Personal Touch Your Way to Success

Personal Touch Your Way to Success:

No matter what position or role you play in a company, personal touch matters. How are you putting a personal touch on things with your co-workers? Your suppliers? Your customers? Sure people all send out those chocolate boxes or a fruit basket this time of year. What about next month in January? Adding a personal touch is something you need to do each day, week and month. It doesn’t have to be big things. Here are ideas you can use no matter what time of year or what position you are in:

1. Personalized notes – attach a little handwritten note of thanks whenever you send papers out.
2. Personalized cards – send a card out saying thank you, great job or sharing some admiration. You appear more human than an email ever will.
3. Bring Food – send cookies to a client and watch the reaction. Bring donuts to the Monday meetings and show someone you thought of the team.
4. Send Kudos to the Boss – send a message to the boss letting him/her know what a great job was done by them (they’re people too).
5. Magazine subscription – get a client a magazine subscription they will love. It’s a gift that gives for 12 months!
6. Inspirational Sayings – put some inspirational message in the kitchen or the boardroom for people to read and appreciate
7. Wrap it Up – next time you send a report, a book, a part – wrap it up like a gift. Amazon does it with books and people love it.
8. Gift cards – send someone a gift card every week with a note telling them how they impact you.
9. Take Someone for Lunch – who never seems to leave the office? Take them out for lunch on you and get to know them.

Use little extras like this to make a big impact on people … during this festive season but also in all of 2010.

Plan B

With many of our coaching clients at the ownership and management levels we talk about Plan B. What is your plan to generate income that doesn't rely on your current job or your current company? If you assumed no one else was going to cover your retirement or long term well-being, what plan do you need in place? Now some people think this is about being a financial planner. It's not. It is about business strategy for you as an individual and as a company. It is critical to know that you have a second income stream, second opportunity and cushion if things ever finished up quickly with your primary role/job.

Where are your interests? What things do you love? Real estate? Stocks? Makeup? Organic Products? Find your interests and see where Plan B can fit around those. If you had to spend 3-4 hours a week working on your future then you have the makings for a Plan B. Do it with your spouse. Know that getting rich and being independent isn't based on what your financial advisor tells you - he or she has hundreds of clients and isn't watching your money every minute of the day. It is based on you taking time to find a hobby called Plan B that will continue to grow your knowledge in business and your wealth outside of your first role/career.

Money is the Result.

So many people are focused on making money in their companies and in their careers that I thought it was important to write about how they can do this. The fundamental problem most people have is that they don't recognize that more cash, bonuses, sales, commissions and salary are results. They are an output and not an input. Therefore, by just focusing on the result of things (I need some more money personally, we want more sales this quarter) we are missing the critical focus - the inputs that create money for us.


In your job you should know exactly why you get paid what you do. What is expected of you in order to earn your salary? My experience is many people aren't quite sure. Well, you need to know in order to be able to increase your inputs to get more output (money). Talk to your boss and your co-workers, AND your clients and see what generated results for them. Then you have a sense of what you need to produce more of in order to get more money. A raise doesn't show up without more effort and results. You don't get a bonus at the start of the quarter, it's at the end when your results can be measured. So start today in knowing what you need to do to serve more people and to create more results worthy of more cash.


As a business owner or manager, how can your organization serve more clients and better serve the clients you have? So often companies think that clients deal with them because of their base product or service. Well, your clients can get your product or service from probably 50 different suppliers (or at least 5). So why are they dealing with you? You need to know in order to create more value. As you create more value for clients you create more buzz, strengthen your reputation, advance your product offering and generate more results for clients. It is a cycle. So figure out fast what you offer. Then set some new goals based on how many people and companies you will help this quarter. That is the input you control and revenue is the result.

Business Plan Tips

I had a good friend ask me about doing up a business plan for a new business idea he has. He had gotten all sorts of answers and templates from the bank and friends. I thought, they really don't know what people often look for so based on my experience of launching 11 companies, I'd throw in my two sense ...

Here are some things that I think are critical to a good plan:

1) A summary that makes simple sense. It amazes me after reading people's summary of their idea and business that I still don't get it. Because they drink their own kool-aid, they think its clear but to most outsiders it is clear as mud. So be able to explain the idea in 1-2 sentences. Like I say for Evolve - we are like personal trainers for your business - working business parts to make them stronger, leaner and more profitable. People see to register with that better than some long winded explanation with big words.
If you have a story then tell it too. You survived a fire and in that moment you knew that making people's skin clear was your life's work and calling ... (well, something like that).

