Even though, we're just starting to see the April showers and early flowers, now is the time to start planning out your Summer business schedule.
If it seems this year as though I'm harping on planning, there's a method to my madness. We've just wrapped up the first quarter of the year. Nearly 1/3 of 2010 is GONE, and what do you have to show for it in your direct sales business?
Bookings beget bookings, and if your calendar is looking thin now, imagine how barren it will be come July!
The school year is coming to an end, and families are planning their vacations, getaways and summer activities now. As a business owner, you need to be on their radar, and plant the seed now that a Summer show is just the ticket to reconnect, relax, and enjoy good times with friends.
Contact the hosts from last Summer now, and give them first dibs on your calendar. Just like Christmas, you can have a full Summer schedule if you give people plenty of notice. In my business, I rarely booked a show closer than 3 weeks out because I need that time to get out invitations, and do effective hostess coaching. The exception to this was repeat hosts. They are usually already schooled on how I run my business, and are quick to get all my show requirements (like guest lists) back to me in plenty of time for the event.
Repeat hosts are your best testimonials, because they liked your work enough to invite you back! You owe it to yourself to reward them with the best spots in your calendar.
Words to say:
"Hi Sally, this is Lisa (with ABC company). I'm planning now for my summer schedule. It may be a little early yet, but I know that my most successful parties are the ones that are planned in advance. Since you're one of my repeat hosts, I want to say thank you by giving you first dibs on my Summer show calendar. You held a Chocolate Lover's party last June and it was such a blast. What theme would you like to try this year?"
Assume the booking. Your repeat hosts already know you do business, and know what to expect from you. If they're not interested, they'll tell you right away. Instead, assume they love you so much they want to repeat that amazing experience they had last year. Build up the excitement and re-establish the emotional high they had at their last party by mentioning positive memorable moments from the last party. It's a psychological trigger that puts them in a positive frame of mind to book their next show with you.
If you're new to Direct Sales, or re-starting your business like many teachers I know, it's even more imperative that you start now to secure shows for your Summer calendar. Consider asking one of the parents from your child's class to host a get-together during the Summer. Or better yet, host your own and double dip on host benefits as well as your consultant income. An early summer barbecue can have the guys hanging out at the grill, the kids playing in the back yard, and the women shopping from their seat in the comfort of your home. Worried that your house is too small? Host a series of parties to invite your child's best friends over a few at a time.
Summer events are also a great way to bring in new business. If you sell a product that you can demonstrate, consider teaching a course during the summer related to your product line. Renting a small hotel conference room or even a large dining room in a restaurant can bring in new customers interested in learning the how-to of your product, and lead to big sales at the end of the session. Just be sure that the focus of the class is not selling stuff, but teaching skills. Not only can you generate revenue from the sales of products, but also from registration fees from the class. Check with your local community education office for opportunities to share your expertise there as well. Many of the Summer session classes are being decided right now.
However you choose to grow your business this summer, now is the time to start planning. Look at your own family commitments and decide when you're available to work your direct sales business. Being in business for yourself gives you some flexibility, but if you let the entire Summer pass you by, you'll miss out on a great income potential as well as those highly-coveted fall bookings. For a great Fall, you need a great Summer, and Summer selling starts by booking shows now.
© 2010 Lisa Robbin Young.
==========
USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!
Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):
Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com/
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Birthday Parties, Sales, and Saying Goodbye
I don't normally "do sales". I certainly don't broadcast them publicly very often.
I feel like I'm discounting the quality of my products when I "slash prices" and offer incredible savings on my products.
However, I have a very special circumstance that warrants doing something incredible.
My son turns 13 today. The BIG 1-3. But today's both his birthday party and his going away party.
See Forest has been struggling not only with teenage hormones, but also some emotional problems and mental health issues that have placed him and our family in harm's way more times than I care to count.
I can share this with you because he has consented to co-author a book with me about this ordeal. For the next couple of years, Forest will be in a camp program for boys with emotional problems. As a mom, this is the toughest thing I've ever done. It's
probably also the smartest thing I could ever do for my son.
You can read the details on my new website.
But here's the situation: the program costs nearly $24,000 a year - and we found out our insurance doesn't cover any of it. Big surprise, right?
And he starts December 31, so I have a lot of motvation to do something a little bit drastic.
Here's the link to get the print edition of Home Party Solution at more than 50% off.
If you want the 3.0 edition at the 1.0 price, you need to act fast. We can deliver as many copies as you can purchase, but the deadline for this "sale" is December 31 - the day Forest goes to camp.
I'm not one to ask for handouts. We don't have fifty grand just lying around, either. So here's the best of both worlds.
It may sound a little desperate, but hey, it's my kid. If it means looking a little foolish in order to save his life, that's a small price to pay. If it was your kid, what would you do?
If you've ever considered buying the book, now's the absolute best time to do it. You'll also get a special coupon you can use for a complimentary copy of our book when it's completed (but that won't be until after he graduates from the program).
It's the least I can do to say thanks.
Click here to purchase the book
There's no limited quantities on this. You can order as few or as many as you'd like. It's a great book to have in your leadership lending library for your consultants. The book offers step-by-step instruction on building your online presence quickly and effectively. Online marketing isn't just social media, folks, and this book covers all the basics in an easy to read, step-by-step approach.
So that's the reason I've been kind of incognito for the last month. We've been finalizing all the details on his enrollment, and that's kind of kept me out of the public eye for a bit.
And yes, that means next year will see some big changes for me and my family. I hope you'll stick around, because even with this ordeal, you're going to see some pretty incredible stuff coming out of our company!
I feel like I'm discounting the quality of my products when I "slash prices" and offer incredible savings on my products.
However, I have a very special circumstance that warrants doing something incredible.
My son turns 13 today. The BIG 1-3. But today's both his birthday party and his going away party.
See Forest has been struggling not only with teenage hormones, but also some emotional problems and mental health issues that have placed him and our family in harm's way more times than I care to count.
I can share this with you because he has consented to co-author a book with me about this ordeal. For the next couple of years, Forest will be in a camp program for boys with emotional problems. As a mom, this is the toughest thing I've ever done. It's
probably also the smartest thing I could ever do for my son.
You can read the details on my new website.
But here's the situation: the program costs nearly $24,000 a year - and we found out our insurance doesn't cover any of it. Big surprise, right?
And he starts December 31, so I have a lot of motvation to do something a little bit drastic.
Here's the link to get the print edition of Home Party Solution at more than 50% off.
If you want the 3.0 edition at the 1.0 price, you need to act fast. We can deliver as many copies as you can purchase, but the deadline for this "sale" is December 31 - the day Forest goes to camp.
I'm not one to ask for handouts. We don't have fifty grand just lying around, either. So here's the best of both worlds.
It may sound a little desperate, but hey, it's my kid. If it means looking a little foolish in order to save his life, that's a small price to pay. If it was your kid, what would you do?
If you've ever considered buying the book, now's the absolute best time to do it. You'll also get a special coupon you can use for a complimentary copy of our book when it's completed (but that won't be until after he graduates from the program).
It's the least I can do to say thanks.
Click here to purchase the book
There's no limited quantities on this. You can order as few or as many as you'd like. It's a great book to have in your leadership lending library for your consultants. The book offers step-by-step instruction on building your online presence quickly and effectively. Online marketing isn't just social media, folks, and this book covers all the basics in an easy to read, step-by-step approach.
So that's the reason I've been kind of incognito for the last month. We've been finalizing all the details on his enrollment, and that's kind of kept me out of the public eye for a bit.
And yes, that means next year will see some big changes for me and my family. I hope you'll stick around, because even with this ordeal, you're going to see some pretty incredible stuff coming out of our company!
Direct Sales Muscles Need Stretching
[Note: This is an excerpt from me free Build a Better Customer Program that's available to all members of the Home Party Solution Community. Register today to recieve the entire program as my gift to you. That's how important I think it is to target market. My brother-in-law is presently in the hospital as the final stages of his disease make their move. - Lisa]
When I was writing yesterday, I thought about my brother-in-law, who lives with a horrible crippling disease that essentially erodes his bones from the inside out. It's very rare, and few who are diagnosed live past childhood. He's a miracle, still living in his 30's. Though he's paralyzed from the waste down, he lays himself out every single day to stretch his muscles. He's on a strict regimen of medications, exercises and nutrition to help keep his bone density as high as possible.
Muscles that aren't stretched will atrophy. The nature of building muscle is such that you create small tears in the tissue when you exercise. The muscle then repairs itself during rest, making it stronger than it was before.
You have to stretch if you want to grow stronger. If you want to die, stay where you are.
How can you stretch yourself in healthy ways? I don't mean dong MORE things than you can handle, but rather DIFFERENT things that would broaden your horizons, extend your business network, or build your skills. Small stretches that will build your "comfort zone" muscles.
When I was writing yesterday, I thought about my brother-in-law, who lives with a horrible crippling disease that essentially erodes his bones from the inside out. It's very rare, and few who are diagnosed live past childhood. He's a miracle, still living in his 30's. Though he's paralyzed from the waste down, he lays himself out every single day to stretch his muscles. He's on a strict regimen of medications, exercises and nutrition to help keep his bone density as high as possible.
Muscles that aren't stretched will atrophy. The nature of building muscle is such that you create small tears in the tissue when you exercise. The muscle then repairs itself during rest, making it stronger than it was before.
You have to stretch if you want to grow stronger. If you want to die, stay where you are.
How can you stretch yourself in healthy ways? I don't mean dong MORE things than you can handle, but rather DIFFERENT things that would broaden your horizons, extend your business network, or build your skills. Small stretches that will build your "comfort zone" muscles.
A Tale of Two Direct Sales Moms
Normally, I'm not one to go on about my kids. I like at least a small sense of anonymity and privacy for them, since they didn't choose to grow up in the limelight or the shadow it casts from being aimed at me.
And while this story isn't so much about them, they are involved, so I felt it only fair to warn you.
This story, however is a tale of two moms: one's an ambitious, "big thinker", who constantly strives to grow her business, builder her "empire" and make the world a better place for her clients and customers. She believes that she's the best product her company has to offer, and shares her time, talent and treasure to help others make the most of their business.
She does her momly duties, of course: getting up at the crack of dawn, tries to make sure the kids are fed and ready for the trip to school, and even shares her laptop with her 3 year old so he can get a jump start on academics at pbskids.org. She does her best to have dinner cooking and ready by the time her husband arrives home at 5pm and even manages to clean a little: a couple loads of dishes (by hand, of course), and sometimes gets the table set too!
She loves to entertain, has a big house with plenty of room for company and KNOWS how to cook. Her Momma taught her how to make virtually anything from scratch - except anything made with asparagus (her Mom HATED Asparagus), and she's quite a performer, too. Her haminess runs in the family: both her sons are musical and while her husband couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, they make for a cute "perfect" family photo.
She works with an INCREDIBLE support team that keeps her business running like a well-oiled machine, even in her sleep.
I'm sure you've figured out who this is, but before I do the big reveal, let's talk about our other mom...
This woman does her best to get to bed at a decent hour each night, but is usually up WAY past her bedtime. She's always got way too much on her plate, and sometimes finds herself wading through 4,000 emails in her in-box trying to find a message that was sent a while ago that she knows she needs to act on. She loves her two kids dearly, and her husband has his moments, too, but sometimes she'd just love to use the mute button on her remote control to find a little peace and quiet in the home.
She's lucky if she can find the time to take a shower in the morning, and occasionally brushes her teeth on the drive to take her oldest to school!
This woman is far from perfect. Her childhood is not something she looks back on with many pleasant memories: abuse, loneliness, and not many friends were hidden behind her very intellectual veneer. She's smart, but was never able to make friends easily, and to this day struggles with strong, lasting friendships.
Her husband and oldest son just don't see eye to eye, and it's a horrible point of friction in her family. She insists they fight like brothers, and hates "being in the middle" when things come to a head.
And if that wasn't difficult enough, now her oldest son is in the hospital. She's blessed to have a job that allows her to 'be there' for him when he needs her most, but struggles with the guilt of not being with her 3 year old son. Hubby's off at work during the day, and doesn't like hospitals, so hasn't visited his step-son much at all. She feels like her support system is crumbling around her ears...
hmm... those two people sound strikingliy different, don't they?
Yet the are one in the same.
This is probably one of the hardest, and most personal posts I'll ever make, but I'm at the point where I need to share this because it might just help someone else.
The beauty of direct sales is that we have the power to do as much or as little as we choose in our business. We control our income, our hours and the freedom we make for ourselves in this industry.
It has been an amazing blessing to me this past month as my son has moved in and out of hospitals while they work to find the answers for his pancreatitis.
And ironically, it has been my friends in the industry - my leader, fellow coaches, recruits and my clients and 'friends' on Facebook and twitter that have been the most supportive bunch of all.
I've gotten emails, calls, tweets and amazing shows of support from people that barely know me in real life. And I can't get my husband to take a day off from work to help around the house.
To be clear: we are not fighting about this. He has a horrible aversion to hospitals, and he's extremely busy at work right now. I wish he could be more supportive, but he's doing the best he can with his situation. Plus, we're grateful beyond grateful that he hasn't lost his job yet when so many others are struggling to survive! If it wren't for his job and his insurance, there's no telling how God would manage to cover the hospitalization & testing costs.
I've done some pretty BIG things this year in the face of a tightening economy - all when people said it couldn't be done. I took that a God's message to me that I was in fact heading in the right direction, and fulfilling his will to serve others the best way I knew how: as a direct sales consultant and marketing coach/mentor to the Direct Sales Industry. I've even started the ICF certification process to complete the requirements to make that an officially recognized designation.
I have a LOT on my plate - I almost always do. And I don't mind so much most of the time. I've got a fantastic business coach, and a new VA that I love - plus an assistant that's also a friend of my family and a powerful prayer warrior. I have a handful of really close friends that I know are praying me through all this.
