trying moments now and then.

Anyway I wonder if what she said works elsewhere in life or at work.

Ann said something 5 minutes into our first running session that really hit me.

“It’s not how far you run, its how much time you run”.

Really? Since when? It’s all about distance when I was running back in the day (way way back in the day). It was all about running 1 or 2 or 3 miles every time and if time got involved it was “can I run those 2 miles faster?”

But I did what we as a big group of us were told. We had all joined the “Couch to 5K” running club a couple of weeks back. Ann is the leader, the one with the whistle and the stopwatch. And in that first session we ran for a few minutes each time, walked for 3 minutes, ran for 3 minutes. Rinse and repeat. Increase the time running each week she said. Hard. Brutal. But I like it the concept. Makes sense.

Let the time you run each week grow, not necessarily caring about the overall distance.

While I can’t say I’ve enjoyed the running these last 2 weeks (I still cursed Ann out last night in fact while running in Stoll Park a thousand miles away on business here in KC) The stopwatch can’t be right—these time intervals are the longest ever! But I really like the premise of focusing on time.

Maybe I don’t need to get through my whole to-do list today but rather spend one hour solely focused on that to-do list every day.
Maybe I don’t need to read those two books by next Friday, but rather focus an hour a day every day on just reading. Period.
Maybe if I am a sales rep, I don’t have to focus on making 45 calls out before lunch today but rather focus on 3 hours of just making calls as quickly and wonderfully as I can.
Maybe it doesn’t matter what I do with the kids on Saturday but how long we just “do” something that matters.
Maybe if I quit counting stuff (am I the only one who does that?) and focus on counting the time I spend doing stuff I should, maybe the results would better.

Let’s hope I’m right ( and I think I am) – I don’t need any more reasons to be taking it out on Ann.

Till next time,

Grow The Business.

Mark

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