2) If you are looking for investment have a summary of what you want, how you are going to spend it, how I get my money back and also what return I get. This should be a one pager. It is a page that most people don't include and then investors get frustrated trying to figure it out on their own. Most money people are impatient and will not read pages to figure out their role - they'll just decline.

3) If there is a business you are modelling anywhere in the world then get stats, pictures and stories of it. This tells people that you aren't a pioneer and that the idea works (even if its in Europe). Include photos just because people seem to love photos - seriously, I have had people look at photos for long periods of time of just concepts. Way more effective to get the ideas across.

4) Include a section on operations (how its going to run), marketing (how we are going to promote it), opportunity (why it is different and why you believe it will work), bios on the key players (people buy people), Threats and how you have already addressed them.

5) Finances is a key section. People want to see you have done your homework so include substantial projections and numbers. Most people show they are going to make $500K the first year or sell 1000 memberships the first month. It never happens. Bankers and investors presume that you are overstating your projections unless you can explain your assumptions (a key separate sheet with the numbers for reference). I would expect to be able to show a small loss or breakeven in the first year and then some good growth in year two. That's the typical business path. It takes 6 months before things start to roll. I would include cash projections, sales projections and even a balance sheet (although it will be really simple). It shows you understand the numbers which is a key.

6) The projections and numbers have to demonstrate that a payback of the loans or investors is possible. Sometimes I have seen plans where the business makes $60K a year profit and somehow the business is paying back investors 100K on some other page. Seems obvious but its not.

7) If things go sideways, can you outline the worst case scenario. For example, at the restaurant we say we would liquidate the equipment as the worst case (.20 cents on the dollar) but would list the restaurant for sales before that because as an on-going concern we can get approximately .70 on the dollar. This is the reasonable downside. People like to know the worst case.

8) Make it pretty. Glossy, professional, photos, logos and brand, all of that gets people emotionally and has an impact.

I think those are some of the key items that most business plan templates miss. Often your answers verbally when people sit down with you are the most important. If I can talk with you and you seem to know every figure, detail and component then I think, wow, this guy knows and that has more impact than anything on paper. I have had people invest and buy after talking without ever opening the business plan. They are buying you.

Sales Tip: Master the Mental Battle

Going out and selling each day is a tough job. You face adversity and challenge that most people don’t know. One of the keys to selling is the commitment to winning deals. This commitment starts in your head. Many sales are won or lost based on your commitment and will to get a sale. When you enter a sales situation you need to be more committed to working with the client than they are about not working with you. If they are wishy-washy and you are committed, who do you think wins? You do.

If you approach each sale driven with hope instead of commitment – then you are as wishy-washy as your prospective client and that will never aid you in getting deals.

Get up each day and know that you are going to win some new clients. Remind yourself as you walk into each meeting and see how your mastery of mind wins people over.

Leadership Tip: Make a List of All the Things You Hated

What are the things you have hated about every job you ever had? What things did your old boss or manager do that drove you wild or made you feel bad? Often realizing what didn’t empower you gives insight into what you need to avoid as a leader.

Although we like to work in the positive of “do these things”, we also can formulate those by recognizing what didn’t work with us and making sure we don’t do it to others.

Sales Tip: Give Me Something For FREE

People love FREE. It’s usually something they want or can use, sometimes not, but people always respond to free. When you are selling into a new account or company you need to provide some value without asking for anything. Free is a great way to do that. I don’t know you. I don’t trust you. But when you offer me something for free I start to think I can trust you and you are looking out for me – which builds trust fast. Make it a free trial, a free demo, a free sample, a free whitepaper, a free study, a free assessment (a real assessment not a sale wrapped as an assessment).

Find something to give away and people will open their doors to you for more sales.

Leadership Tip: Make a List of All the Things You Loved

Every leader – whether good or bad – was at one point an employee. As an employee we all have things we loved about our previous bosses. We often also have things that we hated. Take a moment to think about all the things you loved as an employee. What empowered you? What made you feel great?