And with the small exception that I wish my husband was a little more accessible, I have a LOT of peace in this whole ordeal. I can be at my son's bedside in the hospital and work from my laptop, or have a coaching call on my cell phone.
God bless technology!
My 3 year old is well tended by an incredible nanny that is also one of my team recruits for my direct selling business. My income continues to roll in on autopilot, my kids are tended, and I can focus on the needs of my oldest son right now.
But I'm FAR from perfect. There are days when I don't want to get out of bed - yes even while my kid's in the hospital. There are days when I don't even SEE the shower, much less take one (perhaps a little TMI, but hey, it's trh truth). And I know that the phrase "who has time to exercise" must have been coined by me - I have the spare pounds to prove it.
The office has clutter piles - like the rest of the house. And while I love to entertain, I very rarely do.
I struggle with self-esteem issues, even though I know my business is awesome and I'm serving some amazing women with an amazing mission that I KNOW God put firmly in my heart. I feel like I'm not moving fast enough, not doing near enough, to be the person God has called me to be.
This isn't a personal plea for people to feel sorry for me, or even to cheer me on. It's just a statement that I had to make before I exploded all over the place one day. And I figured that if I'm going through this, it's for a reason, and God placed it on my heart to share it in this manner today.
If I may be selfish for a minute: I want to know what's wrong with my kid. I want him to be okay, and I want to not have to worry about the cost of getting that answer. I want my husband to participate in all of this and realize how much he's needed around here. I also want him to know that I understand how he feels and that I'm doing my best to honor him and his needs, too. I want my
business to thrive and flourish and be a example of God's light in the world.
But most of all, I want to serve. And if this post does that for you, then once again God's got it goin' on, because I think that sharing this is one of the most 'out there' things I've ever done. I started a Facebook group a few weeks ago because He suggested it through a friend, and I've been amazed at how on target everything is. I'm learning each day that the more I listen to Him and follow his lead on even the most outrageous things, He provides. He doesn't fail. There are so many things I feel like I need to be doing on a daily basis, and God keeps it all in perspective. The peace I feel is directly related to a "system" he's shown me to help keep it all together - even when everything seems to be falling apart.
So it's a weird way to say thank you, but Thank You. I've got over 100 posts on this blog, and I did say there might be an occasional personal post about me or the kids. This was the best way I knew to reach out to all of you and let you know how much your prayers, words and thoughts have been a tremendous blessing this past month.
I know not what God's next move for me is in the great playbook of life, but I do know that I have to just keep on making the plays, and moving down the field until I reach whatever goal he has planned.
It's been a crazy start to 2009 - which means I know it's ging to get even bigger and better as it goes along. I hope you'll be on the ride with me.
And while this story isn't so much about them, they are involved, so I felt it only fair to warn you.
This story, however is a tale of two moms: one's an ambitious, "big thinker", who constantly strives to grow her business, builder her "empire" and make the world a better place for her clients and customers. She believes that she's the best product her company has to offer, and shares her time, talent and treasure to help others make the most of their business.
She does her momly duties, of course: getting up at the crack of dawn, tries to make sure the kids are fed and ready for the trip to school, and even shares her laptop with her 3 year old so he can get a jump start on academics at pbskids.org. She does her best to have dinner cooking and ready by the time her husband arrives home at 5pm and even manages to clean a little: a couple loads of dishes (by hand, of course), and sometimes gets the table set too!
She loves to entertain, has a big house with plenty of room for company and KNOWS how to cook. Her Momma taught her how to make virtually anything from scratch - except anything made with asparagus (her Mom HATED Asparagus), and she's quite a performer, too. Her haminess runs in the family: both her sons are musical and while her husband couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, they make for a cute "perfect" family photo.
She works with an INCREDIBLE support team that keeps her business running like a well-oiled machine, even in her sleep.
I'm sure you've figured out who this is, but before I do the big reveal, let's talk about our other mom...
This woman does her best to get to bed at a decent hour each night, but is usually up WAY past her bedtime. She's always got way too much on her plate, and sometimes finds herself wading through 4,000 emails in her in-box trying to find a message that was sent a while ago that she knows she needs to act on. She loves her two kids dearly, and her husband has his moments, too, but sometimes she'd just love to use the mute button on her remote control to find a little peace and quiet in the home.
She's lucky if she can find the time to take a shower in the morning, and occasionally brushes her teeth on the drive to take her oldest to school!
This woman is far from perfect. Her childhood is not something she looks back on with many pleasant memories: abuse, loneliness, and not many friends were hidden behind her very intellectual veneer. She's smart, but was never able to make friends easily, and to this day struggles with strong, lasting friendships.
Her husband and oldest son just don't see eye to eye, and it's a horrible point of friction in her family. She insists they fight like brothers, and hates "being in the middle" when things come to a head.
And if that wasn't difficult enough, now her oldest son is in the hospital. She's blessed to have a job that allows her to 'be there' for him when he needs her most, but struggles with the guilt of not being with her 3 year old son. Hubby's off at work during the day, and doesn't like hospitals, so hasn't visited his step-son much at all. She feels like her support system is crumbling around her ears...
hmm... those two people sound strikingliy different, don't they?
Yet the are one in the same.
This is probably one of the hardest, and most personal posts I'll ever make, but I'm at the point where I need to share this because it might just help someone else.
The beauty of direct sales is that we have the power to do as much or as little as we choose in our business. We control our income, our hours and the freedom we make for ourselves in this industry.
It has been an amazing blessing to me this past month as my son has moved in and out of hospitals while they work to find the answers for his pancreatitis.
And ironically, it has been my friends in the industry - my leader, fellow coaches, recruits and my clients and 'friends' on Facebook and twitter that have been the most supportive bunch of all.
I've gotten emails, calls, tweets and amazing shows of support from people that barely know me in real life. And I can't get my husband to take a day off from work to help around the house.
To be clear: we are not fighting about this. He has a horrible aversion to hospitals, and he's extremely busy at work right now. I wish he could be more supportive, but he's doing the best he can with his situation. Plus, we're grateful beyond grateful that he hasn't lost his job yet when so many others are struggling to survive! If it wren't for his job and his insurance, there's no telling how God would manage to cover the hospitalization & testing costs.
I've done some pretty BIG things this year in the face of a tightening economy - all when people said it couldn't be done. I took that a God's message to me that I was in fact heading in the right direction, and fulfilling his will to serve others the best way I knew how: as a direct sales consultant and marketing coach/mentor to the Direct Sales Industry. I've even started the ICF certification process to complete the requirements to make that an officially recognized designation.
I have a LOT on my plate - I almost always do. And I don't mind so much most of the time. I've got a fantastic business coach, and a new VA that I love - plus an assistant that's also a friend of my family and a powerful prayer warrior. I have a handful of really close friends that I know are praying me through all this.
And with the small exception that I wish my husband was a little more accessible, I have a LOT of peace in this whole ordeal. I can be at my son's bedside in the hospital and work from my laptop, or have a coaching call on my cell phone.
God bless technology!
My 3 year old is well tended by an incredible nanny that is also one of my team recruits for my direct selling business. My income continues to roll in on autopilot, my kids are tended, and I can focus on the needs of my oldest son right now.
But I'm FAR from perfect. There are days when I don't want to get out of bed - yes even while my kid's in the hospital. There are days when I don't even SEE the shower, much less take one (perhaps a little TMI, but hey, it's trh truth). And I know that the phrase "who has time to exercise" must have been coined by me - I have the spare pounds to prove it.
The office has clutter piles - like the rest of the house. And while I love to entertain, I very rarely do.
I struggle with self-esteem issues, even though I know my business is awesome and I'm serving some amazing women with an amazing mission that I KNOW God put firmly in my heart. I feel like I'm not moving fast enough, not doing near enough, to be the person God has called me to be.
This isn't a personal plea for people to feel sorry for me, or even to cheer me on. It's just a statement that I had to make before I exploded all over the place one day. And I figured that if I'm going through this, it's for a reason, and God placed it on my heart to share it in this manner today.
If I may be selfish for a minute: I want to know what's wrong with my kid. I want him to be okay, and I want to not have to worry about the cost of getting that answer. I want my husband to participate in all of this and realize how much he's needed around here. I also want him to know that I understand how he feels and that I'm doing my best to honor him and his needs, too. I want my
business to thrive and flourish and be a example of God's light in the world.
But most of all, I want to serve. And if this post does that for you, then once again God's got it goin' on, because I think that sharing this is one of the most 'out there' things I've ever done. I started a Facebook group a few weeks ago because He suggested it through a friend, and I've been amazed at how on target everything is. I'm learning each day that the more I listen to Him and follow his lead on even the most outrageous things, He provides. He doesn't fail. There are so many things I feel like I need to be doing on a daily basis, and God keeps it all in perspective. The peace I feel is directly related to a "system" he's shown me to help keep it all together - even when everything seems to be falling apart.
So it's a weird way to say thank you, but Thank You. I've got over 100 posts on this blog, and I did say there might be an occasional personal post about me or the kids. This was the best way I knew to reach out to all of you and let you know how much your prayers, words and thoughts have been a tremendous blessing this past month.
I know not what God's next move for me is in the great playbook of life, but I do know that I have to just keep on making the plays, and moving down the field until I reach whatever goal he has planned.
It's been a crazy start to 2009 - which means I know it's ging to get even bigger and better as it goes along. I hope you'll be on the ride with me.
Clue #6: One Part Mom, One Part Rock Star
If you've read my bio blurb in my weekly ezine, it says "one part mom, one part rock star". That's only slightly tongue in cheek.
When I was a little girl, I dreamed of touring the country, being a rock star, singing songs I wrote. In fact, I've even self-released two albums. You can even listen to some of my music. It's 'defniitely not mainstream pop music' - or at least that's what one of the guys at Universal Music said when I submitted my demo for a listen.
I've never been a conformist - at least not on the surface. I have some core beliefs that are pretty standard, but my mode of operation has always been a little on the rebellious side of things. If people tell me I 'Can't' do something, I almost always say "watch me!" and figure out a way to do it anyhow.
So even though I'm a relative unknown in the music industry, I have fans across the globe that listen to and enjoy my music.
And just to be clear, this post has NOTHING to do with me forming a rock band, releasing a new album or touring whilst playing my music. The Stand Up Coach and I are planning a 'world tour', but you'll hear more about that at another time, and it has nothing to do with these new developments.
It's really been the last couple of days that have crystallized these must do activities for me.
As far as your guesses go, Lauren's on the right track. This isn't about a speaking tour (there's more details about that coming later in Spring), and it isn't about me quitting my DS company (HEAVENS NO!). This is about me stepping into a space that I should have been in all along, and was too afraid to do it.
The only antidote for fear is faith.
I always envisioned Rock stars, in my mind, as fearless. They could get up on a stage, entrance a crowd of thousands and inspire throngs of people with their work. Everytime their music plays freely over the airwaves, you get re-inspired, transported and motivated to feel this kind of empowerment from within the very music itself.
I always wanted to have that kind of effect on people. Without the drugs, scandals and bad habits that many musicians were known for. I wanted to inspire and motivate people with my creations and do it in a very unconventional way.
That means taking a zig when others zag. It means standing out in a crowd. It means going against the grain.
Like a Rock Star.
In this economy, people are still paying $500 a seat to see The Police live in concert. Why?
Because they're Rock Stars! They've established themselves as a household name to the audience that loves them. They don't have to worry about whether or not people will show up to their concerts, or if they'll make enough money to pay the bills this month.
They're ROCK STARS!
Watch what other direct sales coaches are doing right now: they're sweating. They've taught you everything they know. You've heard it all before, and to keep themselves alive, they're doing bargain basement price slashing. One direct sales coach is offring a teleseminar series (5 calls) for $40! That would barely cover the costs of putting on the FIRST call, let alone all 5.
Why is she doing that? Simple, just like you (well, some of you) bookings are down. Her income is tanking, and she needs to stay at the top of mind to keep you buying from her.
Another diect sales coach piloted a monthly telecoaching program at an introductory rate, and couldn't get enough members to raise it to the standard rate she wanted to charge. Why? Because she's just regurgitating her content!
There's nothing new there.
Like a good Rock Star, you have to have new material on a regular basis. Sure, the Greatest Hits are fun to hear, and familiar. They're easy to embrace. And YES, you run the risk of alienating some of your die hard fans when you create something new. But on the whole, your fans want to be delighted with something exciting, different and NEW.
Do you remember the first time your favorite band played a new song on the radio? I do. I would scooch up to the radio as close as I could so I didn't miss a single note. I'd scribble down the lyrics as fast as my pencil could keep up. I wanted to be the FIRST to know that new song, so I could share it with everyone - and look cool in the process.
Sometimes I still do that, although I will admit I'm a bit more restrained as a 'grown up' than I was as a child. i don't actually push people out of the way anymore to get to the radio.
So when direct sales coaches offer "new" products, I get excited! I scramble to the front of the line to see what it's all about.
And I usually shuffle away with my head hung down in shame at another batch of regurgitated content.
Don't get me wrong, booking, selling, and recruiting are the 3 pillars of direct sales. If you want to be truly successful, you have to do all three in some combination.
But there's more to this business than just those three things, and frankly, I'm tired of hearing so-called industry 'experts' that just keep saying the same things over and over and over.
Maybe that list of 100 people ISN'T enough to get your business started. Maybe you DO have to think outside the box - especially in this economy.
So that's what I'm doing. I'm thinking outside the box. I'm doing something that, as far as I know, no other direct sales business coach has ever done before. I'm going against the grain and doing some things that no other direct sales coach would ever DREAM of doing, because to them, it would mean losing money.
But I think like a ROCK STAR!
Think you've got this all figured out yet? Bet ya don't! But the clues get hotter as the day goes on today. We're leading up to the BIG unveil tonight at 7pm eastern. Post your comments below. The first one to correctly guess will win a complete set of all the physical products I've ever created (yes, even my music CD's, if you want them!).
