Increase Sales

Here is the cheapest and most effective way to increase sales that I know of in today's uncertainty.

Today write every customer you have a hand written note that says something like this:

In today's chaos and uncertainty in the marketplace, is there anything I can do to help you?

Some will
Some won't
So what...

The return on this small investment is incredible. Plus, doesn't it beat sitting at your desk doing nothing but thinking negative and doom/gloom? I would think so....

Part of the solution in today's business world is DOING STUFF...but yet so many are stuck in ruts doing absolutely nothing but focusing on the negative. That won't fix anything. Start with your customers and help them. In return, they will help you....by a multiplier of at least 5!

Never forget!

Yesterday was truly a remarkable, historic event, when these words were said: "I, Barack Hussein Obama, do solemnly swear ..." Regardless of your political views, there can be no argument that yesterday the landscape of America changed for the better and forever.

But in the middle of all this history, I took a step back and thought about the fact that yesterday we changed Presidents from rivalry political parties. And throughout this amazing process, not once single ounce of blood was shed. I teared up.

Even with all the uncertainty and chaos, let us never forget or take for granted that we live in the best country ever created. I thank you Jesus for that.

Martin Luther King

Happy 80th Birthday Dr. King! Thank you for changing the world.

Note To Self

This feels like me speaking to me.

Today's 10

1. Do It Now Mindset. Why wait? Top producers, Top Companies have a can-do spirit and everything is in the NOW....I love that type of thinking and action. In fact, I am so inspired to write our companies Do It Now Items today.
2. The "secret sauce" to American Idol and this legacy of domination....we all think we could be the judges! We all sit on our couches and judge the contestants and we think we could be and even should be on the panel along side Simon.
3. I learn more from my kids than nearly all other sources....my 4 year old Teddy to his Dad: "Stop hurrying all the time"...can I get an Amen? PROFOUND! How many of you need this same masterpiece of advice?
4. Austin TX...Haven't worn a winter coat yet! Enough said...
5. I don't get big monster square footage homes. Why? Really when you think about it...why? Anything over 5K square feet to me is totally insane. Just more to mess up and have to clean up. Even if you have the cash...why?
6. There are people setting records in the marketplace today! Always keep that in the front part of your mind...It's all about Attitude!
7. DVR is like owning a time machine. Great invention!
8. I love to dream about, think about, pray about, write about these two words: What's Next? Those two words get my so jacked up about my life and my life's work (potential)
9. Meet some great folks today at a speech for Prudential. I love meeting people that just flat out "get it".
10. Live in the Now...Live in the is and not the was....Look at the windshield and not the rear-view mirror of your life.

Objectiveness

Look...the closer we are to something the more objectiveness we lose. The things closest to us in our life, we lose all sense of being objective. Example: If the neighbor kid messes up, then he is just a bad kid. But if it's our kid that does the exact same mess up, then it's just a phase or isolated incident. We lose all objectiveness.

I do this all the time; especially with my kids. I can't see things objectively with my kids. Just can't do it. With my sons:

• I ignore
• I turn my head
• I rationalize
• I justify
• I excuse
• I make excuses

I love them so much that I really can't see objectively the issues (especially their faults). That is why I have to seek outside opinions. We ask others all the time to help us in objectively looking at our kids. We ask teachers, the church, our family, friends to help us objectively look at our kids and how we are raising them.

Well, the same is true with your businesses and life. You can't see the things I can because you are too close to them. We like to say that our clients are in the bottle and as such, they can't read the label of their own bottle. But we, not being as close, can objectively and very clearly read the label on the bottle. We provide this objectiveness that is so needed to be successful in the marketplace.

Every successful person or company has this objectiveness. You just can't improve without it. So make sure you have some solid objectiveness on your business.

I don't get it....

There are just some things in this world that I don't get. I just don't understand:

• owning an exotic snake
• rice cakes
• all sci-fi
• mullets
• Marilyn Manson or anything Gothic
• monster trucks
• bull riding
• bubble baths

One of the other things I just don't get is staying in a job you hate. Now in real life; how much sense does that really make? Statistically, we spend more time at work than we do our homes but yet so many people I talk to actually hate their jobs. I don't get it. It's like saying: You know, I love being miserable so I am going to stay in a place that really fulfills my need for misery. Stupid. Example: I was talking to a realtor the other day that needed some help. Her results were suffering so I asked her to tell me what she liked most about her job. Her reply: I really don't like real estate and I hate selling. Hmmm. And I wonder why her results are suffering?

I know it's a tough economy but still; that's no reason to stay in a job you hate. There are many wonderful jobs out there. And even better, there are many super jobs out there working for great companies that treat the employees awesome. Where are those companies and how do I get those jobs? Those great companies don't advertise for employees....they don't have to. Everyone wants to work for them so they are constantly getting great applications without even advertising. You get those jobs by networking! Ask people; pay attention; read; listen for those types of jobs.

Bottom line: Get out of the job you hate today. Find a job you love. Find a company you love. And when you do this, you will never work another day in your life. And that is something I do get!

Limitations are healthy

One of the most dangerous things on the planet is a lack of limitations. Having no limitations is an absolute receipt for destruction. Most of us know this but yet we don't practice setting limits in our life. In real life, we hate having limits set. Look at professional athletes; many of them don't set limits and the results are stinky.