Make a list of these things and post it in a place where you will see it and do those things with your team.

Sales Tip: Stop "Touching Base:

How many times do you call back people that are just calling to touch base? Well, for most people it is rarely. We get too many calls, emails and have too many tasks to get around to touching base. I have friends that I really do want to catch up with and we still have trouble finding time – and they are friends!

When you call someone or leave them a message give them a reason to call back. Tell them about new features they may want. Tell them about a new program you have. Give them an update on news in the industry.

Elude to them there is reason for your call and benefit to them. If you do this well, getting people to return your call will be easier than ever!

Abdication Versus Delegation

So many times when we work with clients in our coaching programs, we start to move the owner to a higher level of management - getting them away from all the day to day issues. This means more and more decision making and responsibility gets shifted to the team. This works great every time, except when we start to ask the newly time-rich owner details about where things are at. It normally starts to sound like this - "So how are sales this week?" "I'm not sure, I don't generate the sales reports anymore." "How are your largest two accounts and their project launch dates?" "I am not sure, I haven't heard back from the team."

You get the idea that instantly, through leveraging your management team, your distribution of responsibility and decision making can be lost. It is key to delegate those responsibilities and roles but still retain a feedback loop so you are in the know. Delegation ensures there is reporting and updates regularly so you know what is happening - without having to do it. Abdication is the hand-off of responsibility without any feedback or response - someone else now handles it and you don't know what is happening.

So often the next step of business owners and managers that abdicate is to realize they have lost all information flow and to take it all back. All the decisions, all the responsibility and all the long hours. Don't do it! Delegate everything you can to others with strong training and a regular reporting method so you know what is happening but don't need to be doing it.

Sales Tip: Forget "Closing"

The idea of "closing" a sale has both a positive and negative meaning for most people in sales. First, nothing feels as good as closing a sale and gaining a new client, being able to work with a new organization and, of course, collecting a commission! On the other hand, closing is also that build up of pressure, anxiety and the moment everything has been building to!

What if we told you that closing doesn't work? Most successful sales people know that getting the contract/agreement or go-ahead is only a small step in the process. When you LEAD a prospect through a good selling process, they will follow you easily through the step of going ahead, getting the nod and moving forward. Step to the decision and let them know what the steps after that will be.

If you guide them through each step, most prospects follow and your sales increase.

Leadership Tip: Lead In All Areas of Your Life

Often great leadership is demonstrated to your team in how you manage your whole life. Many business leaders think it's only about how they operate in the office and how they lead in meetings, campaigns or with staff. Your team is gauging your leadership in your management of your health, your family, your marriage, your personal finances, your car care, your hours, etc. All of this happens in addition to how you lead in the office.

Make sure that leadership development is holistic in your life and watch your results within the office improve too.

Service Tip: Ask Your Clients For Their Definition of Service

So often we ask our clients, "what makes for great service for your clients?" They often start to answer the question with "I think..." and "we think...". Then the next question becomes obvious, "well, what do your clients think?" Most companies and most service/sales people don’t take time to ask clients what the best service steps can be. Start asking your clients, what other things can we fix, do better, upgrade, make special? The answers will surprise you. Another way to ask is, "if we were going to provide our service and absolutely wow you, what would we change?"

Get clients involved in the process of building your service program and it will create loyalty, create value AND create an ideal program for them.

Service Tip: Stop Cutting Corners in Conversation

We had a staff lunch a few weeks ago. Our hostess had so much experience she was able to take the whole interaction down to three words. "For Four? Menus? Coffee?" And she was gone. Sure, we got the meaning of each question but, "For four?" is not the same as “Hi, how are you today? Are there four people in your party?”. By shortening the interaction and the number of words it may not lose the meaning (it does to some) but it certainly loses the hospitality.

Make sure that everyone in your call center, service center or client relations has the ability to use full sentences to clearly outline a question, an answer and a solution. It is a way to create better clarity but also more hospitality.

Sales Tip: Invite Old Clients Back

Have you ever been in a conversation about a past or old client and suddenly thought or said, "I wonder what happened to them?" Apathy or perceived apathy is still the number one reason people leave a supplier. Beyond price or service. The easiest way to overcome this is to constantly invite old clients back. Make them feel welcome over and over. Your past clients should become your base of VIP’s and should be the easiest sales in the world. Too often we take those past relationships for granted or forget about them all together.

