Friday, July 31, 2009

Great words of Wisdom!

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer,Cleveland , Ohio

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taughtme.. It is the most-requested column I've ever written.My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column oncemore:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone...
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends andparents will. Stay in touch
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what theirjourney is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; Godnever blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second oneis up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take nofor an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie.Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years,will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything youdid or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's,we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Saturday, July 25, 2009

A Great Sales Story!

I got this from Dale Limes ia email...I love it!

Successful Case History Story of the Week
shoe leather, bold moves, and a little bit of luck


The following story came from a discussion this week with Jim, one of our pros in Denver. I didn't ask Jim for permission to share his story, but I know he won't hate me. Jim has been working hard to get in the door of a large corporate account in one of those big office buildings with limited success. He had a phone relationship with one of the key buyers, but never secured a meeting......yet. He decided to take a bold step, and just go there with the hope personally dropping off some information, and hoping for an informal meeting.

As Jim entered the office building, he knew there would be a security desk, and a visitor pass would be needed. That is where his first stroke of luck came to fruition. He waited at the large desk for a few minutes, but there was no security guard in sight. Some salespeople would leave knowing they shouldn't go further, but not Jim. He decided to go to the elevators, not knowing what floor he needed, and try each one until he either met his destination, or got thrown out. He pushed the button for floor two, but for some reason the elevator went down....next piece of luck. Going the wrong way, the elevator went to the parking garage where he picked up a passenger. Asking this person if they knew where to find his target, she said, "sure fifth floor- we have the whole floor." "Oh, so you work there," Jim said. "Yes in marketing, who is it you are going to see," she said. Jim gave her the name, and she said, "I will take you right to him, I am going to see him too." Pretty good luck so far right?

They hit the fifth floor, and Jim's new friend took him right to the contact who said, "Jim I have been looking forward to meeting you, thanks for coming in." Flabbergasted, Jim thought- great , this is good stuff so far. Remember, Jim has no badge, and is not supposed to be in the building.

He is now standing with his main target who he only knew by phone, a marketing buyer ( new friend ) and what happens next? A young lady walks by and says, "Jim Woodburn! What are you doing here? I was going to call you this week". Turns out she was a buyer who left Jim's largest account, and Jim didn't know where she was. She turns to the other two and says, "Jim is the best promotion person in all of Denver. I was just going to look him up so I could get him to order some items for my department." Wow! Humble Jim just had the call of his life, and it all started by being bold, and taking a risk that many others would not take.

Moral of the story- Phone and email have become a primary, if not semi-exclusive means of communication for many in today's sales world. Getting out of the office, and into the brick and mortar of key businesses can present opportunities that neither of those approaches can. By nature, most salespeople don't like cold ( or in this case warm ) calling in person. However, you may miss out on opportunities to have chance encounters, unexpectedly hit if off with someone in person, and learn more by being there than you ever can on the phone or email.
Question- if you were in Jim's situation, and there was no security guard at the desk, would you have proceeded to the elevator, or left the building? As you plan you work over the coming months, schedule time to be out of the office, and inside the brick and mortar of new opportunities. You never know just how good, and lucky you will be!

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Stay Targeted!

Here is an exerpt from my upcoming book, "Think Big Marketing For Small Business." I sent this to a friend today and thought I should share!

Stay In Front of Clients All Year
What if you could spend $10 per quarter on your very best customers (the 20% that is responsible for 80% of your business) in order to thank them for doing business with you? No problem. What if in addition to that “thank you” perception, that $10 kept you in front of your customers all year long? Seems like a no-brainer when broken down like that, huh? Well, that is exactly what the right promotional product campaign can do for your company!

When I meet with new clients to discuss their promotional needs, I first talk with them about building their “foundation” for their marketing campaigns. This “foundation” consists of items that will stay in front of clients all year long. These items have a very low “cost per impression.”

The cost per impression (CPI) is calculated by dividing the cost of the item by the number of times a customer will actually see your advertising message. For example, if you spent $20 on a promotional watch for your top clients, then the cost per impression would be figured by calculating the number of times that client would look at a watch and see your advertising message. The average person looks at their watch approximately twice per hour and we will be conservative by saying only 10 hours a day. Assuming the watch lasted a year (based on only 300 days) then you are looking at 6000 “impressions.” Wow! Now divide the cost of the watch ($20) by the 6000 times the customer looked at the message and you come up with $.003333. Now that $20 gift becomes a very affordable marketing campaign. Factor in the fact that this message goes ONLY to where you want, and it becomes even more exciting!