When I was a little girl, I dreamed of touring the country, being a rock star, singing songs I wrote. In fact, I've even self-released two albums. You can even listen to some of my music. It's 'defniitely not mainstream pop music' - or at least that's what one of the guys at Universal Music said when I submitted my demo for a listen.
I've never been a conformist - at least not on the surface. I have some core beliefs that are pretty standard, but my mode of operation has always been a little on the rebellious side of things. If people tell me I 'Can't' do something, I almost always say "watch me!" and figure out a way to do it anyhow.
So even though I'm a relative unknown in the music industry, I have fans across the globe that listen to and enjoy my music.
And just to be clear, this post has NOTHING to do with me forming a rock band, releasing a new album or touring whilst playing my music. The Stand Up Coach and I are planning a 'world tour', but you'll hear more about that at another time, and it has nothing to do with these new developments.
It's really been the last couple of days that have crystallized these must do activities for me.
As far as your guesses go, Lauren's on the right track. This isn't about a speaking tour (there's more details about that coming later in Spring), and it isn't about me quitting my DS company (HEAVENS NO!). This is about me stepping into a space that I should have been in all along, and was too afraid to do it.
The only antidote for fear is faith.
I always envisioned Rock stars, in my mind, as fearless. They could get up on a stage, entrance a crowd of thousands and inspire throngs of people with their work. Everytime their music plays freely over the airwaves, you get re-inspired, transported and motivated to feel this kind of empowerment from within the very music itself.
I always wanted to have that kind of effect on people. Without the drugs, scandals and bad habits that many musicians were known for. I wanted to inspire and motivate people with my creations and do it in a very unconventional way.
That means taking a zig when others zag. It means standing out in a crowd. It means going against the grain.
Like a Rock Star.
In this economy, people are still paying $500 a seat to see The Police live in concert. Why?
Because they're Rock Stars! They've established themselves as a household name to the audience that loves them. They don't have to worry about whether or not people will show up to their concerts, or if they'll make enough money to pay the bills this month.
They're ROCK STARS!
Watch what other direct sales coaches are doing right now: they're sweating. They've taught you everything they know. You've heard it all before, and to keep themselves alive, they're doing bargain basement price slashing. One direct sales coach is offring a teleseminar series (5 calls) for $40! That would barely cover the costs of putting on the FIRST call, let alone all 5.
Why is she doing that? Simple, just like you (well, some of you) bookings are down. Her income is tanking, and she needs to stay at the top of mind to keep you buying from her.
Another diect sales coach piloted a monthly telecoaching program at an introductory rate, and couldn't get enough members to raise it to the standard rate she wanted to charge. Why? Because she's just regurgitating her content!
There's nothing new there.
Like a good Rock Star, you have to have new material on a regular basis. Sure, the Greatest Hits are fun to hear, and familiar. They're easy to embrace. And YES, you run the risk of alienating some of your die hard fans when you create something new. But on the whole, your fans want to be delighted with something exciting, different and NEW.
Do you remember the first time your favorite band played a new song on the radio? I do. I would scooch up to the radio as close as I could so I didn't miss a single note. I'd scribble down the lyrics as fast as my pencil could keep up. I wanted to be the FIRST to know that new song, so I could share it with everyone - and look cool in the process.
Sometimes I still do that, although I will admit I'm a bit more restrained as a 'grown up' than I was as a child. i don't actually push people out of the way anymore to get to the radio.
So when direct sales coaches offer "new" products, I get excited! I scramble to the front of the line to see what it's all about.
And I usually shuffle away with my head hung down in shame at another batch of regurgitated content.
Don't get me wrong, booking, selling, and recruiting are the 3 pillars of direct sales. If you want to be truly successful, you have to do all three in some combination.
But there's more to this business than just those three things, and frankly, I'm tired of hearing so-called industry 'experts' that just keep saying the same things over and over and over.
Maybe that list of 100 people ISN'T enough to get your business started. Maybe you DO have to think outside the box - especially in this economy.
So that's what I'm doing. I'm thinking outside the box. I'm doing something that, as far as I know, no other direct sales business coach has ever done before. I'm going against the grain and doing some things that no other direct sales coach would ever DREAM of doing, because to them, it would mean losing money.
But I think like a ROCK STAR!
Think you've got this all figured out yet? Bet ya don't! But the clues get hotter as the day goes on today. We're leading up to the BIG unveil tonight at 7pm eastern. Post your comments below. The first one to correctly guess will win a complete set of all the physical products I've ever created (yes, even my music CD's, if you want them!).
Clue #5: If You Love Something, Set it Free
"If you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you, it's yours. If it doesn't, it never was. We do not possess anything in this world, least of all other people. We only imagine that we do. Our friends, our lovers, our spouses, even our children are not ours; they belong only to themselves. Possessive and controlling friendships and relationships can be as harmful as neglect."
A Chinese Proverb, this quote has been in my head in one form or another since childhood. My grandmother cautiously reminded me to let the butterflies be, instead of trying to catch them by their wing on the flower.
Nobody said I was classy. I thought catching bugs was cool.
But Grandma was truly a woman. She was kindhearted and earthy. She didn't think catching bugs was ladylike. She strove to "meet me where I was" though, and used a little psychology on me.
"If you love it, set it free and see if it comes back to you. If it doesn't it wasn't yours."
I lost more butterflies that way. Thanks Grandma!
But the lesson was indellible in my mind. And in the past year, my childhood memories have been replaying - a bit more somberly now than before - and I'm remembering some valuable lessons.
I love learning. I've loved reading and growing and powering up my brain for as long as I can remember. I started reading at an early age, and I really wanted to see my kids grow into loversof learning as well.
Right now, my oldest is NOT big into learning. Although I did catch hm checking out a book of Latin poetry at the library a few weeks ago. He said he wanted to impress a "chick at school" by writing out the latin and the english side by side.
There may be hope for him yet.
I've always wanted to share my passion for learning and knowledge and skill-building. But I NEVER wanted to be a teacher. Our educational systems are assembly lines for cranking out kids that meet the minimum requirements for life. And I say that with all the love I can possibly have, because my mom was a teacher, my aunts are teachers, my cousin is a teacher. My sister even did a stint as a teacher.
And I guess some would say I'm a teacher, too.
But public school teaching in this country is a thankless, tough job. I never had the intestinal fortitude to endure the grief so many in my family willingly did. They gave up a lifetime of working to teach childrn, mold minds and create a different world. I give them all teh props in the world - because I never could have done it.
Instead, I turned my desire to teach into an income-driven business model. I taught voice, piano and clarinet lessons from my mobile studio. I even taught guitar briefly. Then I developed my newsletter, the book, and ultimately the entire construct that is now Home Party Solution.
And along the way, I found myself felling like it wasn't all exactly right. Like I was only doing part of the work God set out for me to do.
I reached a turning point last July.
If I could do anything, if money were no object, if what others said or thought didn't matter, and if I knew I couldn't fail, where was I feeling God pulling me?
I couldn't dodge it. And the process that I went through inspired the build a better customer program. It's truly been a labor of love for me.
I knew I had developed something life changing, but I was so afraid that mine would be the only life it would change. I was scared to share my findings because deep down inside I wondered:
"What if this process only works for me? Then what will I do?"
But January proved to me that this s one of the most amazing and transformative processes I have ever experienced - and it works for others, too. And I've been thrilled with the way it has changed people's businesses and outlooks on life as well.
But I keep hearing Grandma's voice in my head...
Think you've got this one figured out? Post your guess. The first correct answer will win the keys to the kingdom! Every physical product I've ever created. We've had some creative guesses so far, but we're gettng to the wire and NO ONE's gotten it all right yet. There's only a few more clues between now and Sunday night at 7pm eastern.
A Chinese Proverb, this quote has been in my head in one form or another since childhood. My grandmother cautiously reminded me to let the butterflies be, instead of trying to catch them by their wing on the flower.
Nobody said I was classy. I thought catching bugs was cool.
But Grandma was truly a woman. She was kindhearted and earthy. She didn't think catching bugs was ladylike. She strove to "meet me where I was" though, and used a little psychology on me.
"If you love it, set it free and see if it comes back to you. If it doesn't it wasn't yours."
I lost more butterflies that way. Thanks Grandma!
But the lesson was indellible in my mind. And in the past year, my childhood memories have been replaying - a bit more somberly now than before - and I'm remembering some valuable lessons.
I love learning. I've loved reading and growing and powering up my brain for as long as I can remember. I started reading at an early age, and I really wanted to see my kids grow into loversof learning as well.
Right now, my oldest is NOT big into learning. Although I did catch hm checking out a book of Latin poetry at the library a few weeks ago. He said he wanted to impress a "chick at school" by writing out the latin and the english side by side.
There may be hope for him yet.
I've always wanted to share my passion for learning and knowledge and skill-building. But I NEVER wanted to be a teacher. Our educational systems are assembly lines for cranking out kids that meet the minimum requirements for life. And I say that with all the love I can possibly have, because my mom was a teacher, my aunts are teachers, my cousin is a teacher. My sister even did a stint as a teacher.
And I guess some would say I'm a teacher, too.
But public school teaching in this country is a thankless, tough job. I never had the intestinal fortitude to endure the grief so many in my family willingly did. They gave up a lifetime of working to teach childrn, mold minds and create a different world. I give them all teh props in the world - because I never could have done it.
Instead, I turned my desire to teach into an income-driven business model. I taught voice, piano and clarinet lessons from my mobile studio. I even taught guitar briefly. Then I developed my newsletter, the book, and ultimately the entire construct that is now Home Party Solution.
And along the way, I found myself felling like it wasn't all exactly right. Like I was only doing part of the work God set out for me to do.
I reached a turning point last July.
If I could do anything, if money were no object, if what others said or thought didn't matter, and if I knew I couldn't fail, where was I feeling God pulling me?
I couldn't dodge it. And the process that I went through inspired the build a better customer program. It's truly been a labor of love for me.
I knew I had developed something life changing, but I was so afraid that mine would be the only life it would change. I was scared to share my findings because deep down inside I wondered:
"What if this process only works for me? Then what will I do?"
But January proved to me that this s one of the most amazing and transformative processes I have ever experienced - and it works for others, too. And I've been thrilled with the way it has changed people's businesses and outlooks on life as well.
But I keep hearing Grandma's voice in my head...
Think you've got this one figured out? Post your guess. The first correct answer will win the keys to the kingdom! Every physical product I've ever created. We've had some creative guesses so far, but we're gettng to the wire and NO ONE's gotten it all right yet. There's only a few more clues between now and Sunday night at 7pm eastern.
Clue #2: Happy Anniversary!?
I've been doing some celebrating lately: Big celebrations and small ones.
In November, I celebrated the first anniversary of "PartyOn!", my weekly ezine. It started as a monthly newsletter that went out to a whopping 7 people.
It quickly grew to a weekly publication in anticipation of the launch of my first physical product. My book, Home Party Solution, made waves in the home party/direct sales industry. I celebrate the anniversary of it's release this month.
And I missed celebrating the one year anniversary of this humble little blog. That was in January. I've had my mug on the cover of this blog for a year now and no one's complained. You can't imagine what that does for my ego!
In the past year, I've seen a lot of changes. The launch of the PM2 coaching group, a joint venture with Ruth Fuersten - Direct Sales JUMP Start, as well as dozens of other new business relationships that are growing my business in new ways. Plus the recent launch of my new Build a Better Customer Program, which has gotten RAVE reviews from the participants.
But there are also a few commemorations this year. In March, I will commemorate the death of my Mom and Grandfather. They died within a week of each other last March, and that has dramatically altered the color and shape of my world. It will be 10 years since my Dad died in May, so I guess that sort of makes me an orphan.
Not to get all melancholy on you, it's just indicative that in life, things change, and sometimes we have to bid farewell to people and things we love to make room in our lives for new relationships and things that will benefit our future in bigger and better ways. Since the funerals, my relationship with my sister has blossomed. My business took a new direction that enabled me to create the Build a Better Customer program. I got very clear on where I want my business to go, and who I want to help along the way.
How to get there, well, that's another story.
Nature abhors a vaccum. Empty space needs to be filled up. That explains why my dining room table always has "stuff" on it.
Think you've got this mystery all wrapped up? Post your ideas below. The first person to correctly guess the big announcement will win the keys to my kingdom - every physical product I've ever created!
In November, I celebrated the first anniversary of "PartyOn!", my weekly ezine. It started as a monthly newsletter that went out to a whopping 7 people.
It quickly grew to a weekly publication in anticipation of the launch of my first physical product. My book, Home Party Solution, made waves in the home party/direct sales industry. I celebrate the anniversary of it's release this month.
And I missed celebrating the one year anniversary of this humble little blog. That was in January. I've had my mug on the cover of this blog for a year now and no one's complained. You can't imagine what that does for my ego!
In the past year, I've seen a lot of changes. The launch of the PM2 coaching group, a joint venture with Ruth Fuersten - Direct Sales JUMP Start, as well as dozens of other new business relationships that are growing my business in new ways. Plus the recent launch of my new Build a Better Customer Program, which has gotten RAVE reviews from the participants.
But there are also a few commemorations this year. In March, I will commemorate the death of my Mom and Grandfather. They died within a week of each other last March, and that has dramatically altered the color and shape of my world. It will be 10 years since my Dad died in May, so I guess that sort of makes me an orphan.
Not to get all melancholy on you, it's just indicative that in life, things change, and sometimes we have to bid farewell to people and things we love to make room in our lives for new relationships and things that will benefit our future in bigger and better ways. Since the funerals, my relationship with my sister has blossomed. My business took a new direction that enabled me to create the Build a Better Customer program. I got very clear on where I want my business to go, and who I want to help along the way.
How to get there, well, that's another story.
Nature abhors a vaccum. Empty space needs to be filled up. That explains why my dining room table always has "stuff" on it.
Think you've got this mystery all wrapped up? Post your ideas below. The first person to correctly guess the big announcement will win the keys to my kingdom - every physical product I've ever created!