If you are doing a decent job then most of your clients will be willing to purchase again … so invite them back to the table to work with you over and over. Introduce new products to them first and have a circle of people that always buy and continue to refer you year after year.

Leadership Tip: How Are You Today - Your Thermostat for Success

Many times leaders and managers want to get a sense of where their team is operating and how they are feeling. People have an easy way they project their level of energy, enthusiasm and optimism. It is when they answer, how are you today?

Choose people for your team that are “great today” or “excellent this morning”. Stay away from hires and people that are “okay”, “not bad”, “I’m not bleeding” (one of my favorites). When someone answers that question you know their whole approach to their job, their project and their life in an instant. Get your team thinking about how they are setting their bar for the day – fine, good, great, fantastic or beyond. It shapes the way people feel and how they perform for their leader and team.

Post-Stampede Networking - now is the time!

So today is the day people wander back into the office from days of Stampeding and whooping it up in tents, bars and hotels (ballrooms and conference centers I mean). You look in your pockets and on your desk and see all sorts of cards from the last 10 days. Business cards, scraps of paper with names and numbers. Now is the time to act!

You can take the approach of most people - can't completely remember where you met each person, didn't make any notes on their cards and generally feel a little uncomfortable with just the idea of randomly calling people. No real agenda or reason to call (that you remember). So the cards will sit until next week. Hopefully then you will have more initiative and courage to make those re-introduction calls. Or maybe not.

Then there's the approach of people following our Stampede networking tips. You, like everyone else, return to your office with a stack of business cards and phone numbers. You have made notes on everyone of those cards and can at least piece together where you met each person and what you talked about. Now is a critical point ... what are you going to call about?! Too often people call with the "Hey, I am just touching base" message. Completely ineffective! So with each person you are going to call, plan to:

a) Remind them where you met;
b) Make reference to what you talked about in the beer tent (regardless of if it was personal or work); and
c) Give them a reason for you to keep talking, get together and build a relationship.

If you use these three keys and get back to each of the cards you have this week (starting Tuesday because Monday might be a little quick to pounce) then you are going to find business in those cards! Guaranteed!

Don't waste the opportunity to make use of all those great Stampede moments and contacts! Now is the time to act with a great offer and strong confidence that, even sober, they need what you are selling!

Stampede Networking

Its that time again in Calgary, time for the Calgary Stampede. It is also time for some of the worst networking practices I have ever seen. Sure, the amount of alcohol plays into that ineffectiveness so then we need to plan for it!
These networking ideas can apply to really any cocktail party, social event or networking breakfast:

1) Drink less than the people around you - seems like an obvious place to start but sometimes we forget.
2) Carry a pen and a piece of paper. This is key. Too often people don't have a card to write their information on, so you should carry a pen and paper to get their number or email. You can use the back of your own card if it has white space.
3) Focus on collecting cards instead of handing them out. Too often people return from a networking or Stampede event and say I handed out over 500 cards this week! Now who has the power in that situation? Unfortunately the people with your cards. Don't leave it to them to follow-up (or more likely not). Forget giving out information, get it! Get their information so you can follow-up with them forever.
4) Write information down on the back of every card you get. This is also critical. I will not remember you from the event. BUT, when you call and say, I met you under the big tent on Thursday, we were talking about how we played in the same hockey league and then you said to call you this week about the widgets we sell ... it will produce very effective results. Write down what you know you won't remember later.
5) Be memorable! This applies to your introduction, your explanation of what you do and your general level of energy. If I am going to meet 20 people this afternoon Stampeding, how will I remember you? If your typical introduction goes like this, Hi, my name is _________ and I work for _________, we do __________ ... then you need some help. Make what you do sound exciting. My friend Van says that insurance is the greatest product ever developed by man! It's insurance! What is he talking about?! Well, people remember his line, his passion and he gets conversations started.
6) Take an interest in everyone else first. People love to talk about them, not you. So become a master at asking questions to keep others talking. People will remember the great conversation they had with you - because they were doing all the talking. When you make others the focus, you see ways to work with them and sales will result faster than if you talk about you. Seems counter-intuitive but it's not. Talk about them.
7) Figure out how you can help. Look for ways to help the people you meet. Introduce them to others, figure out who they should meet, give them a prospect, buy them a drink. When they see you as an ally and someone who is prepare to help them, your stock rises and your relationship builds (so does your memorability).

