I Always Wanted to Be Somebody
May 20, 2009
Long flights like this one are great opportunities to get work done. No real distractions, coffee, and a five-hour stretch in a relatively isolated environment. On these flights, I tend to work on the Inner Circle Newsletter, get caught up on a thick stack of “airplane reading,” and relax – just a bit.
I was flipping through the airline’s in-flight magazine, and came across a page of interesting quotes. One in particular caught my attention. It was by the great Lily Tomlin:
I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific.
Aside from the fact that this is pretty funny, it’s also quite relevant. Too many people are far too vague about their goals and aspirations, preferring to let life happen to them instead of working to create the reality they truly want.
As we just saw in the last article, action – and generally massive action – is required to achieve lofty goals in the face of overwhelming odds. But that’s only half the equation. The other half is knowing what those goals are!
There’s an old expression that if you don’t know where you’re going, then any road will get you there. Try to be specific in terms of the outcomes you want from your relationships, from your business, and from life.
If you’re going to be “somebody” then make it somebody really good!
Cadillac Care
May 13, 2009
I returned last week from a fantastic full day of private consulting with a client in Illinois, and I have to say it was one of the sharpest groups I’ve worked with in a while. Not that the other groups are somehow mentally deficient, it’s just that this particular group had an almost innate grasp of the high-level marketing strategies I was presenting to help them grow their association.
One participant in particular, the owner of a private-duty nursing company, shared her strategy for placing their nurses in the homes of affluent elderly clients, with a program she called “Cadillac Care.”
These nurses also know how to cook, and provide a level of professional service that makes it possible for the company to charge premium prices for a premium service to people who can afford to pay for it.
Even the name of the service, “Cadillac Care,” shows a fantastic understanding of marketing concepts. It could have been called “Lexus Care” or “Mercedes Care” but this wouldn’t have been nearly as effective. (For extra credit, see if you can guess why – e-mail me your answer and I’ll pick a winner at random who will receive a 20-minute private consulting call!)
Virtually every business has the opportunity to develop a product or service targeted at an affluent market segment that’s not affected by the slow economy. Doing this can add a steady and reliable stream of income that others in your market are missing. Can you find this hidden money?
The Best Investment
May 7, 2009
In this time of economic uncertainty, it’s hard to know what to do with your money. The stock market is shaky; interest rates are falling; and no one really knows if we’ve hit bottom yet. So where should you invest your money? Let me offer a suggestion…
I just got back from one of the two annual conferences I attend each year (not to be confused with the 30 or so I speak at myself) and came away with lots of actions to implement and one profound observation.
Most of the nearly 1,000 participants were not seeing any negative impact from the current recession. If anything, they were actually doing better because they know how to market effectively in a less competitive environment.
The one thing they all had in common, aside from an interest in “our style” of marketing, was a willingness to invest in the one place they have some control over the results: their education.
Investing time, effort, and yes, money in your own personal and professional education is the only sure bet you can ever have, because the return on that investment is entirely up to you. If you pay attention, think through, and implement what you learn from newsletters, CDs, and training programs, you’ll stand a far better chance of getting an acceptable return on investment than if you hand control over to someone else.
Consider how you spend every minute…and every dollar, and make absolutely certain that you’re getting as much as possible in return.
I Said It All…
April 24, 2009
I love music, and a house concert is probably the best way to enjoy it. Instead of a noisy arena or even an acoustically sound concert hall, listening to live music quite literally in someone’s living room is a fantastic experience.
We had the opportunity to do just that last week, as we got to enjoy not one, but two great artists, Dave Turner (www.daveturnermusic.com) and Valorie Miller (www.valoriemiller.com).
And when I say “living room” I mean just that – we were sitting on a couch, with Dave’s piano and Valorie and her guitar about four feet away. They played separately, and then together, with help from a bass player whose name I can’t remember. (He was very good, though!)
The styles of the two artists were different – Dave’s songs were lively and funny. Valorie’s were much more subdued and introspective.
Their personalities were also very different. Dave was very animated, and joked with the audience throughout his performance. Valorie, on the other hand, was much more subdued, keeping her comments to a minimum.
At one point, between songs, she commented, “I guess I don’t like to talk a lot. I figure I said it all when I wrote the song.”
Listening to the lyrics and watching her perform, I understood what she was saying. She put so much into the songs and was so focused in performing them, that a cute story or anecdote would probably have reduced their impact, not enhanced them.
She was clearly deliberate in everything associated with her music and it showed. What about you? Do you need to explain everything, or do the quality, creativity, and results of your work speak for themselves?
Even if you’re not playing music in an intimate setting, investing a little passion in whatever you do makes a huge difference everyone can see.