• TO...not limits on his mouth
• Mike Tyson...no limits on his money
• Chad Johnson...no limits on his ego part II
• MLB and steroids...no limits on discipline

Since I am a new parent, let me look at my two sons. I set limits on my kids all the time. Without limits, can you imagine the results? We limit:

• Hours awake (my son Teddy has a high motor and if up to him, this 4 year old may never go to bed)
• TV (Thankfully we don't watch much TV...in fact if up to Teddy; he would be outside or playing 24/7). But we are mindful of how much TV they get.
• Junk Food (we are not as good as we should be but we do watch this...again thankfully, my sons would rather have corn in a can than ice cream...weird I know)
• Toys...we simply need to clean house and drop the hammer in this area!

Setting Limits: This is hard work and I am knee deep right now but I know the payoff is going to be huge. I am going through all areas of my life and business and setting limits (or recognizing that in the future I need to address it). Why am I doing this? Because setting limits forces me to make choices! It's these choices that we make that make us. Without limits, a person doesn't need to make any choices. And that is dangerous. Life is choices.

• Good choices = Good life
• Sloppy choices = Sloppy life
• Lazy choices = Lazy life

I am working on setting these limits that forces me to make choices. And by going through these "push-ups" the next step is to identify the critical things. Identifying the critical things or what I call Master Targets, allows us to accomplish the meaningful things in life. Things I am addressing:

1. Limit emails (and checking emails)
2. Limit computer time
3. Limit clutter (home and office)
4. Limit distractions...focus on one priority at a time
5. Limit "noise" in work and home

More to come on this but the key is to recognize the importance of limitations and how healthy they are....and then start identifying the areas where you need limitations.

Today we can really see character defined

You know...I am a firm believer that people really define themselves in times of adversity. It's in the tough times that you truly find out what a person has in terms of guts. In today's marketplace, with all this uncertainty, you find out exactly what's under-the-hood of the leaders and businesses.

Today, we can really see character defined.

Heck, when times are good, of course; everyone is a pleasure to be around, people are generous; people are kind; smiles and laughter all over the place. But what about when times are tough? Here is what I am seeing (not always but far too much):

• Panic
• Paralysis and no action (zero execution)
• Rudeness
• Stingy
• Unmotivated

Sad. Really sad.

But there is good news. There are some leaders, businesses and people out there that even in the darkest moments, raise above and just make a huge positive difference. Those folks just get it done in this life (no matter what the environment looks like). I love being around those folks! Here is some bullet points of how leaders in times of crisis think and behave:

• Positive. Always.
• Do it now mindset
• Why not? thinking.
• Fully understanding they learn more in tough times rather than good times
• Embrace adversity
• Be more generous
• Treat others even better
• Serve others even more

What to do? Find those positive people and surround yourself with them. If negative, get yourself fixed by intentionally getting a check up from the neck up. Understand that in today's tough times, you really are defined. Define yourself today. You can make the choice: Go Positive and make a huge impact and difference or Go Negative and be just like the many and the media.

But understand you have to make the choice. And the choice you make defines you. It's just that simple.

Mind blowing to me

20 years!

It's been twenty years since I graduated from high school. It really doesn't seem possible. When I think about how fast time goes by, I am reminded of the awesome advice of Marie Wagner (Kelly's Grandma) who says: It's later than you think! This is profound in it's simplicity and deep wisdom.

It is really hard for me to grasp the fact that I have been on earth for 38 years. But I got to tell you this; I can't wait for the next 20 years! I really feel I am just getting started. I have huge plans and things I need to contribute by the time I hit 58.

Time goes by fast; we all know that. And the way I look at this is I have one shot at this thing called Life....I need to make a difference and have an impact. I can't wait and procrastinate. I need to make sure every single day I am improving, advancing, and making a difference. Why such the urgency? Because the next thing I will know, I will be 58 and 20 more years will have flown by.

Time goes by and the clock goes tick tock..tick tock...tick tock and I have no say in that. I have no Life time outs. Given that, my choice is to let my life and time go by and just sort of "live" without paying much attention....or I can grasp every day and intentionally make a difference (or try to) and live with a purpose.

My decision is to live intentionally and try to make a huge positive impact. I have been working hard on this (intentional and purposeful living) for the last 5 years. And still, I am not even close to where I want to be; I have so much work left. But I do see progress and that keeps me going and fired up!

Someone the other day asked me about living from a vision and how all that works. Here are some bullet points I offered:

• It's hard work. It's painful at times
• You must deeply understand Time (how to use it, what it means, never take for granted)
• Every single day is an opportunity and a gift that can not be wasted
• Simply: Pay Attention! There are so many awesome things and people but you have to pay attention in life to find them
• Get used to being on the Road Less Traveled (or sometimes in my case the Road Never Traveled)
• Your decisions will not make sense to most people. You will not have many people thinking you are making good choices
• Huge sacrifices need to be made (we have come to love Mac and Cheese!)
• It takes some time to see progress (but that doesn't mean it's not there)
• Once you see progress, there is some serious adrenaline that kicks in
• There is absolutely NO BETTER WAY TO LIVE!

I can't wait for the next 20 years!