Start with that. Above all that - have fun. People are drawn to those at any function that appear to be energetic, approachable and fun!

Who Owns Your Time?

Just returning from a networking/peer luncheon, one of the resounding issues was that of time management and who has ownership of your time. In your 8 hour day, how much of it do you dictate and how much of it is dictate and determined by you? If you are spending more than 50% of your time with your tasks, timelines and schedule being dictated by someone else then you have a productivity problem!

While other people are all too willing to fill your calendar, fill your task list and fill your head, your job is to fight them off and take control again. Your job is:
1) To recognize that your time is YOUR time and that no one makes you do anything ... you accept it.
2) Allow people will work around some of your guidelines for your time when you set them, communicate them and stick to them
3) Each day establish what is most important in your day and what YOU need to get done to maximize the impact (not just the workload) you can make.
4) To set time guidelines that give you more freedom and not become more cumbersome
5) Look at what you can delegate in your work and personal life to free up time ... list off 10 things you don't like to do and start there.

Taking all your cues from other people and allow them to manage all your time is easy. No, it is. Unfortunately it also put someone else's convenience, plan and agenda ahead of yours.

You need to start to test the boundaries of what you can control TODAY. When people take control of even small pieces of their time they start to realize they control all of it! Recognition of control is the first step in time management that many courses and books forget to mention! Yet great time management starts in your head not in your calendar. Need help breaking through the barriers on your time, ask us for help.

Service Tip: It's My Pleasure!

When did "No problem" become the acceptable response to helping someone out? It suggests that normally things are a problem but in this case it is "no problem". The Ritz Carlton has it right when everyone in their organization helps out and then responds, "My pleasure Sir/Madam." They know that the simple change of words means that each customer feels more valued, deserving and respected. It is never an effort to help at the Ritz. It is the reason they are there and it is always a pleasure to help.

How different an experience can be and the spirit of service when your team starts to respond to customers, "It was my pleasure!"

Leadership Tip: Leadership is Like Cars

Quality, performance, value and experience. All things you might be looking for in a car. Also all things that people list when talking about a strong leader.

If your team had to describe your leadership style in terms of a car, what kind of car would you be? Would you be a Mercedes or would you be a Saturn? It is a great exercise to allow people to describe you without directly describing you. It is essential to know what vehicle you are trying to BE and trying to represent. It is also easier to picture that car in your mind all day or week long versus trying to remember all the words that describe it.

Start your week being a Mercedes or a Hummer and see how your team's response changes and improves.

Sales Tip: Build Your Sales Case

How many times have you seen a salesperson who can't think of more than one or two good reasons to buy their product? A strong sales case has at least three reasons for every potential objection to your product or service.

If you can't overwhelm prospective clients with great reasons and ideas to buy your product, don't expect them to think of the reasons on their own. It is your responsibility to build a case for your product, not theirs.

Create a cheat sheet of ideas for product and service. Make a huge list of reasons and advantages - then internalize it. Know it well enough it comes to mind easily and instantaneously.

With a strong case you can win almost any deal!

The Need for Accountability

Who keeps you accountable? Maybe your first response is your spouse. What about at work? Who is providing you with accountability? Who is keeping you focused and on target with the things you say you will do or the things you want to do? It is a critical role. Every professional athlete has a coach and one of their key roles is accountability. Can Tiger Woods hit a golf ball? Of course he can. Will he occassionally cut a practice short or hit a few less practice balls? Of course he would if someone wasn't providing accountability.

I chuckle when a business owner says that his team makes him accountable. I chuckle because when I ask the team, typically they say they have no power to hold the president/owner accountable because he's the boss. One of the things I absolutely encourage is to find someone to be an accountability source for you. I have a friend that holds me accountable to my vacation planning. I have a personal trainer creating accountability for workouts and health. I have a business coach (www.evolvebusinessgroup.com/coaching) for my strategic planning and accountability of our corporate performance. Without these people I would be less vacationed, more stressed, fatter and wouldn't have the professional success I do.