Check Your Bill…
April 17, 2009
I know a lot of businesses are struggling right now. Some may be tempted to “start bending the rules” just a bit, violating my own personal guidelines of not doing anything in my business that’s illegal, immoral, or unethical. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, but recently it’s become more and more difficult. Let me explain…
It was spring break from high school last week, so my wife and daughter went up to New York for a “girls-only” trip to visit family. We had booked a car for her to pick up at the Albany airport for four days for a total of $101.65. Not bad – a little over $25/day for a car.
But when they arrived at the counter, the agent handed Lorie a contract indicating a total price of over $240.00. Without missing a beat, she stood up ramrod straight, and said in an almost defiant voice, “Uh uh – that’s not even close!” She then produced the printout of the confirmation showing the correct amount, at which time the agent apologized and said that he didn’t see the discount code in the record when he printed the contract.
Okay, innocent mistake #1.
While they were enjoying the beautiful “mid-30s and sleet” weather of upstate New York, a similar situation was unfolding down in “sunny and mid-70s” North Carolina…
When I had broken my foot last year and wanted to get back running as quickly as possible, the doctor had recommended a “bone-growth stimulator” – a device that uses ultrasound waves to speed up the healing process. But when we checked with the insurance company to see if it was covered, we found out that we’d be on the hook for about $1,200 in deductibles and co-pays. I told them, “thanks but no thanks,” I’ll just take my chances with the normal healing process.
The manufacturer of the device then called us to say that if I wanted to use the device, it would be covered at 100%. Well, this was good news. Just to be sure, I confirmed – about five different times – that we wouldn’t have to pay even one dime for the machine, and the person on the phone confirmed this.
So you can imagine my surprise when I received a bill from the manufacturer for $741.53, While leaving several messages with both the manufacturer and my doctor, I continued to receive bills, each with more urgency (and an increasingly threatening tone) – three bills, to be precise.
When I finally got through to them, they apologized and said it was an error. The next day, they called me back from the doctor’s office and said the manufacturer had some rule where they had to bill the patient three times before they could write off the balance.
Innocent mistake #2. Or was it?
You see, no one told me about the “three bills and you’re out” policy. Had we not been paying attention, or if it hadn’t been for such a large amount, it might just have slipped into the “bill pay” pile and gotten paid – for an amount we weren’t even supposed to be charged!
And had Lorie not been alert and attentive at the rental counter, she would have been on the hook for more than double the correct amount for the car.
There’s an old expression that says, “If one person calls you a horse, you figure he’s a fool, and send him on his way. If two people call you a horse, you assume they’ve been drinking, and laugh it off. If three people call you a horse…buy a saddle!”
In just the last week, we’ve had the equivalent experience of “two people calling us a horse.” When it happens a third time, I’m going to assume these situations – and others like it – are being done deliberately to try and squeak out some additional revenue.
The bottom line for you: assume nothing – double check everything. It’s probably just an innocent mistake, but you never know…
Raleigh Rocks!
April 12, 2009
Okay, Raleigh may not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of cities that “rock,” but it’s hard to beat a nice 60-degree day in March when other parts of the country are experiencing temperatures in the 30s.
And that’s what we had last week when I ran my first half marathon, along with my wife Lorie and two good friends. Running 13.1 miles is a challenge under the best of circumstances. Many of you who are long-time readers of this newsletter will appreciate the challenge even more, since you know about the 5-1/2 hours of knee surgery I had nearly four years ago.
After days of forecasts indicating rain on the morning of the race, we actually had near-perfect weather: high 50s to low 60s, overcast, and surprisingly low humidity. I started out with my iPod loaded with the right tunes, and managed to resist the temptation to run fast at the onset, recognizing that this would be the longest distance I had ever run. And because my busy work schedule and lousy winter weather had prevented me from training exactly as I would have liked, my longest run so far had been just 8.5 miles.
The experience was great – if a bit fatiguing – and I finished in 2:23:24, with an average of 10:56 minute miles. I know I won’t be going to the Olympics with that time, but my goals had been to finish, and to come in under 11-minute miles, so I was very pleased. (For reference, the winner of the race clocked in at 1:08:36 – that’s a 5:15 mile…for 13.1 miles!)
And as with any major effort, there are lessons to be learned. Here are three:
- Start Small and Build on Your Successes – You don’t wake up one morning, say to yourself, “Hey, I think I’ll run a half marathon!” and do it the next day. You start out running a mile. Then two. Then three. Before you know it, you’re doing five miles as a normal training run and seven and eight miles become the “long runs.”