So we consider these low CPI items when we build the foundation of their marketing campaign. So what are these magic promotional items that last a long time and keep our marketing message with them? Ironically, these are often the items some clients feel are less exciting. Examples of some great items with a low CPI are mousepads, notecubes, watches, magnets, and of course, calendars. Each industry is different and there are some great items with low CPI for each industry. Just consider where your clients or customers spend their time, and figure out what product can be there all the time!

Calendars…Your Silent Sales Person
At the end of the day, you want your advertising dollars to be as effective as possible…that’s the point of this book. So I would be remiss if I didn’t spend just a moment on calendar advertising.

If you are already on board with calendar advertising, then this might remind you why. But if you are not a believer, just give me a minute on this. Calendars are the ultimate in targeted promotional advertising. Obviously they (by their very nature) spend 24 hours a day, 365 days a week on the wall, on the desk, in the home, even in the pocket of your customer. They are always there…your silent sales person.

Consider this…85% of all people who have a calendar on their wall know exactly who gave it to them. And of those, 95% do business with that person! There are no “gimmies” in advertising, but utilizing calendar advertising as one of your “foundation” items is close. And let’s put it to the CPI test! The average person looks at their calendar 10 times a day, 350 days a year. Go ahead…do the math.

In addition, a nice calendar can either accompany or be your year end gift to your clients. It’s a nice marketing touch to thank them for their business anyway, so why not have something that will remind them of you all year long?

Obviously you need to spend a bit of time considering what kind of calendar to hand out (there are a lot to choose from). You know your clientele, so you need to consider what they would like to receive. In addition, make sure it is a theme you can be comfortable with as representing your company’s brand. And of course…you can always do a completely custom calendar. The price for printing one has come down considerably in the last 10 years.

More info on the book coming soon. Are you staying targeted?

Friday, July 10, 2009

A Postive Article

Saw this and wanted to share!

Think and Grow Rich, Especially “Right Now” by Phil Barlow

We’re in the midst of the worst global recession since the 1930s. It’s certainly the most challenging business climate I’ve experienced in my career. It seems like everywhere I go people are talking about “sustainability” or the ability to endure. I guess that’s to be expected, especially considering all the bad news we hear about those who are failing. What a shame! It doesn’t have to be that way. As a matter of fact, it shouldn’t be that way.

Most of what we’re hearing and seeing centers on how bad things are. I don’t dismiss the adversity we all face, however I also believe every adversity carries with it the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit. Since there are so many people caught in the rut of distress, it’s easy to let down our guard and end up in the downward spiral with them. Don’t let that happen! Take charge of your life! Take action and exercise your privilege of choice. To a large degree, we control our destiny by shaping our thoughts. When mixed with a purpose, persistence and a burning desire we can transform our thoughts into reality.Now is the time to focus on possibilities.

Now is the time for action. Now is the time to get back to basics and exhaust all our energies on finding new and better ways to do things. It has been said that we can create anything we can imagine. Rather than dwelling on the negative influence of our environment, wouldn’t it serve us better to exhaust our efforts on new ideas?

Imagine what would happen if you focused your attention on the following question: “What fundamental problem that, if solved, would revolutionize the way things are done?” Wouldn’t that get the creative juices flowing? Better yet, consider how your world would change if you could find an answer to the question.

Never has there been a greater opportunity for someone willing and able to come up with new ideas and new ways of doing things. Just think about how the world has changed in the past few years. New leaders, new inventions, new ways of marketing products, new cures to diseases, new approaches to every aspect of business and personal lives.

Behind this demand for new and better things there is one quality one must possess to win. That is Definiteness of Purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it. To accomplish this requires practical people who can, and will, put their thoughts into action. If the thing you wish to do is right, and you believe in it with a burning desire, don’t let anything stop you from doing it.

Those who succeed in life usually have their “aha” moment at a time when things appear to be the bleakest. It’s safe to say, we don’t have to look very far to see some kind of crisis. Don’t let that stop you from truly considering what is possible and appropriate for your life. Now is the time for new ideas. Now is the time for action. Now is the time to Think and Grow Rich.