Whether it be family, friends, co-workers, a business coach or mentor ... find someone to create accountability and help you plan out each area of your life. Let them help you ensure success in all aspects of your life.

Outlook on the Economy

Here is a link to one of our favorite sales professionals and gurus, Jeffrey Gitomer. We are always talking about the focus on how much of the market is there when sales are down. After reading this article we couldn't have said it better ourselves:
http://www.gitomer.com/articles/ViewPublicArticle.html?key=ajcdMibak3MNmHBSdoygJQ%3D%3D

Compensation for Contribution

So often we fall into this idea that we get paid to show up at work. Really that is true only for a short period of time. In the longer term analysis, as people realize your limited contribution and effort, you jeopardize your position and security. Contribution is really what you are being compensated for. Not just contribution to the widget or service your company produces but also contribution to the culture, contribution to the community and even, on a daily basis, to the energy of the group.

So when you arrive at work each day, how many ways are you thinking about contribution? Are you showing up to manage your coffee and your email? Probably not. Most people are there to give some input and help in some capacity. How committed are you to really contributing to the success of the organization? Do you know what type of contribution is even expected of you?

If you aren’t contributing each day in a variety of ways then you aren’t giving it your all. You need to look at the way you work and the approach you take and ask yourself; am I contributing like this today:

1) To the morale and betterment of the people in my office and organization?

2) Am I giving energy to the people around me?

3) Am I giving energy to the solutions to our problems (or just keying in on the problems themselves)?

4) With new ideas, original ideas or collaborative ideas (you get paid to think)?

5) To the community outside of my organization – independently or with the company?

6) To the profitability of the business or organization?

7) To the improvement of my skills, knowledge and expertise?

Focus on contribution in all of these areas and watch your career effortlessly expand and flourish as you reap what you sow.

You are NOT your business

I was talking with my girlfriend over the weekend and I said, I had not paid the utility bill. She said, I thought we had. I responded, no for one of the restaurants. She said, did you know you always talk about your businesses in the first person?

It was a moment of realization. For a guy that is constantly telling people that their business is a separate entity I had fallen into the same trap of thinking of my business as me. But it's not! She went on to say ... and this is the bad part, that when something good happens in one of your businesses you say its the business. When something bad happens or something gets missed you reference it in the first person. Wow, what an insight into a mindset.

So I am telling me and all the other business owners out there - while loving your business is important and caring for it is critical; it is not you. The same way you separate the accounts and operations (home versus office) you need to mentally separate the business from you. A perfect goal it to grow the business and structure its operations so that it runs without you (that's what our coaching programs are for). Then if you can be absent the business is clearly it is own entity and liveblood. Unfortunately, this separation needs to start between your ears. It needs to begin with recognition of its operation outside of you.

So I am catching my language when talking about all my companies - they are not me. With a little help from my girlfriend as an accountability coach, it will be even easier :o)

What's In Your Name and Message?

I am in traffic the other day and a van pulls up to me with the company name and logo painted on the side of it. Affordable Painting! it says. Instantly I thought this is the worst name in the world. Why? Because the name makes every client interaction about price. Affordable becames one of those words that is subjective but always moves towards the low end of the value and price scale. It certainly doesn't indicate luxury brand or premium pricing.

How does your company name, slogan or brand impact the clients and rates you get paid? What about your sales presentation; do prospects perceive you to be at the top of your industry and are willing to pay you for expertise, experience, knowledge and relationship? No one should start out or move towards operating at the bottom end of the market ... unless you are Wal-Mart and you are going to dominate that whole space.

This poor painter fighting with each prospect to cut his rates, reduce his prices and become more "affordable". How does this translate into his payment terms? Not well I bet. Bad debts, likely. The clientele that you attract start to be attracted to your business and you based on the message you give off. If you want to be getting more and able to offer more then everything about your process and offering has to scream more, more, more. That's more value for more dollars.

Take an outside look at every sentence in your materials, every slogan and every message to customers. Do all those messages match up with your offering, your price point and where you want to be in the market. If not, start making changes today!

Plan B - Your Backup Plan for Wealth

In helping entrepreneurs develop their businesses, we often get talking about what you would do once the business is up and running without all the time commitment; once everyone is doing it for you and cash is rolling in. I refer to it as Plan D. It's the Plan D, for Dreams. If you had unlimited time and money, what would you do?