It’s the same thing with a new project, a new assignment, or even a new job. You have to break it down, take one step at a time, and learn from the experience.
- If You Can Run 8, You Can Run 13 – When I commented to a friend that my longest run going into the race had been just 8-1/2 miles, she said not to worry, “If you can run 8, you can run 13.” Her reasoning was that the core level of fitness needed for an right-mile run was substantially the same as what was needed to run 13, and that the adrenaline of the actual race would provide any additional incentive that might be needed.
People put off all kinds of worthwhile ventures because they’re not quite ready, or because it’s not “the right time.” Here’s a news flash: it’s never the right time! There’s always a reason to postpone working on your goals. Having the hard, looming deadline of race day on the calendar means your only choices are to “suck it up” or “bail out!” What are your deadlines and how do you deal with them?
- Get Support for Anything Worthwhile – When training or working on your goals, it’s always a good idea to have a training buddy, or even a group of people you work with – if for no other reason than to be around other people who share a common goal. And during the race, after a few miles, you suddenly see the same faces running in the same general vicinity. Oh you may pass them on a hill, and they may pass you ten minutes later, but you generally notice who’s around you, and there’s an unspoken bond of support that makes the last few miles, in particular, a bit more manageable.
Similarly, it’s important to have a support network in place for anything that’s significant in your life. Surrounding yourself with like-minded and like-thinking people is essential if you’re going to be successful.
I didn’t come in first in this race; in fact, I was nowhere even remotely close to first. But I decided to try something I’d never done before; created goals for myself; made a plan; and accomplished what I set out to. Oh, I was sore for the next few days, but that was a relatively small price to pay.
You don’t have to run a half-marathon; you already have any number of huge challenges in your life already. It’s how you deal with these challenges that determines the degree of your victory.
The Perfect Song
April 6, 2009
We had the opportunity a few weeks ago to see one of the outstanding singer-songwriters of our time. Unfortunately, you’ve probably never heard of her: Jana Stanfield.
Her recordings are intricate, relevant, and upbeat. And in concert, you get to hear the full range of her voice, which isn’t done justice by a CD and a set of speakers. Plus, she’s incredibly funny, which makes the whole experience even more enjoyable. In the concert we attended, she was one of four artists who took turns presenting songs to the audience, each feeding off of what the other had just done – kind of a musical version of “Whose Line is It Anyway.”
At one point, after Jana had just finished singing “If I Had Only Known” – a song recorded and made famous by Reba McEntire, the audience just sat there dumbstruck for about five seconds before starting to applaud wildly and giving her a spontaneous standing ovation.
Then it was Daniel Nahmod’s turn to select a song to play. He had been fantastic during the concert, but after that song, he had a “deer in the headlights” look on his face, and said to the audience, “Wow, how do you follow something like that?”
He then turned to Jana and said, “That is a perfect song in so many different ways, I can’t even begin to explain it.” He gave a couple of “technical” examples of what he was talking about in terms of songwriting, musicianship, and delivery, and asked Jana a few questions about what inspired her to write the song.
He was right, by the way, the song was incredible, and Jana’s voice is even better now than when we were blown away listening to her for the first time at a National Speakers Association meeting in San Francisco, back in 1995.
Do you have a “perfect song?” Is there something you do at work, with your family, or with a hobby that brings everything into perfect focus for you? You may not be up on stage performing it for all to see, but make a serious effort to find your “perfect song” in whatever you do, and you’ll see the impact it has on everyone around you.
I Was So Busy Listening…
March 20, 2009
Focusing on what’s important can be difficult with all the distractions that surround us. Apparently, I’m one of these distractions.
On my way into the office last week, I stopped by our local Bruegger’s Bagel shop to pick up something for breakfast. I was chatting with the woman behind the counter about how cold it was (15 degrees) and that weather like this was precisely why I didn’t live up north any more. In the midst of this conversation, I ordered a sesame bagel, toasted, with veggie cream cheese.
As we continued talking, I watched as she selected a bagel from the bin, picked up the knife, sliced the bagel in half…and proceeded to spread the cream cheese on the untoasted bagel.
When I reminded her that I’d asked for the bagel to be toasted, she apologized and said, “I was so busy listening, I wasn’t paying attention.”
How many times do we do the same thing – focusing on one thing when we should really be paying attention to another? There are so many distractions to divert our attention, sometimes it’s a wonder we get anything done at all.
Try to avoid all the “bright shiny objects” in your daily travels and focus on what needs to get done – you’ll find it feels much better at the end of the day when you can check the important items off your list, knowing you accomplished what you needed to.
You Want Me to Pay?