What You Can Learn From Kung Fu Panda
Small Business Success: Be a Dragon Warrior
by Lisa Young
During holiday, 2008, my two year old subjected me to repeated viewings of Disney's Kung Fu Panda. Over and over and over again, I sat and watched the as the reluctant panda (Po) faced his fears, overcame obstacles and defeated the mighty foe, despite seemingly insurmountable odds to claim the title of "Dragon Warrior" and bring peace to the village outside the Jade Palace.
As Master Oogway would say, "There are no accidents."
In the final moments of the film, Po shares the ultimate secret of what it means to be the Dragon Warrior. Pardon me if I spoil the film for you, but his message is clear:
"There is no secret ingredient. It's just you."
As with most reluctant heroes, he "didn't get it" at first. Earlier in the film, he sat confused and disillusioned, staring at the blank Dragon Scroll - supposedly the secret key to unlocking all the mysteries of the universe. Not until his father revealed the mystery of his "secret ingredient soup" (there is none) did Po come to understand how this "secret" applied to becoming the Kung Fu Dragon Warrior.
Like Po, I didn't get it at first, either. Content to watch a mindless children's film incessantly until my child fell asleep, it slowly dawned on me that perhaps I was missing the very poignant message aimed at adults as well.
In life (and in business) there is no secret ingredient. It's just you.
But your level of belief makes all the difference.
We all have the power to become Dragon Warriors in our businesses - and our lives. We have to be willing to not only give ourselves that power, but believe we deserve it. Our success and happiness does not come from some secret scroll, lost for ages. There is no magic pill or "secret ingredient" that holds any power outside ourselves.
And lest you think me blasphemous, even the Bible says there must be faith and belief for God's miracles to unfold. And that begins in YOU.
So STOP looking for answers outside yourself. Dig deep within. Discover your true beliefs. Know that anything is possible in your business if you have the faith and take action in alignment with that faith. There's no secret ingredient to achieving a powerful, mission-focused business. There's no mystery to creating something you stand in awe of and proud of. There's no hidden pill, mystical experience, or million-dollar program you need to attain the levels of business success to which you aspire.
It's just YOU.
When you bring yourself, your dreams, your actions and your beliefs in alignment, doors fling open for you. You can't believe and not take action, you can't take action and not believe. You can't dream without clarity, and you can't be clear without your dreams. All these things are within you.
There is no secret ingredient. It's just you.
© 2008-2009 Lisa Robbin Young
==========
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR PRINT OR WEB PUBLICATIONS?
I'd be honored - so long as you include this complete blurb with it: Lisa Robbin Young teaches entrepreneurs how to be celebrities in the eyes of their customers. Lisa's mission is to educate entreprenurial women about big business ideas they can apply to their small business enterprise for stellar success. Learn the 4 steps to Building a Better Customer at http://www.homepartysolution.com/bbc.
by Lisa Young
During holiday, 2008, my two year old subjected me to repeated viewings of Disney's Kung Fu Panda. Over and over and over again, I sat and watched the as the reluctant panda (Po) faced his fears, overcame obstacles and defeated the mighty foe, despite seemingly insurmountable odds to claim the title of "Dragon Warrior" and bring peace to the village outside the Jade Palace.
As Master Oogway would say, "There are no accidents."
In the final moments of the film, Po shares the ultimate secret of what it means to be the Dragon Warrior. Pardon me if I spoil the film for you, but his message is clear:
"There is no secret ingredient. It's just you."
As with most reluctant heroes, he "didn't get it" at first. Earlier in the film, he sat confused and disillusioned, staring at the blank Dragon Scroll - supposedly the secret key to unlocking all the mysteries of the universe. Not until his father revealed the mystery of his "secret ingredient soup" (there is none) did Po come to understand how this "secret" applied to becoming the Kung Fu Dragon Warrior.
Like Po, I didn't get it at first, either. Content to watch a mindless children's film incessantly until my child fell asleep, it slowly dawned on me that perhaps I was missing the very poignant message aimed at adults as well.
In life (and in business) there is no secret ingredient. It's just you.
But your level of belief makes all the difference.
We all have the power to become Dragon Warriors in our businesses - and our lives. We have to be willing to not only give ourselves that power, but believe we deserve it. Our success and happiness does not come from some secret scroll, lost for ages. There is no magic pill or "secret ingredient" that holds any power outside ourselves.
And lest you think me blasphemous, even the Bible says there must be faith and belief for God's miracles to unfold. And that begins in YOU.
So STOP looking for answers outside yourself. Dig deep within. Discover your true beliefs. Know that anything is possible in your business if you have the faith and take action in alignment with that faith. There's no secret ingredient to achieving a powerful, mission-focused business. There's no mystery to creating something you stand in awe of and proud of. There's no hidden pill, mystical experience, or million-dollar program you need to attain the levels of business success to which you aspire.
It's just YOU.
When you bring yourself, your dreams, your actions and your beliefs in alignment, doors fling open for you. You can't believe and not take action, you can't take action and not believe. You can't dream without clarity, and you can't be clear without your dreams. All these things are within you.
There is no secret ingredient. It's just you.
© 2008-2009 Lisa Robbin Young
==========
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR PRINT OR WEB PUBLICATIONS?
I'd be honored - so long as you include this complete blurb with it: Lisa Robbin Young teaches entrepreneurs how to be celebrities in the eyes of their customers. Lisa's mission is to educate entreprenurial women about big business ideas they can apply to their small business enterprise for stellar success. Learn the 4 steps to Building a Better Customer at http://www.homepartysolution.com/bbc.
Real Life Strikes Again: How NOT To Brand Yourself
My oldest is a handful.
That's being polite.
He's struggled with ADHD and behavioral issues since he was small. Until last year, his issues were somewhat controlled with medication, although I never felt convinced that his Psych was really conerned about his well being, and more concerned with the drug mill he was pushing people through.
I think my suspicions were confirmed today.
I'll skip the intervening time and many personal details, but since my Mother's death in March, my son has not been the usual cantankerous kid we've grown to love. He's been more voilent, reclusive, explosive and difficult to manage. Add to that a request to return to regular school (I homeschooled last year), and it's been a combustible year, to say the least.
A school incident got us involved with our local Community Mental Health department in an effort to get him expedted service and treatment for what is looking more and mor like it might be high functional autism or a form of Asperger's, due to some new symptoms now presenting. So an appointment was made for a "full psych eval" to be held today.
Here's where I scratch my head in disbelief. the exact same psychiatrist that had been seeing him once a month for 3 years walked out, called him by the wrong name (again), and ushered us into an office.
Once in the office, my oldest said "Hey, I Know you!" and the Doctor put his oot in it royally.
"No, I don't think we've ever met before."
"Oh yes, you have!" I corrected him. "You were his psych for 3 years at a different facility!"
"Oh. Well, what brings you in today?"
Other than that inane question, he listened to my tale of increasing violence and disturbing symptoms, copied down a few notes, then asked me the following EVEN MORE STUPID question
"If we could give a magic pill, what would you want it to do?"
Are you kidding me? You saw this kid for 3 years and have no recollection of him, and you want me to diagnose him?
I said, "frankly, I see medication as a last resort, and would like to find out what the underlying issues are before we stuff drugs down his throat. I mean, if he needs drugs, fine, but if the drugs end up masking what the real issue is, then that's not fine."
He asked my son 4 questions, handed me 2 scrips and recommended I schedule an appointment with the child psychiatrist at his next available opening.
"He has more symptoms than I feel comfortable with. I'm calling in the specialist."
My question is, why wasn't I seeing the child psych in the first place?
At that moment, his NP came around the corner, and my son said "Hey! I know you too!"
The NP said "No, I don't think you do."
"UGH! Yes you do! You work with that Doctor and he was my kid's doc for 3 frickin' years!"
Can you tell I wasn't too happy?
Let us break this down so that you NEVER EVER have this happen in your business.
1. Know your client's name. Maybe he read it wrong, but once I corrected him, the doctor STILL called my child by his last name, instead of his first name. Come on! This is common courtesy, folks.
2. Make eye contact. This sounds like a no brainer, but for the entire time we were in the office, I counted a whopping 1:22 of total eye contact, give ot take a few seconds. If he had an intensive questionnaire or computer form he needed to complete, I would have been a touch more understanding. I've had more compassionate, friendly service at WalMart's self-service lane!
3. Spend time understanding your customer. You don't diagnose in 15 minutes, when one of the 4 questions you ask is botu a magic pill! That shows you're not trying to understand anything - you want them to do the work for you. In business, you need to make connections with your customers. In this country, medicine is very obviously a business. this guy didn't even try to make a connection with either of us.
4. Solve the client's problem - or get out of the way so someone else can. He knew immediately that my son didn't belong under his care - yet instead of taking charge to ge me set up right away with the proper doctor, he pushed us out the door to seek help from the receptionist - who was conveniently not at her desk for 10 minutes. I stood in the hallway waiting patiently and silently for someone to return until that NP rounded the corner. Even HE didn't get me any help.
Perhaps I'm just a grumbling bumbling mom. But I was sore when I realized the very doctor I took issue with for 3 years was back as co-pilot of my child's psychiatric care.
You can bet my son's case manager will be hearing from me.
The real life marketing lesson? Take the time to care. Even within that small 15 minute window, there were plenty of opportunitied for that Doctor - or anyone in that office - to turn that situation around. And yet, NO ONE took the time to care. Don't let that be you. One good thing could have made this a POSTIVITE memorable experience.
Instead of a horrifyingly negative one.
That's being polite.
He's struggled with ADHD and behavioral issues since he was small. Until last year, his issues were somewhat controlled with medication, although I never felt convinced that his Psych was really conerned about his well being, and more concerned with the drug mill he was pushing people through.
I think my suspicions were confirmed today.
I'll skip the intervening time and many personal details, but since my Mother's death in March, my son has not been the usual cantankerous kid we've grown to love. He's been more voilent, reclusive, explosive and difficult to manage. Add to that a request to return to regular school (I homeschooled last year), and it's been a combustible year, to say the least.
A school incident got us involved with our local Community Mental Health department in an effort to get him expedted service and treatment for what is looking more and mor like it might be high functional autism or a form of Asperger's, due to some new symptoms now presenting. So an appointment was made for a "full psych eval" to be held today.
Here's where I scratch my head in disbelief. the exact same psychiatrist that had been seeing him once a month for 3 years walked out, called him by the wrong name (again), and ushered us into an office.
Once in the office, my oldest said "Hey, I Know you!" and the Doctor put his oot in it royally.
"No, I don't think we've ever met before."
"Oh yes, you have!" I corrected him. "You were his psych for 3 years at a different facility!"
"Oh. Well, what brings you in today?"
Other than that inane question, he listened to my tale of increasing violence and disturbing symptoms, copied down a few notes, then asked me the following EVEN MORE STUPID question
"If we could give a magic pill, what would you want it to do?"
Are you kidding me? You saw this kid for 3 years and have no recollection of him, and you want me to diagnose him?
I said, "frankly, I see medication as a last resort, and would like to find out what the underlying issues are before we stuff drugs down his throat. I mean, if he needs drugs, fine, but if the drugs end up masking what the real issue is, then that's not fine."
He asked my son 4 questions, handed me 2 scrips and recommended I schedule an appointment with the child psychiatrist at his next available opening.
"He has more symptoms than I feel comfortable with. I'm calling in the specialist."
My question is, why wasn't I seeing the child psych in the first place?
At that moment, his NP came around the corner, and my son said "Hey! I know you too!"
The NP said "No, I don't think you do."
"UGH! Yes you do! You work with that Doctor and he was my kid's doc for 3 frickin' years!"
Can you tell I wasn't too happy?
Let us break this down so that you NEVER EVER have this happen in your business.
1. Know your client's name. Maybe he read it wrong, but once I corrected him, the doctor STILL called my child by his last name, instead of his first name. Come on! This is common courtesy, folks.
2. Make eye contact. This sounds like a no brainer, but for the entire time we were in the office, I counted a whopping 1:22 of total eye contact, give ot take a few seconds. If he had an intensive questionnaire or computer form he needed to complete, I would have been a touch more understanding. I've had more compassionate, friendly service at WalMart's self-service lane!
3. Spend time understanding your customer. You don't diagnose in 15 minutes, when one of the 4 questions you ask is botu a magic pill! That shows you're not trying to understand anything - you want them to do the work for you. In business, you need to make connections with your customers. In this country, medicine is very obviously a business. this guy didn't even try to make a connection with either of us.
4. Solve the client's problem - or get out of the way so someone else can. He knew immediately that my son didn't belong under his care - yet instead of taking charge to ge me set up right away with the proper doctor, he pushed us out the door to seek help from the receptionist - who was conveniently not at her desk for 10 minutes. I stood in the hallway waiting patiently and silently for someone to return until that NP rounded the corner. Even HE didn't get me any help.
Perhaps I'm just a grumbling bumbling mom. But I was sore when I realized the very doctor I took issue with for 3 years was back as co-pilot of my child's psychiatric care.
You can bet my son's case manager will be hearing from me.
The real life marketing lesson? Take the time to care. Even within that small 15 minute window, there were plenty of opportunitied for that Doctor - or anyone in that office - to turn that situation around. And yet, NO ONE took the time to care. Don't let that be you. One good thing could have made this a POSTIVITE memorable experience.
Instead of a horrifyingly negative one.
7 Secrets of Multimillionaire Entrepreneurs
My mind has been blown wide open.
I took a huge risk and it's been paying off in spades - and it's only been a week!
I made a commitment to invest in a teleseminar series with Ali Brown and David Neagle called "The 7 Mindset & Manifesting Secrets of Multimillionaire
Entrepreneurs". This was not a cheap experience, to say the least - but for coaching direct from Ali and David, the price was well worth it.
We sit on the phone for 5 calls each about an hour and a half long. Each call reveals one or two of the 7 secrets, and we're getting ready for call three tonight.