I also talk to people about Plan B because sometimes our business or career doesn't roll the way we want it to. Sometimes we also recognize that the current operation or current role doesn't give us the cash we are going to need to live like kings and queens into our 90's. Plan B is the idea that no matter how good things are today (or more likely not as good as it was) that you need a second backup plan. What if your business went down? Would it take all your wealth or do you have enough stashed away in real estate and investments? What if you career ended tomorrow? Do you have any other passive income? Seems pretty obvious doesn't it.

My experience is that most people don't have a Plan B. I have had clients making $400,000 annually but realized they needed to work every year until death because that just covered their expenses. Living large but no Plan B. This could be a second company or little business like a MLM or a vending machine business that requires a couple hours a week. It can be real estate or cars. It needs to be something that you can generate cash out of or hide cash in for the long term. As so many people in large corporations are discovering you need to plan for zero income and those people that even have $2000 a month coming in from somewhere else are far, far ahead of the pack. This is true of business owners too. Find a way to get some income going from somewhere besides your main business.

Don't have a plan B? Get started on one today. Not sure of what it can be? Maybe I can help you define it. The point is, self-sufficiency in good times and in bad is based on a strong plan A ... AND plan B.

Since When Is Service a Reduction of Words

I was down in Montana and had an opportunity to visit my favorite breakfast place. It is famous for its breakfast. Unfortunately my service experience was something different. It was the experience of minimal speech! "Two?" "Coffee?" "Ready?" Can you see it? We walked in and in a word she confirmed how many in our party. In another word she had covered off the drinks order. Finally she got things ordered with one more word. Efficient.

One of the keys of service is the idea of hospitality. Hospitality is communication. When did, "Good morning. How are you today? How many people in your party?" become "Two?" Sure I go out enough that I understood her meaning and I got through it without injury. But her elimination of words made communication impersonal and at times confusing. We were definitely a number not a customer.

Whether it be through service training (http://evolvebusinessgroup.com/training/serviceTitans.php) or just through systematic reminders for your team to talk to your customers and make it an experience for them. You have to ensure that common place never takes the place of service. This is a common pitfall of any staff who talks to customers. It becomes commonplace for them and they forget its new for each customer, everyday. Service scripts are a first step and hospitality is the next step. Establish plans for both in your operations.

Keep using the right words and remember the words create the experience for customers.

Learning is the "How"

Everyone wants to make more money in their work and know that they are secure. As a business owner they want to keep growing and improve their business. So how does knowledge tie into that? People’s careers and owner’s business stop improving when they stop learning. We have heard that before. So what type of learning is key? Any learning. The only way for a career or a company to grow is through new ideas and new knowledge applied.

You want a new raise, new sales goals or even just to hang on to your job – then get learning. Continuing to add value to your clients, your co-workers and your industry is how you grow. So you need new ideas and ways to offer new value. It all comes from reading a book, listening to an audio tape, reading a periodical, checking out online resources. It is more about what you can bring to the table with your mind than it is your hands for most of us. If you never show up with a new idea or engage in a new strategy/tactic in your career or business, how do you expect to continue to add value? Not sure what to learn. Ask your boss, ask your clients.

Fresh businesses and fresh people are always learning and applying in their work.

Gratitude is Key

With all the talk of economic slowdown (whether you choose to participate or not), now is a great time to focus on time tested keys that can help you and your organization. Gratitude is key because, first, it strengthens relationships. When you consistently let clients and customers know you appreciate them and thank them for their business they come back. What they buy may vary but they become more and more loyal through strong gratitude. Secondly, gratitude is terrific for focusing your organization and team on what is going well. It can also be just for you in your own role. What is going well? What are you grateful for?

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Start to list off all of the things that still are advantageous and you are lucky to have. People feel better. Teams come together. It builds morale in a company quickly. Is gratitude part of your staff meetings?

Finally, as you talk about what you are grateful for you focus on opportunity. Opportunities are available in all economic conditions. Many people stop trying to see them. Starting with gratitude about last year’s big sales, great clients and big wins can spur the conversation of where this year’s opportunities will lie. Take time to work gratitude into your daily routine (a thank you card a day) and that of your team’s (team meetings, announcement, rituals).