Exercise

Exercise: (please write down on paper or on computer)

What 3 things are you not doing in your business that you should?

• For each one, write down why you are doing them and what is the plan to correct this and start executing.

Let me know the results. Have a great weekend.

Answer these....

Make sure you can answer these 3 questions with passion and absolute clarity:

1. What do you do?

2. What makes you unique?

3. Why should I do business with you?

If you can't answer these questions, you can't effectively position yourself in the marketplace. Period. Plus everything else breakdown too...employee turnover, production, branding, advertising, referrals,...on and on.

For example: What employee wants to work and sacrifice for a organization that can't answer the above with passion? You are correct...None! And when you can 't attract great talent, what kind of company do you really have? Who wants to work for a company that is stale? Those type of employees that you can get to work for a stale company will leave at the drop of a hat...turnover cost anyone? See the slippery slope...

Note: With passion! and clarity....that's the key!

Email me the progress...

Boring is Out!

Boring is Out!

Given this, why are so many businesses and so many in the marketplace boring?

Last week we hammered this to a bunch of folks in the real estate industry. Most Realtors all do the same things, act the same ways, market the same old tired ideas, and behave in the same stale ways....same, same, same! And that is flat out boring.

Nobody wants to do business with boring.

Do you want your employees and customers to describe your company/organization:

• Ok
• Not too bad
• Predictable
• Boring
• Stale
• Not exciting
• Just going thought the motions

Or is there a better way?

• Exciting
• Fun
• Engaging
• Edgy
• Relational
• Purposeful
• Intentional
• Crisp
• Innovative
• Creative

That's what I thought. Me too...so what are you waiting for...The 2 key words for success:

INTERESTING
+

Entertaining

How can you make your company interesting and entertaining today? When you do, you become relevant and wanted....and wouldn't that be nice?

Friday's Time

You can tell more about people by looking at their time than their money.

We can all make more money. But none of us can make more time!

Time: Most precious resource on the planet. But why do so many people waste it? To me, this is mind-blowing nonsense.

With your time:

• Protect it
• Invest it wisely
• Love it
• Manage it (just like if not better than your money)
• Audit it (make sure you are working on most productive things and priorities first)
• Relationships with Time FIRST!

Today ask and audit: What did I really get done this week? No B.S...really examine; really truthful; really now...(what did I really get done this week?)

Stop Copy Cat

Please Please Please: No more copy cat!

I see so much imitation and copying each other in today's marketplace. For profit...Non For Profits; it doesn't matter....everyone is copying each other.

That's not what sells
That's not what motivates employees
That's not what moves people and calls for action
That's not what is contagious
That's not what is business is about

Stop it today

Instead:

• Set the agenda (let other copy you!)
• Trail blaze
• Be interesting and entertaining...
• Be original
• Take road less traveled
• DD = Be DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT!
• Innovation
• Outside of the box thinking...Outside of the box execution
• Avoid Ruts and Routines
• Do One Thing Everyday that Scares You!....Elonore Roosevelt

A First...

Just when you thought you have seen everything....BAM! Being a business consultant and speaker, I have witnessed thousands of companies. I have had a front row seat to the good, bad, and ugly in the marketplace. But last night, another first in the business world came in front of me.

I found the first private for-profit company that did not take cash! A hotel non-the-less.....a bar in a hotel. WOW! is all I have to say...

This hotel has mastered "How To Make Doing Business With Us Difficult"...

I went to the outside bar of the hotel attached to the hotel and ordered...I then pulled out cash and was told that they didn't accept cash; only tokens that you have to buy from them. What? So then they direct me to stand in a line that is 30 mins long to buy tokens. Oh Ok...yeah right...so they want me to leave my son in the pool by himself while I go and wait in line for tokens to buy a drink? All the while I have cash and want to give it to them right now!

Also, the lady next to me ordered and wanted to charge her room. She was told that room charges and cash are not acceptable. Only tokens. Unbelievable!

The talk at the hotel was not about the great property or great event, but rather how stupid this company was for not accepting cash. I heard so much negativity about this crazy policy. In today's chaos, things are hard enough without stupid policy.

• Are there policies that you should change in your organization?
• Have you asked your customers if there are things you do to Make Business Difficult?
• Have you asked your employees if there are things you do to Make Business Difficult?
• Before implementing new policy, do you seek objectiveness and outside opinions?
• Do you have policies which make it difficult to do business with you?

Email for the name of the only bar that does not accept cash and you too can experience this first.

Branding

Forty-Eight hours ago my laptop crashed. Bam...in a flash, I was knocked out of commission. Total right hook and I was TKO. Talk about a train wreck. You hear about this stuff and dismiss it but when you go through it, your perception changes. That "back-up" issue becomes a real deal.

Speaking of perception, we are semi-overhauling our marketing campaigns. The perception of our marketing was not strong enough. So we are changing....have to. want to; live to. The following are some push ups we did with our branding and marketing.

Marketing and Branding!

• Where are you at with all of this?
• Do you have a plan?
• Do you have a strategy?
• Are you executing in marketing and branding every single day?
• Is your marketing and branding consistent with your vision?
• Consistency is the key
• Have you asked "others" i.e. customers, clients, vendors, employees about your marketing and branding?
• Are you teamed up with the right people in branding and marketing?
• Are you thinking outside the box?
• ARE YOU INTERESTING AND ENTERTAINING in your branding and marketing? If not, you can expect average results. The only way to get BIG $$ is to be a Pro...right? Well, all Pro's are interesting and entertaining.

It's all about BRAND YOU!

Think on this today....plan on this today. A great roi for your time is on BRAND YOU!

Two...

In today's chaos in the marketplace, we all have to do things differently.

As this song as, it takes two when it used take only one.

Today:

Double the work
Doube the innovation
Double the purpose
Double the love
Double the excellence
Double the WOW!

Kobe

Heading back to the ATX...

I was watching the Lakers vs Magic last night and amazed by the intensity of Kobe Bryant. I then thought:

1. What would my business look like with Kobe Bryant intensity?
2. What would my life look like with Kobe Bryant intensity?

Relationships

I am in Dallas all week. One of the most important lessons that continually slaps me right in the face is relationships. There is nothing more important than RELATIONSHIPS!

I continually see the common element of great producers: they all have great relationships.

A couple of quick tips and something to think about:

• Do you seek out new great relationships?
• Do you work at growing and inspiring your existing relationships? (For younger folks: Relationships take work! Yes you have to work at them....constantly)
• Do you schedule time on your calendar for intentionally relationship building?
• Do you use networking to find and grow great relationships?

Relationships!...nothing more important than relationships. Period.

3 questions

Three Questions to consider:

1. What does "real" positive change look like?

• Get out the pen and paper and work on this...it needs to be defined and written out. We all have to change to improve. Start today.

2. What are you doing to implement this real change?

• Do you have changes scheduled and planned? Execution is the key from players vs fakers!

3. What are you going to do to market this change to your audience?

• Nothing like a well thought out and executed marketing plan.