But those first two calls really had me taking a look at priorities, life focus and "the ultimate questions" for me.
Here's the biggest highlight from the first call:
If you knew you could not fail, and that money, public opinion, and other external factors did not matter, what would you choose for your life?
That question left me - a woman with many words - silent. For a very long time.
I had to take a lot of time to dig down past years of subterfuge and enculturation to get at what was really tugging at my heart.
And what I found almost shocked me. I say almost because I knew it was there all along, it was just hiding under the years of dust and grime.
No. I don't REALLY want to be a rock star. Although music does play a role in this.
No. I don't REALLY want to leave Michigan - contrary to what my husband thinks. I do want to do a bit of travel, but I like being based in the Midwest.
I'm still having a hard time putting it all into words. One thing for sure, I want to start a scholarship fund for young women. So I'm getting the wheels going on that this month. It'll be a while before it's fully realized, but I've learned that you've got to start somewhere, and you've got to START, or dreams never become reality.
So stay tuned. Big things are happening in my life. What about yours?
I took a huge risk and it's been paying off in spades - and it's only been a week!
I made a commitment to invest in a teleseminar series with Ali Brown and David Neagle called "The 7 Mindset & Manifesting Secrets of Multimillionaire
Entrepreneurs". This was not a cheap experience, to say the least - but for coaching direct from Ali and David, the price was well worth it.
We sit on the phone for 5 calls each about an hour and a half long. Each call reveals one or two of the 7 secrets, and we're getting ready for call three tonight.
But those first two calls really had me taking a look at priorities, life focus and "the ultimate questions" for me.
Here's the biggest highlight from the first call:
If you knew you could not fail, and that money, public opinion, and other external factors did not matter, what would you choose for your life?
That question left me - a woman with many words - silent. For a very long time.
I had to take a lot of time to dig down past years of subterfuge and enculturation to get at what was really tugging at my heart.
And what I found almost shocked me. I say almost because I knew it was there all along, it was just hiding under the years of dust and grime.
No. I don't REALLY want to be a rock star. Although music does play a role in this.
No. I don't REALLY want to leave Michigan - contrary to what my husband thinks. I do want to do a bit of travel, but I like being based in the Midwest.
I'm still having a hard time putting it all into words. One thing for sure, I want to start a scholarship fund for young women. So I'm getting the wheels going on that this month. It'll be a while before it's fully realized, but I've learned that you've got to start somewhere, and you've got to START, or dreams never become reality.
So stay tuned. Big things are happening in my life. What about yours?
The Trash Man Cometh
I'm a weird bird, I'll admit it.
If I'm home when my mail carrier arrives, I'll meet him at the door and tell him thank you. I figure they don't see a lot of people on their day route, and I should be grateful to them for saving me time by delivering my mail every day (and picking up all the packages I send out on a daily basis).
Also, My aunt (who's retiring soon) works as a supervisor in his office, so every now and again I get "Stories" from him. Fun stuff.
But I also say thanks to my sanitation engineers.
Most of the time, I just shout out a "THANK YOU!" as they're scooping up the bins and driving away.
But not today.
On our sanitation trucks (and I think this is common in most areas, but just for clarity) there is a driver and a rig man. He's the guy that rides on the back end of the truck to grab the bins and dump them into the back end.
Seems pretty dangerous and labor intensive to me. Which is one of the reasons I make sure to say thanks.
But today's rig man was a jerk.
So he got no thanks of any kind.
In retrospect, he may have been having a bad day, and I think that's true in any business. We have days that aren't so great. We shove and slam and bang things out of frustration, thinking that taking it out on the inanimate object will make us feel better.
But he cracked the wheel on my trash can when he hucked it half way across the road.
Needless to say, I felt a little disgruntled and saying "thank you" would probably have sounded a bit sarcastic.
So I just sighed as he drove away, collected my impaired trash bin, and hobbled it up to the garage for next week's adventure.
And I started thinking about all the times I've been the trash man to others.
When I yelled at my kids when they didn't deserve it.
When I ignored a request from a friend because I didn't feel like it.
When I had a bad day and didn't give 100% to my customers.
When I (God Forgive me!) lied to my boss about being sick, so I didn't have to work on an important project that bored me to tears.
When I get frustrated with myself and start calling ME names.
I could go on for hours with this list - as I'm sure you could, too.
The point is, we can either accept these "character flaws" as a part of who we are, or we can strive to improve with each passing moment. We can make a point of doing the work it takes to do the right thing, or we can keep hucking the neighbor's trash cans across the street, breaking the wheel, and along with it their trust and our credibility.
So I'm sorry for being a jerk. To You. To My Kids, family, friends and former bosses.
I'm also sorry for being a jerk to myself. Getting frustrated when I truly had no control over a situation, knocking myself around when I didn't deserve it.
And I'm sorry I couldn't tell today's trash man what I always want to say.
"THANK YOU!"
If I'm home when my mail carrier arrives, I'll meet him at the door and tell him thank you. I figure they don't see a lot of people on their day route, and I should be grateful to them for saving me time by delivering my mail every day (and picking up all the packages I send out on a daily basis).
Also, My aunt (who's retiring soon) works as a supervisor in his office, so every now and again I get "Stories" from him. Fun stuff.
But I also say thanks to my sanitation engineers.
Most of the time, I just shout out a "THANK YOU!" as they're scooping up the bins and driving away.
But not today.
On our sanitation trucks (and I think this is common in most areas, but just for clarity) there is a driver and a rig man. He's the guy that rides on the back end of the truck to grab the bins and dump them into the back end.
Seems pretty dangerous and labor intensive to me. Which is one of the reasons I make sure to say thanks.
But today's rig man was a jerk.
So he got no thanks of any kind.
In retrospect, he may have been having a bad day, and I think that's true in any business. We have days that aren't so great. We shove and slam and bang things out of frustration, thinking that taking it out on the inanimate object will make us feel better.
But he cracked the wheel on my trash can when he hucked it half way across the road.
Needless to say, I felt a little disgruntled and saying "thank you" would probably have sounded a bit sarcastic.
So I just sighed as he drove away, collected my impaired trash bin, and hobbled it up to the garage for next week's adventure.
And I started thinking about all the times I've been the trash man to others.
When I yelled at my kids when they didn't deserve it.
When I ignored a request from a friend because I didn't feel like it.
When I had a bad day and didn't give 100% to my customers.
When I (God Forgive me!) lied to my boss about being sick, so I didn't have to work on an important project that bored me to tears.
When I get frustrated with myself and start calling ME names.
I could go on for hours with this list - as I'm sure you could, too.
The point is, we can either accept these "character flaws" as a part of who we are, or we can strive to improve with each passing moment. We can make a point of doing the work it takes to do the right thing, or we can keep hucking the neighbor's trash cans across the street, breaking the wheel, and along with it their trust and our credibility.
So I'm sorry for being a jerk. To You. To My Kids, family, friends and former bosses.
I'm also sorry for being a jerk to myself. Getting frustrated when I truly had no control over a situation, knocking myself around when I didn't deserve it.
And I'm sorry I couldn't tell today's trash man what I always want to say.
"THANK YOU!"
Cackling Babies Tell it like it is
When you get a chance, do a search on YouTube for "why buy expensive toys" The little boy in the video is delirious about ripping out pages in a magazine.
This video is hilarious, but please don't patronize the links in the video. I learned the hard way that it's connected to a very UN-family-friendly website, if you understand what I mean.
I seriously thought about not posting this video referral at all, but then I got it in an email last week, and I knew God was telling me to share some details.
It's real life, after all!
In essence, the kid gets so slap happy from helping his father tear up the magazine pages that he starts busting out into raucous laughter - even before he tears the sheet.
And here's the marketing lesson: Sometimes simple is best.
Seriously. Sometimes we fret about how to make things so "perfect" for our end user, that we forget about the simplicity of things that already work.
Dan Kennedy says that sometimes "'good' is good enough" I take it one step further and say that sometimes "easy is hard enough"
Sure, there are people in the world that want a Porsche for the price of a moped. But that's not realistic.
Of course there are people that will pay $100 for a plastic toilet seat from Home Depot. But that's exploitative.
When you look at your customer, your product base, and your message - are you making it too hard for people to digest?
Keep it simple. Keep it real. Keep it on the level.
Chris Haddad wrote a post a while back about writing at the 4th or 5th grade level. That's the God's Honest Truth, folks. Even in a technical industry, the more simplified the marketing, the easier it is for people to grasp it.
Sure, your average Chemical Engineer should be able to read at a 12th grade level - but why would he want to? Higher-level thinking takes a lot out of you - especially when the same thing can be said in 150 words (or less) with one and two syllable words.
Take it from someone that loves to use big words:
Not everyone loves big words.
So if a cackling baby can find pleasure and delight in the daily tabloid rag, why can't we, as marketers, take a cue "from the mouths of babes" as it were?
Sometimes the easiest, and simplest messages are the best.
Here's one of my favorites:
"Dear Mom,
I love you.
Can I have a Nintendo DS?"
It doesn't get much clearer than that. I know right away who's being addressed, the message is loud and clear and there's no subterfuge.
Ya gotta love kids!
This video is hilarious, but please don't patronize the links in the video. I learned the hard way that it's connected to a very UN-family-friendly website, if you understand what I mean.
I seriously thought about not posting this video referral at all, but then I got it in an email last week, and I knew God was telling me to share some details.
It's real life, after all!
In essence, the kid gets so slap happy from helping his father tear up the magazine pages that he starts busting out into raucous laughter - even before he tears the sheet.
And here's the marketing lesson: Sometimes simple is best.
Seriously. Sometimes we fret about how to make things so "perfect" for our end user, that we forget about the simplicity of things that already work.
Dan Kennedy says that sometimes "'good' is good enough" I take it one step further and say that sometimes "easy is hard enough"
Sure, there are people in the world that want a Porsche for the price of a moped. But that's not realistic.
Of course there are people that will pay $100 for a plastic toilet seat from Home Depot. But that's exploitative.
When you look at your customer, your product base, and your message - are you making it too hard for people to digest?
Keep it simple. Keep it real. Keep it on the level.
Chris Haddad wrote a post a while back about writing at the 4th or 5th grade level. That's the God's Honest Truth, folks. Even in a technical industry, the more simplified the marketing, the easier it is for people to grasp it.
Sure, your average Chemical Engineer should be able to read at a 12th grade level - but why would he want to? Higher-level thinking takes a lot out of you - especially when the same thing can be said in 150 words (or less) with one and two syllable words.
Take it from someone that loves to use big words:
Not everyone loves big words.
So if a cackling baby can find pleasure and delight in the daily tabloid rag, why can't we, as marketers, take a cue "from the mouths of babes" as it were?
Sometimes the easiest, and simplest messages are the best.
Here's one of my favorites:
"Dear Mom,
I love you.
Can I have a Nintendo DS?"
It doesn't get much clearer than that. I know right away who's being addressed, the message is loud and clear and there's no subterfuge.
Ya gotta love kids!
Going, Going, GONE!
- or -
What I learned about death and auctions
Many of you know my mom died in early March. It was very unexpected. She died in her sleep the night we buried her father. Grandpa's death was very expected - almost anticipated. Not so with mom.
So it's take a bit of time to clean out, clean up and otherwise cull through her house full of collections: ball cards, office supplies, santa clauses, Coca-Cola memorabilia...
Mom was a collector of things.
So after the fam all went through and picked out their bits of mom to keep, there was still PLENTY left to go around. My aunt suggested contacting an auctioneer to come and purchase the remains of the estate and make it easy on everyone.
I got took. My mom is probably rolling over in her grave right now - she's probably doing back flips - just waiting to come back to haunt me.
Mom had several new appliances, an industrial sewing machine and a massive collection of sports cards - not to mention depression glass, and other items that would easily have sold at auction.
The guy offered me $500 for the entire house. And like a shmuck, I took it. Of course, I called my sister first, but she agreed, and so I sold the contents - or at least what he wanted to take - for $500.
He offered me $450 for her car. I took that, too.
Now, I know I probably could have done better had I tried listing the stuff on ebay. I could have gotten $500 for the ball cards alone - probably.
The thing is, I've been dealing with this estate, the house, and vandals breaking into it for 2 months now, and I just want it to be over.
And the auctioneer saw me coming a mile away.
I realize, of course, that the guy has to make a profit - but there were antique dressers, chairs, and other items - not to mention old holiday ornaments, clay marbles, dolls, etc that were in that house, and $500 just feels insulting.
But he knew I was over a barrel. We had to clear the contents of the house because the mortgage company is taking the home back.
Why am I bearing my vein like this today?
Because this is a GREAT example of bad business. This is an experience that will be talked about for months not just by me, but also by my family. They ALL knew I got fleeced.
The money we raised is going to pay for mom's headstone at her gravesite. He knew it, and he didn't care.
"It's just business" some people would say, and that's why I only feel a little insulted.
Because I DID agree to accept his terms. I COULD have said no.
But emotion got the better of me and I just wanted to be done with the whole fiasco so I could get back to grieving and put my life in order now that Mom's gone.
This is a GREAT example of how you can play on a prospects emotions and fears to negotiate terms that are more favorable for you.
But how much BETTER this situation could have turned out had he simply been honest and said "How much do you need for your mom's head stone?"
A small bit of kindness would have gone a LONG way to making me feel better about the amount of money he was offering.
Instead, his father berated the $500 offer, saying that he didn't even see THAT much value in the home - which even I know is a classic sales tactic designed to con the prospect into thinking they're getting a great deal.
Honestly, I didn't expect to get a WHOLE lot more than $500, but their attitude was poor at best.
And needless to say, I've warned all my friends and neighbors about this auction house. I would NEVER do business with them again.
So yeah, they got the quick estate auction, and they made a substantial amount of coin off it, but in the end they've lost a lifetime of business that COULD have been theirs from my family, my friends and me.
Let that be a lesson to you.