March 11, 2009
We don’t have a lot of expensive habits – until recently, both our cars were 1995 models – but we do enjoy wine. And surprisingly, there’s some good wine being produced in Maryland right now. Not great, but good enough to enjoy without having to spend a small fortune.
If you remember, we had our Mastermind Group meeting in Baltimore a few weeks ago. I had a program in Miami the day before, so I flew directly into Baltimore. Lorie took the car (the new one, of course – it’s fun to drive…and it smells nice!) and drove up to meet me there, with a stop on the way at a favorite local winery. She had called in advance to let them know she was coming, with the intent of buying about a case of wine.
She pretty much knew what she wanted, but they had a few new vintages, so she wanted to sample them to decide exactly which ones she would buy. When they were ringing up her order (14 bottles in all) she noticed a charge for $5.00. When she asked what that was, they explained it was for the tasting fee.
Now, this is a common practice, particularly at wineries where expensive wines are sold, but in almost every case we’ve experienced, the tasting fee is waived if you make a purchase. And if you buy a case, well, it’s not even an issue.
But they insisted that they had to charge the fee because “that’s our policy.” As a minor concession, they reduced the tasting fee to $2.50 when Lorie explained that she really didn’t need to keep the souvenir glass.
Oh sure, she could have made a big stink and probably gotten the fee removed, but it wasn’t worth the time or aggravation on what was an otherwise enjoyable day. There are, however, two great lessons you should take away from this experience:
- Don’t Let “Policy” Get in the Way of Common Sense – It may very well have been their policy to always charge the tasting fee, and there may have been perfectly good reasons for initiating this policy in the first place. But sometimes the process actually prevents you from doing what you know is the right thing for the customer. And this is quite likely one of those situations because of #2…
- Don’t Cut Off Your Nose to Spite Your Face – In that single visit, we bought 14 bottles of wine which cost over $300. We really enjoy their wine, and travel to the area three times a year. We’ve been in this Mastermind group for three years, and will likely stay on board for many more years. For argument’s sake, let’s say it’s five years. $300 x 3 visits per year x 5 years = $4,500. We do like their wine; it is a great value; but we like a lot of other wines too. If we decide that charging us the $2.50 fee was a cheap enough thing for them to do that we say, “Okay, forget them,” then they will have lost $4,500 in lifetime value for a measly $2.50 tasting fee.
Not taking the long view in situations like this is simply bad business. It’s something you want to avoid whenever possible. It creates weak relationships instead of strong ones; it gets people telling bad stories about your business instead of good ones; and frankly, it just makes me mad. Maybe I’d better go and have a glass of wine to help me relax…
Who Are You Spending Time With?
March 5, 2009
Well, it’s that time of the year again: the first of our three trips up to Baltimore for the high-level marketing group we belong to. It’s always a mix of new faces and old friends; but more importantly, it’s an environment that breeds success, and last week’s trip was no exception.
You see, it’s important to surround yourself with like-minded people who can help you achieve your goals, not “naysayers” who will take every opportunity to shoot you down. It’s not even a simple matter of “winners” vs. “losers,” but rather a question of attitude and expectation.
If you watch the news, listen to the radio, and read newspapers, you’ll constantly see, hear, and read headlines like these:
Immigrants Return Home for Economic, Professional Opportunities
Online Job Postings Show Monthly Gain
Mortgage Delinquencies Up for 8th Straight Quarter
If you pay attention to news like this, then you’re likely to accept the fact that the world as we know it is going to come to a screeching halt any day soon, and you should just round up the family, pack up some provisions, and head for the hills.
I’m not saying things are all roses and sunshine – a quick look at my investment statements quickly brings me back to reality. But it’s not the end of the world either, and the people in our Baltimore group don’t accept this negativity either.
In fact, most of them are experiencing growth in their businesses – some of them dramatic growth, with six-figure and seven-figure revenues the norm rather than the exception.
So what makes this possible? Let me suggest three factors you might want to consider as a part of your own success mindset:
- Keep Things in Perspective – Yes, these aren’t the best economic times, but they’re not the worst either, and you have it within your power to make something of even the most challenging situations.
- Look for Opportunity – In every economic climate, there are always people willing to take advantage of what you offer; it’s just a matter of finding them, and presenting an offer that’s so attractive, they simply can’t resist.
- Surround Yourself with Successful People – If you listen to your friends, family, and co-workers as they constantly bombard you with every bit of negative news as if they’re some sort of “Captain Bringdown newswire,” then you’re going to become depressed and negative yourself. Find a local group, coaching opportunity, or mastermind organization where you will be with people who, while they don’t dismiss the reality of what’s happening, still find a way to be successful.
Motivational speaker Jim Rohm says that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Who are you spending time with?