What I learned about death and auctions
Many of you know my mom died in early March. It was very unexpected. She died in her sleep the night we buried her father. Grandpa's death was very expected - almost anticipated. Not so with mom.
So it's take a bit of time to clean out, clean up and otherwise cull through her house full of collections: ball cards, office supplies, santa clauses, Coca-Cola memorabilia...
Mom was a collector of things.
So after the fam all went through and picked out their bits of mom to keep, there was still PLENTY left to go around. My aunt suggested contacting an auctioneer to come and purchase the remains of the estate and make it easy on everyone.
I got took. My mom is probably rolling over in her grave right now - she's probably doing back flips - just waiting to come back to haunt me.
Mom had several new appliances, an industrial sewing machine and a massive collection of sports cards - not to mention depression glass, and other items that would easily have sold at auction.
The guy offered me $500 for the entire house. And like a shmuck, I took it. Of course, I called my sister first, but she agreed, and so I sold the contents - or at least what he wanted to take - for $500.
He offered me $450 for her car. I took that, too.
Now, I know I probably could have done better had I tried listing the stuff on ebay. I could have gotten $500 for the ball cards alone - probably.
The thing is, I've been dealing with this estate, the house, and vandals breaking into it for 2 months now, and I just want it to be over.
And the auctioneer saw me coming a mile away.
I realize, of course, that the guy has to make a profit - but there were antique dressers, chairs, and other items - not to mention old holiday ornaments, clay marbles, dolls, etc that were in that house, and $500 just feels insulting.
But he knew I was over a barrel. We had to clear the contents of the house because the mortgage company is taking the home back.
Why am I bearing my vein like this today?
Because this is a GREAT example of bad business. This is an experience that will be talked about for months not just by me, but also by my family. They ALL knew I got fleeced.
The money we raised is going to pay for mom's headstone at her gravesite. He knew it, and he didn't care.
"It's just business" some people would say, and that's why I only feel a little insulted.
Because I DID agree to accept his terms. I COULD have said no.
But emotion got the better of me and I just wanted to be done with the whole fiasco so I could get back to grieving and put my life in order now that Mom's gone.
This is a GREAT example of how you can play on a prospects emotions and fears to negotiate terms that are more favorable for you.
But how much BETTER this situation could have turned out had he simply been honest and said "How much do you need for your mom's head stone?"
A small bit of kindness would have gone a LONG way to making me feel better about the amount of money he was offering.
Instead, his father berated the $500 offer, saying that he didn't even see THAT much value in the home - which even I know is a classic sales tactic designed to con the prospect into thinking they're getting a great deal.
Honestly, I didn't expect to get a WHOLE lot more than $500, but their attitude was poor at best.
And needless to say, I've warned all my friends and neighbors about this auction house. I would NEVER do business with them again.
So yeah, they got the quick estate auction, and they made a substantial amount of coin off it, but in the end they've lost a lifetime of business that COULD have been theirs from my family, my friends and me.
Let that be a lesson to you.
15 Things Will Show You Success
A regional sales manager that shared an idea with me, that was so simple, I couldn't believe it would work.
But it does. Like gang busters.
Women are notorious for making horrendously long lists, and in the process, we never complete them, never feel accomplished, and never think about making their lists SHORTER. Imagine how much more unruly these lists are when you're a Mom, Wife, Author and Network Marketer!
Yep, I'm busy. But there are days when I feel like I'm going in circles, chasing my own tail.
So my manager said, "Take a piece of paper and divide it into 3 sections. Label each section: Family, Home, and Work. Then, list 5 things in each area you need to accomplish for the day, and work on those first. START with the item you dread the most. Think of how much happier you'll feel when you get the toughest job out of the way first."
I could end the article there, and you'd have plenty to keep you busy. But I like to write, so I have a couple of additional thoughts to share.
I struggle with doing things for myself. Between writing, doing my party plan business, the kids and my husband, I rarely take time out just for me. I can always find SOMETHING that needs to be done. So when I was scheduling my "family" activities, I would forget that I, too, am part of the family. So I created more sections on my paper and added more things to do.
Bad idea.
Stick to 15 things. When I created 5 sections instead of 3, I put 5 things in each area, but found I wasn't getting everything done. That left me feeling frustrated, disappointed, and disgruntled. Now my 5 sections have only 3 items a piece. And it feels SO good when I cross everything off on my short lists. It motivates me to finish up more quickly. Then I have the choice of adding more items to a list, or continuing with other activities in my day.
Instead of a piece of paper, I use Mark Joyner's free Simpleology program, and just write down my "to do's" in there. Plus, I help protect the environment, because I'm not using all that paper every day. The Simpleology program keeps track of everything - no misplaced lists to worry about! Plus it archives my lists, so I can review my accomplishments over time - which really helps me feel better about my work.
Burden lifted. Missions accomplished - and usually with time to spare. My kids and my husband are enjoying the "kinder, gentler" me, now that I've got a handle on my schedule and my once-unruly lists.
Go give it a try and tell me how it works for you.
But it does. Like gang busters.
Women are notorious for making horrendously long lists, and in the process, we never complete them, never feel accomplished, and never think about making their lists SHORTER. Imagine how much more unruly these lists are when you're a Mom, Wife, Author and Network Marketer!
Yep, I'm busy. But there are days when I feel like I'm going in circles, chasing my own tail.
So my manager said, "Take a piece of paper and divide it into 3 sections. Label each section: Family, Home, and Work. Then, list 5 things in each area you need to accomplish for the day, and work on those first. START with the item you dread the most. Think of how much happier you'll feel when you get the toughest job out of the way first."
I could end the article there, and you'd have plenty to keep you busy. But I like to write, so I have a couple of additional thoughts to share.
I struggle with doing things for myself. Between writing, doing my party plan business, the kids and my husband, I rarely take time out just for me. I can always find SOMETHING that needs to be done. So when I was scheduling my "family" activities, I would forget that I, too, am part of the family. So I created more sections on my paper and added more things to do.
Bad idea.
Stick to 15 things. When I created 5 sections instead of 3, I put 5 things in each area, but found I wasn't getting everything done. That left me feeling frustrated, disappointed, and disgruntled. Now my 5 sections have only 3 items a piece. And it feels SO good when I cross everything off on my short lists. It motivates me to finish up more quickly. Then I have the choice of adding more items to a list, or continuing with other activities in my day.
Instead of a piece of paper, I use Mark Joyner's free Simpleology program, and just write down my "to do's" in there. Plus, I help protect the environment, because I'm not using all that paper every day. The Simpleology program keeps track of everything - no misplaced lists to worry about! Plus it archives my lists, so I can review my accomplishments over time - which really helps me feel better about my work.
Burden lifted. Missions accomplished - and usually with time to spare. My kids and my husband are enjoying the "kinder, gentler" me, now that I've got a handle on my schedule and my once-unruly lists.
Go give it a try and tell me how it works for you.
STOMP out loud
My 11 year old and I went on a "date".
Naturally, I paid, drove, parked, and all that, but we had a blast at STOMP.
This international sensation stems from century old street performing traditions in England.
My son could care less about all that.
In his own words, "I like to make noise and hit stuff". So this show was the perfect bit of culture for him.
As a musician, this show was a thrill. I've always wanted to create a "toy band" of my own, using toy instruments to create some sort of child's symphony, so the idea of taking every day items like lighters, brooms and trash cans to create a rhythmic tapestry of sounds and movement is pretty exciting to me.
But STOMP is also a marketing machine. They get it. And they market well.
The merchandising display features trash can lids that have been spray painted with pricing. VERY clever.
The performers are keen on audience interaction. They involve you from the very opening until the very closing of the performance - and even in the encore. Few shows engage the audience in such a personal way. And we all know that the personal touch makes us more endearing to our audience - whether we're in a theater, doing a home party, or teaching at the head of the class.
And the best part? I was leery about shelling out my hard earned cash for a night out with an 11 year old that could have spelled disaster. Then when I arrived and saw there would be no intermission, I thought the performance was going to be even SHORTER and LESS worth my money.
I was wrong. When I left the theater, I was just another crazed fan of STOMP. I didn't even flinch at the ticket price. I got my kid the best seats available for the show, and I had no qualms about plunking down the coin to get them. I knew they had earned every penny for that show each performer was on the stage at least 80% of the time, and all of them were working up a sweat jumping, slamming, thumping, snapping, clapping, and creating sounds with some of the most unlikely objects. My kid is STILL trying to figure out how they made all that noise without tap shoes.
I didn't tell him they miked the floor.
Disbelief suspended, these performers were not just musicians or dancers, they were characters in my world. No dialogue to guide them, but a whole lot of entertaining sweat and old-fashioned work.
And I gladly paid for every minute of it.
Naturally, I paid, drove, parked, and all that, but we had a blast at STOMP.
This international sensation stems from century old street performing traditions in England.
My son could care less about all that.
In his own words, "I like to make noise and hit stuff". So this show was the perfect bit of culture for him.
As a musician, this show was a thrill. I've always wanted to create a "toy band" of my own, using toy instruments to create some sort of child's symphony, so the idea of taking every day items like lighters, brooms and trash cans to create a rhythmic tapestry of sounds and movement is pretty exciting to me.
But STOMP is also a marketing machine. They get it. And they market well.
The merchandising display features trash can lids that have been spray painted with pricing. VERY clever.
The performers are keen on audience interaction. They involve you from the very opening until the very closing of the performance - and even in the encore. Few shows engage the audience in such a personal way. And we all know that the personal touch makes us more endearing to our audience - whether we're in a theater, doing a home party, or teaching at the head of the class.
And the best part? I was leery about shelling out my hard earned cash for a night out with an 11 year old that could have spelled disaster. Then when I arrived and saw there would be no intermission, I thought the performance was going to be even SHORTER and LESS worth my money.
I was wrong. When I left the theater, I was just another crazed fan of STOMP. I didn't even flinch at the ticket price. I got my kid the best seats available for the show, and I had no qualms about plunking down the coin to get them. I knew they had earned every penny for that show each performer was on the stage at least 80% of the time, and all of them were working up a sweat jumping, slamming, thumping, snapping, clapping, and creating sounds with some of the most unlikely objects. My kid is STILL trying to figure out how they made all that noise without tap shoes.
I didn't tell him they miked the floor.
Disbelief suspended, these performers were not just musicians or dancers, they were characters in my world. No dialogue to guide them, but a whole lot of entertaining sweat and old-fashioned work.
And I gladly paid for every minute of it.
Climbing One Wrung at a Time
I took my kids to the park today. It's a beautiful day in my neighborhood. Sunny, breezy - great kite flying weather.
We went to play with our bubble blowers, but ended up on the playground. My baby sat in the baby swing and had a blast, until big brother decided to run off to the playscape.
Naturally, little brother just HAD to go along.
So out of the swing, and up to the playscape we trot. I was trying not to be an overprotective mom. I heard myself encouraging my baby.
"Good job, honey!"
"That's a big boy!"
"Way to go!"
I'm not sure if you're familiar with playscapes, but this one has two climbing "arches". Essentially it's an arched step-ladder. They had a short one like this for the little kids:
And it leads to a fairly innocuous slide that's perfect for toddlers.
Of course they had one about 3 times that size at the other end of the scape, that leads up to the largest corkscrew slide at the tippy top of the playscape.
Which one do you think my toddler wanted to climb?
So He's holding on to these rails that are far too wide for his arm span, taking one step at a time. To make it more difficult, the wrungs sag in the middle, so they're more "U" shaped instead of straight, which adds a bit of challenge to the climb.
And did I mention it's still a bit soggy on the playground, so things are a little slippery?
Don't mind me, it's just my "overprotective mother" voice chiming in here.
So I'm like a hawk, right next to him all the way up the "ladder" and he gets to the top, and reaches out for the platform above my head (if he falls, I will be LUCKY if I can catch him).
Success! He climbs on, reaches the slide, and twists and turns his way down to the ground - only to do it again, much to my chagrin.
I am decidedly NOT ready for him to be handling such "big" tasks, yet.
He must have climbed that ladder 6 times before he even took notice in the smaller ladder - he really was proud of his ability to make "child's play" of an obstacle 4-5 times his size.
In business, we sometimes get wrapped up in the steps: crawl before you walk, walk before you run, etc. It's important to make sure you're prepared for what comes next - at least to the extent that you can be prepared for anything.
But there are times when we need a challenge to prove our mettle. Something we can see from beginning to end, that's bigger than ourselves, and pushes us to try something new, strengthen us, and improve in ways we might not have imagined.
It's good to stretch and grow.
It's also good to have a coach there to sheer you, guide you, and catch you if you start to struggle. Mommy's hands were right there, following along as my son reached, and stretched and wriggled his way up that ladder.
You can be sure if he fell, it might hurt a bit, but he'd be safe, and there'd be someone to comfort him, help him regroup and tackle the challenge again.
This is the key exponential growth: learning from others that have "been there" and can navigate you through the challenges. Coaches that will guide, encourage, and challenge you - but also comfort, protect and "catch" you when you bite off a bit more than you can chew.
Being overprotective has it's place. So does growth and challenge.
And you can find happiness in both.
We went to play with our bubble blowers, but ended up on the playground. My baby sat in the baby swing and had a blast, until big brother decided to run off to the playscape.
Naturally, little brother just HAD to go along.
So out of the swing, and up to the playscape we trot. I was trying not to be an overprotective mom. I heard myself encouraging my baby.
"Good job, honey!"
"That's a big boy!"
"Way to go!"
I'm not sure if you're familiar with playscapes, but this one has two climbing "arches". Essentially it's an arched step-ladder. They had a short one like this for the little kids:
And it leads to a fairly innocuous slide that's perfect for toddlers.
Of course they had one about 3 times that size at the other end of the scape, that leads up to the largest corkscrew slide at the tippy top of the playscape.
Which one do you think my toddler wanted to climb?
So He's holding on to these rails that are far too wide for his arm span, taking one step at a time. To make it more difficult, the wrungs sag in the middle, so they're more "U" shaped instead of straight, which adds a bit of challenge to the climb.
And did I mention it's still a bit soggy on the playground, so things are a little slippery?
Don't mind me, it's just my "overprotective mother" voice chiming in here.
So I'm like a hawk, right next to him all the way up the "ladder" and he gets to the top, and reaches out for the platform above my head (if he falls, I will be LUCKY if I can catch him).
Success! He climbs on, reaches the slide, and twists and turns his way down to the ground - only to do it again, much to my chagrin.
I am decidedly NOT ready for him to be handling such "big" tasks, yet.
He must have climbed that ladder 6 times before he even took notice in the smaller ladder - he really was proud of his ability to make "child's play" of an obstacle 4-5 times his size.
In business, we sometimes get wrapped up in the steps: crawl before you walk, walk before you run, etc. It's important to make sure you're prepared for what comes next - at least to the extent that you can be prepared for anything.
But there are times when we need a challenge to prove our mettle. Something we can see from beginning to end, that's bigger than ourselves, and pushes us to try something new, strengthen us, and improve in ways we might not have imagined.
It's good to stretch and grow.
It's also good to have a coach there to sheer you, guide you, and catch you if you start to struggle. Mommy's hands were right there, following along as my son reached, and stretched and wriggled his way up that ladder.
You can be sure if he fell, it might hurt a bit, but he'd be safe, and there'd be someone to comfort him, help him regroup and tackle the challenge again.
This is the key exponential growth: learning from others that have "been there" and can navigate you through the challenges. Coaches that will guide, encourage, and challenge you - but also comfort, protect and "catch" you when you bite off a bit more than you can chew.
Being overprotective has it's place. So does growth and challenge.
And you can find happiness in both.
Where's Your Oxygen Mask?
In response to Holly's blog post, I thought it fitting to post this reply, which is more of an agreement than a dissent.
When you board a plane, as the attendants prepare for departure, everyone is walked through the safety features of the plane. Where the exit aisles and lighting strips are for your safety and convenience. The attendants carefully walk you through how to navigate the seat as a floatation device, along with a myriad of other helpful tips should you find your life in peril at 30,000 feet.
But the one demonstration I wish everyone paid more attention to is the oxygen mask. This is one of those life lessons that people miss out on because they don't think it will ever happen to them - yet it does every day.
This is especially true for moms, so listen up!
This is one of those real life lessons that people don't always catch. Put your oxygen mask on first.
Note, this does not say that you can't help others, or that you should apply your mask and make a beeline for salvation with no regard to others. It simply says, take care of your own NEEDS first. THEN assist others so we can all make it out of this mess in one piece.
Translate that to real life, and it means simply this: Look after your own NEEDS (not wants, desires, agendas, etc) FIRST. Then, by helping the others around you, we can all make it out of this mess (LIFE) in one piece.
Okay moms, how many of you take time on a regular basis to take care of yourself?
You in the back, put your hand down. The last time you took care of your own needs was before you had kids.
You in the pink, put your hand down. Ever since you got married, you put all your focus on pleasing your husband.
There may only be a handful of you with your hand still raised. Good for you!
What's wrong with the rest of us?
Holly said we often take better care of our pets than we do ourselves. Heck, I'll up the ante and say we often take better care of a lot of things than we do ourselves (car? home? family? friends? get the picture?).
I'm not talking about spoiling ourselves - although that's nice every once in a while. But when you're taking care of your customers, running a business, building an organization, keeping the house, the kids and the hubby in line, tending to your ailing Aunt Matilda, and everything else that comes to mind, you might as well be throwing your oxygen mask in the cargo hold.
Two things are required before you assist the other passengers in life. First, secure your own mask. Make sure your needs are taken care of first.
I said needs. Not wants, not thrills, not desires and cravings. NEEDS. My Daddy used to say that you've got to worry about yourself before you start worrying about everyone else. Jeffrey Gitomer says to resign your position as Ruler of the Universe.
The second thing you need to do is breathe deeply. Make sure things are working properly before you jump in to lend a hand. Take some time to evaluate - but don't stand idly by while everyone else is falling apart at the seams. Once you've addressed your needs, pitch in - without guilt or remorse - and do the best you can.
Where's your oxygen mask? Are you turning blue from all the demands on your time, talent, energy, and money? I hear ya. I've been there.
Grab your oxygen mask and take a breath.
When you board a plane, as the attendants prepare for departure, everyone is walked through the safety features of the plane. Where the exit aisles and lighting strips are for your safety and convenience. The attendants carefully walk you through how to navigate the seat as a floatation device, along with a myriad of other helpful tips should you find your life in peril at 30,000 feet.
But the one demonstration I wish everyone paid more attention to is the oxygen mask. This is one of those life lessons that people miss out on because they don't think it will ever happen to them - yet it does every day.
This is especially true for moms, so listen up!
"When the oxygen masks deploy, please place the elastic band around your head and pull securely to ensure proper fit. Tug firmly on the end of the bag to begin the air flow. Please ensure that your mask is securely fastened BEFORE trying to assist other passengers, including small children."
This is one of those real life lessons that people don't always catch. Put your oxygen mask on first.
Note, this does not say that you can't help others, or that you should apply your mask and make a beeline for salvation with no regard to others. It simply says, take care of your own NEEDS first. THEN assist others so we can all make it out of this mess in one piece.
Translate that to real life, and it means simply this: Look after your own NEEDS (not wants, desires, agendas, etc) FIRST. Then, by helping the others around you, we can all make it out of this mess (LIFE) in one piece.
Okay moms, how many of you take time on a regular basis to take care of yourself?
You in the back, put your hand down. The last time you took care of your own needs was before you had kids.
You in the pink, put your hand down. Ever since you got married, you put all your focus on pleasing your husband.
There may only be a handful of you with your hand still raised. Good for you!
What's wrong with the rest of us?
Holly said we often take better care of our pets than we do ourselves. Heck, I'll up the ante and say we often take better care of a lot of things than we do ourselves (car? home? family? friends? get the picture?).
I'm not talking about spoiling ourselves - although that's nice every once in a while. But when you're taking care of your customers, running a business, building an organization, keeping the house, the kids and the hubby in line, tending to your ailing Aunt Matilda, and everything else that comes to mind, you might as well be throwing your oxygen mask in the cargo hold.
Two things are required before you assist the other passengers in life. First, secure your own mask. Make sure your needs are taken care of first.
I said needs. Not wants, not thrills, not desires and cravings. NEEDS. My Daddy used to say that you've got to worry about yourself before you start worrying about everyone else. Jeffrey Gitomer says to resign your position as Ruler of the Universe.
The second thing you need to do is breathe deeply. Make sure things are working properly before you jump in to lend a hand. Take some time to evaluate - but don't stand idly by while everyone else is falling apart at the seams. Once you've addressed your needs, pitch in - without guilt or remorse - and do the best you can.
Where's your oxygen mask? Are you turning blue from all the demands on your time, talent, energy, and money? I hear ya. I've been there.
Grab your oxygen mask and take a breath.
Won't Someone PLEASE Get My Mail?
How's this for strange:
I've been a loyal customer of the post office for years. I think most of us have been, but I have a vested interest in this because several of my family members have served their time - I mean worked dilligently - at the post office for decades. And before I get hatemail, I know being a mail carrier is a thankless job. And I try to meet my mailman at the door every day and tell him "Thank you" because of it.
But Monday's mail carrier takes the cake.
I run a business out of my home, and I "train" all my carriers to expect several packages per day to be waiting for them when they arrive to deliver my daily mail.
Most of the time, there is no problem. My carriers are a delight to work with, and several of the window clerks (like my friend Mark) are just amazing when it comes to delivering superior customer service. Those stories about crazed postal employess do not reflect the quality and character of the people I've had the pleasure of working with in the past decade.
But through some mix up that was apparently my fault (which I still can't figure out), 7 packages that were set out for delivery did NOT get picked up at my home.
Good thing I only live about 4 minutes from the post office - and that my aunt is the delivery supervisor at that location.
At least, I thought it was a good thing
Remember the good old days when you could put the red flag up on your mailbox and the carrier would know there was a pickup? Well, according to my aunt, they now have to CHARGE me for same day pick up of mail parcels. Seems odd, since they've never done it before.
According to the USPS website, I don't have to pay as long as the carrier is picking up as part of their regular routine. As long as they have a delivery, they just pick up whatever's waiting for them and take it on their way.
Not so, says my aunt, who starts telling me about on demand pick-up and the fact that carriers should be charging me for picking up my package.
So my carrier returns to his regularly scheduled route on Tuesday and tells me "don't worry about it, just keep leaving the packages, and I'll pick them up as usual - and don't tell your Aunt."
That puts a big smile on my face, but makes me wonder whether or not I'm breakin' the law.
I mean, I don't want the Federali's coming after me for making my carrier work extra hard.
Yet on the other hand, I'm stymied by the fact that even the supervisors aren't clear about what's procedure, and what's not. And this isn't the first instance of miscommunication in postal regulations.
My mom used to tell two stories: one about media mail, and the other about the flat rate envelope's "one piece of tape" rule.
Media mail is very specifically for books, periodicals and the like. It's an ultra-low rate that makes shipping heavy books more economical. Mom told a story (over and over) about how she bought a 3-wick candle on ebay (weighing in at approximately 10 pounds), and the shipper was only charging $5 for shipping because she was going to send it media rate. USPS reserves the right to open and inspect any media mail shipment, and had that candle been opened, it would have been rejected and returned to the sender.
Priority mail regulations state that the flat rate envelope may not be altered so as to enlarge the envelope. To further restrict the contents, the rules stipulate that one piece of tape may be applied to the seal of the envelope to reinforce it. At my mother's post office, there are sticklers that would reject her parcel if the tape wrapped around any side of the envelope, or if more than one piece of tape was used. They would cite this rule religiously when rejecting her package.
Then came the day my mother got a flat rate envelope from Hawaii. "It had half a roll of tape running around it lengthwise and crosswise, and it was STILL ripped open" according to mom.
In larger companies, it can be difficult to establish and enforce rules across the board, but doing so is an imperative. Either let everyone slide, or get sticklers in every office. Know the rules, communicate those rules to the people that are in charge of enforcing them and make sure they're CLEAR on how to enforce them. I don't mind paying my fair share, but I get a little indignant when no one can tell me clearly what the rules are because then it doesn't seem so fair.
Consistency is the "David" in any "Goliath" company. But even if you're small, it's easy to get lax on communicating consistently.
It's days like this when I think I should just ship via FedEx.
I've been a loyal customer of the post office for years. I think most of us have been, but I have a vested interest in this because several of my family members have served their time - I mean worked dilligently - at the post office for decades. And before I get hatemail, I know being a mail carrier is a thankless job. And I try to meet my mailman at the door every day and tell him "Thank you" because of it.
But Monday's mail carrier takes the cake.
I run a business out of my home, and I "train" all my carriers to expect several packages per day to be waiting for them when they arrive to deliver my daily mail.
Most of the time, there is no problem. My carriers are a delight to work with, and several of the window clerks (like my friend Mark) are just amazing when it comes to delivering superior customer service. Those stories about crazed postal employess do not reflect the quality and character of the people I've had the pleasure of working with in the past decade.
But through some mix up that was apparently my fault (which I still can't figure out), 7 packages that were set out for delivery did NOT get picked up at my home.
Good thing I only live about 4 minutes from the post office - and that my aunt is the delivery supervisor at that location.
At least, I thought it was a good thing
Remember the good old days when you could put the red flag up on your mailbox and the carrier would know there was a pickup? Well, according to my aunt, they now have to CHARGE me for same day pick up of mail parcels. Seems odd, since they've never done it before.
According to the USPS website, I don't have to pay as long as the carrier is picking up as part of their regular routine. As long as they have a delivery, they just pick up whatever's waiting for them and take it on their way.
Not so, says my aunt, who starts telling me about on demand pick-up and the fact that carriers should be charging me for picking up my package.
So my carrier returns to his regularly scheduled route on Tuesday and tells me "don't worry about it, just keep leaving the packages, and I'll pick them up as usual - and don't tell your Aunt."
That puts a big smile on my face, but makes me wonder whether or not I'm breakin' the law.
I mean, I don't want the Federali's coming after me for making my carrier work extra hard.
Yet on the other hand, I'm stymied by the fact that even the supervisors aren't clear about what's procedure, and what's not. And this isn't the first instance of miscommunication in postal regulations.
My mom used to tell two stories: one about media mail, and the other about the flat rate envelope's "one piece of tape" rule.
Media mail is very specifically for books, periodicals and the like. It's an ultra-low rate that makes shipping heavy books more economical. Mom told a story (over and over) about how she bought a 3-wick candle on ebay (weighing in at approximately 10 pounds), and the shipper was only charging $5 for shipping because she was going to send it media rate. USPS reserves the right to open and inspect any media mail shipment, and had that candle been opened, it would have been rejected and returned to the sender.
Priority mail regulations state that the flat rate envelope may not be altered so as to enlarge the envelope. To further restrict the contents, the rules stipulate that one piece of tape may be applied to the seal of the envelope to reinforce it. At my mother's post office, there are sticklers that would reject her parcel if the tape wrapped around any side of the envelope, or if more than one piece of tape was used. They would cite this rule religiously when rejecting her package.
Then came the day my mother got a flat rate envelope from Hawaii. "It had half a roll of tape running around it lengthwise and crosswise, and it was STILL ripped open" according to mom.
In larger companies, it can be difficult to establish and enforce rules across the board, but doing so is an imperative. Either let everyone slide, or get sticklers in every office. Know the rules, communicate those rules to the people that are in charge of enforcing them and make sure they're CLEAR on how to enforce them. I don't mind paying my fair share, but I get a little indignant when no one can tell me clearly what the rules are because then it doesn't seem so fair.
Consistency is the "David" in any "Goliath" company. But even if you're small, it's easy to get lax on communicating consistently.
It's days like this when I think I should just ship via FedEx.
I'll give you $20 if you'll give me $2.50
Let's talk about Chuck E. Cheese for a minute.
I've started affectionately calling him Charles Edward Cheese III lately, just to be silly.
After all, isn't that how all super-rich bluebloods should be addressed?
These people have the best racket in town. And the funny thing is, we LOVE them for it.
I took my son last night, as a reward for being so well-behaved and performing exemplary with his choir at our local children's museum.
I'd tell you that the place gave my sticker shock, but I'm not so shocked anymore.
We've been going there for over 10 years - heck, I even went there as a child with my aunt and cousins. Back then, though, it was called Showbiz Pizza, and the star of the show was a purple gorilla, not a mouse.
And there weren't security guards patrolling the place, but I digress.
I went to the counter, ordered my "small" pizza and the obligatory tokens. I opted for the "deal" where I saved $6.25 because they gave me 29 bonus tokens for buying 80 tokens all at one time.
So I paid $20 for this little cup full of jingly coins. And just to be sure you don't use that cup at the over-priced soda dispenser, they drilled little holes in the bottom.
Classy.
Did I mention a bottle of water was nearly $2? Seriously.
But like I said, we love it. Because there's nothing else quite like it. Our kids love it, and because of that we're willing to pay for it.... and PAY for it.
The idea behind tokens is clever. You're trading value, so you don't really think about how much money you're actually pouring into the machines at this place. The token machines even take credit cards these days.
Ahh, the age of convenience!
So you put a token in, and a little over half of the games will spit out at least one ticket in return. The other half of the games are entertainment rides, pinball machines, or video games - that will take longer to "eat" your token if you've got some skill.
But the attractive nuisances are the games of chance that loom in nearly every corner of the place. The ones where you can drop in a token for a chance to win 50-250 extra tickets.
And the odds of winning the extra tickets are slim. Very slim.
I remember when Skee-ball paid out tickets for every 40 or 50 points you earned. Now, until you hit 450 points, you're lucky if you get 3 or 4 tickets when you play.
And when you go to cash in those tickets, they are only worth about a penny a piece.
Did you just see what happened?
They traded your value down. WAAAAY down. And our kids jump up and down and celebrate!
Because in trading down value, they offer a little bit of entertainment along the way.
And I even tried to just give my kid $20 to go to the "prize" table and pick out some stuff, but he wanted to play "like the other kids".
So my $20 turned into about 270 tickets - or about $2.70.
Plus a little "entertainment" on the side.
But gone are the days of the big stage shows with the anima-tronic characters, or even the big TV's with videos for the kids to watch while they wait for pizza. So the adult entertainment value has REALLY dwindled.
So your marketing lesson? Well, it's two fold today. First, if you can find a way to convert value like Chuck, you're in luck. Creating a perceived value that's higher than your actual cost is what creating a profit is all about, but in this case, not only are you making a profit, you're virtually gouging your clients AND they're saying "thanks, we had a great time, see you soon!"
And before I get cards and letters, I know that there are overhead expenses for a place like that, but I also know that if they're SELLING those prizes, there's already a mark up on them, so to reduce the value even further with tickets only validates my point.
The second lesson is that if you can go the OTHER way and provide even MORE value for your clients, you'll reap an even greater reward. Chuck did this after months of customer complaints regarding the "price" of the games. Now, all single player games only "cost" one token. And they advertise the heck out of that value. So your "money" goes even farther now at Chuck E. Cheese's....
Where a kid can be a kid, and a parent can be broke by the time the pizza arrives at the table.
I've started affectionately calling him Charles Edward Cheese III lately, just to be silly.
After all, isn't that how all super-rich bluebloods should be addressed?
These people have the best racket in town. And the funny thing is, we LOVE them for it.
I took my son last night, as a reward for being so well-behaved and performing exemplary with his choir at our local children's museum.
I'd tell you that the place gave my sticker shock, but I'm not so shocked anymore.
We've been going there for over 10 years - heck, I even went there as a child with my aunt and cousins. Back then, though, it was called Showbiz Pizza, and the star of the show was a purple gorilla, not a mouse.
And there weren't security guards patrolling the place, but I digress.
I went to the counter, ordered my "small" pizza and the obligatory tokens. I opted for the "deal" where I saved $6.25 because they gave me 29 bonus tokens for buying 80 tokens all at one time.
So I paid $20 for this little cup full of jingly coins. And just to be sure you don't use that cup at the over-priced soda dispenser, they drilled little holes in the bottom.
Classy.
Did I mention a bottle of water was nearly $2? Seriously.
But like I said, we love it. Because there's nothing else quite like it. Our kids love it, and because of that we're willing to pay for it.... and PAY for it.
The idea behind tokens is clever. You're trading value, so you don't really think about how much money you're actually pouring into the machines at this place. The token machines even take credit cards these days.
Ahh, the age of convenience!
So you put a token in, and a little over half of the games will spit out at least one ticket in return. The other half of the games are entertainment rides, pinball machines, or video games - that will take longer to "eat" your token if you've got some skill.
But the attractive nuisances are the games of chance that loom in nearly every corner of the place. The ones where you can drop in a token for a chance to win 50-250 extra tickets.
And the odds of winning the extra tickets are slim. Very slim.
I remember when Skee-ball paid out tickets for every 40 or 50 points you earned. Now, until you hit 450 points, you're lucky if you get 3 or 4 tickets when you play.
And when you go to cash in those tickets, they are only worth about a penny a piece.
Did you just see what happened?
They traded your value down. WAAAAY down. And our kids jump up and down and celebrate!
Because in trading down value, they offer a little bit of entertainment along the way.
And I even tried to just give my kid $20 to go to the "prize" table and pick out some stuff, but he wanted to play "like the other kids".
So my $20 turned into about 270 tickets - or about $2.70.
Plus a little "entertainment" on the side.
But gone are the days of the big stage shows with the anima-tronic characters, or even the big TV's with videos for the kids to watch while they wait for pizza. So the adult entertainment value has REALLY dwindled.
So your marketing lesson? Well, it's two fold today. First, if you can find a way to convert value like Chuck, you're in luck. Creating a perceived value that's higher than your actual cost is what creating a profit is all about, but in this case, not only are you making a profit, you're virtually gouging your clients AND they're saying "thanks, we had a great time, see you soon!"
And before I get cards and letters, I know that there are overhead expenses for a place like that, but I also know that if they're SELLING those prizes, there's already a mark up on them, so to reduce the value even further with tickets only validates my point.
The second lesson is that if you can go the OTHER way and provide even MORE value for your clients, you'll reap an even greater reward. Chuck did this after months of customer complaints regarding the "price" of the games. Now, all single player games only "cost" one token. And they advertise the heck out of that value. So your "money" goes even farther now at Chuck E. Cheese's....
Where a kid can be a kid, and a parent can be broke by the time the pizza arrives at the table.
The Attitude of Gratitude Pays Big Dividends
I've been trying to "take my mind off things" by reading a book. Mayflower Madam is out of print, and I picked up a copy on eBay the other week. It arrived the day my mom died.
Needless to say it took me a minute to get around to reading it.
For those of you that aren't familiar with the story (it was in the 1980's after all), Sydney Biddle Barrows, well-heeled socialite, built a successful "escort" service in Manhattan - and was busted after about 5 years of serving the "John" Q. Public in style.
Now I haven't finished the book yet, but my first big takeaway was a comment in the early chapters of the book: treat your people with respect - customers, employees, etc. and they will reciprocate.
More to the point, when you treat them with respect and appreciation for how they serve your business, they will be more willing to do anything to make you happy.
I have 3 very recent examples that drive this point home.
After completing a recent in-home party for my company, I mentioned that my grandfather had passed and that I would not likely be available for a few days to tend to the arrangements. The hostess was very understanding - and we got 3 bookings at that party for her.
One of the soon-to-be hostesses called me a few days later to provide me her guest list over the phone. I returned her call and sad that my mother had also passed, and that I would greatly appreciate it if she would just mail the list to me and I would still give her the special offer for getting the list back to me in 3 days' time.
Two days ago, I was out making deliveries to touch base with customers and hostesses, and I apologized for my tardiness in delivering because of the death of my mother. I mentioned that I would be at the funeral the next day, so to call and leave a message if there were any issues.
Yesterday morning, I received a call from that hostess. She said she was "in the neighborhood" and had something for me. When she arrived at my door, she had baked sliced and wrapped some home-made banana bread. I was dumbfounded.
At the church, when we were wrapping up and heading out the door, I walked into the kitchen, where at least 10 volunteers were cleaning up from the dinner held in mom's honor. I wanted to make a point to tell them thank-you, because many of them knew my mom, and while she wasn't always the easiest to get along with, I know they respected her and cared at least enough to give of their time and elbow grease to help comfort and feed her family and friends. Many of them could have been on the other side of the kitchen, sitting with us and telling stories about mom.
As I offered my thanks, one of the grumpiest of the men in the church turned to me and said "You are always welcome here, Lisa." Again, speechless.
Which, if you know me, is virtually impossible.
I'm skipping over a lot of details here, but as I stopped at home to drop off a bouquet of flowers, I checked the mail. In with the bills and usual junk (which, I love, by the way), there was a card from someone I didn't recognize. The would-be hostess that I had asked to mail her guest list had slipped that list inside a sympathy card, with a thoughtful personal note attached.
I've never spoken so few words in a a day in my whole life.
It's unfortunate that it takes an event like a funeral to give you a perspective about what matters - and to whom you matter. I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of people - some I barely even know - who came to provide support and encouragement just for me - because I know no one else in my family knew who they were.
We packed that church - which is lucky to have 30-40 people on a Sunday morning. People were parking on the street because there was "no room at the inn" so to speak.
And I am so grateful to each and every one of them. I'm sure I didn't say hello to everyone, but I am truly blessed to know that I and my family matter to so many people. I am so grateful for all the kind words, donations, and thoughtful gifts.
I didn't deserve any of it. I am infinitely grateful for it.
So our marketing lesson (not to be disrespectful of my mom's passing, but I needed to share this while it was still fresh) is this:
Give freely of yourself - to your customers, clients, employees. Make them feel respected and equal - and treat them like friends. The rewards will come back to you ten times over. I've said it before, but it's true: friendliness is the root of all good things. The more friendly you are, the more genuine respect and appreciation you will garner.
You can't do any better than that. It takes time, but all things worth doing are worth doing well.
Be on the lookout for some big changes in the coming months, as I start assessing what's important to me in light of these recent events.
Needless to say it took me a minute to get around to reading it.
For those of you that aren't familiar with the story (it was in the 1980's after all), Sydney Biddle Barrows, well-heeled socialite, built a successful "escort" service in Manhattan - and was busted after about 5 years of serving the "John" Q. Public in style.
Now I haven't finished the book yet, but my first big takeaway was a comment in the early chapters of the book: treat your people with respect - customers, employees, etc. and they will reciprocate.
More to the point, when you treat them with respect and appreciation for how they serve your business, they will be more willing to do anything to make you happy.
I have 3 very recent examples that drive this point home.
After completing a recent in-home party for my company, I mentioned that my grandfather had passed and that I would not likely be available for a few days to tend to the arrangements. The hostess was very understanding - and we got 3 bookings at that party for her.
One of the soon-to-be hostesses called me a few days later to provide me her guest list over the phone. I returned her call and sad that my mother had also passed, and that I would greatly appreciate it if she would just mail the list to me and I would still give her the special offer for getting the list back to me in 3 days' time.
Two days ago, I was out making deliveries to touch base with customers and hostesses, and I apologized for my tardiness in delivering because of the death of my mother. I mentioned that I would be at the funeral the next day, so to call and leave a message if there were any issues.
Yesterday morning, I received a call from that hostess. She said she was "in the neighborhood" and had something for me. When she arrived at my door, she had baked sliced and wrapped some home-made banana bread. I was dumbfounded.
At the church, when we were wrapping up and heading out the door, I walked into the kitchen, where at least 10 volunteers were cleaning up from the dinner held in mom's honor. I wanted to make a point to tell them thank-you, because many of them knew my mom, and while she wasn't always the easiest to get along with, I know they respected her and cared at least enough to give of their time and elbow grease to help comfort and feed her family and friends. Many of them could have been on the other side of the kitchen, sitting with us and telling stories about mom.
As I offered my thanks, one of the grumpiest of the men in the church turned to me and said "You are always welcome here, Lisa." Again, speechless.
Which, if you know me, is virtually impossible.
I'm skipping over a lot of details here, but as I stopped at home to drop off a bouquet of flowers, I checked the mail. In with the bills and usual junk (which, I love, by the way), there was a card from someone I didn't recognize. The would-be hostess that I had asked to mail her guest list had slipped that list inside a sympathy card, with a thoughtful personal note attached.
I've never spoken so few words in a a day in my whole life.
It's unfortunate that it takes an event like a funeral to give you a perspective about what matters - and to whom you matter. I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of people - some I barely even know - who came to provide support and encouragement just for me - because I know no one else in my family knew who they were.
We packed that church - which is lucky to have 30-40 people on a Sunday morning. People were parking on the street because there was "no room at the inn" so to speak.
And I am so grateful to each and every one of them. I'm sure I didn't say hello to everyone, but I am truly blessed to know that I and my family matter to so many people. I am so grateful for all the kind words, donations, and thoughtful gifts.
I didn't deserve any of it. I am infinitely grateful for it.
So our marketing lesson (not to be disrespectful of my mom's passing, but I needed to share this while it was still fresh) is this:
Give freely of yourself - to your customers, clients, employees. Make them feel respected and equal - and treat them like friends. The rewards will come back to you ten times over. I've said it before, but it's true: friendliness is the root of all good things. The more friendly you are, the more genuine respect and appreciation you will garner.
You can't do any better than that. It takes time, but all things worth doing are worth doing well.
Be on the lookout for some big changes in the coming months, as I start assessing what's important to me in light of these recent events.
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