21 Tips in 21 Days to Get You Into Selling Shape for 2012

By Jim Domanski
Are your 2012 sales a little sluggish? Need a little momentum?

Here are 21 tips that you can apply one day at a time over the next 21 days to help kick start your sales for 2012. These tips are in addition to your normal everyday selling activities. Why 21? Because 21 is approximately the number of business days in a month and because it is roughly the amount of time it takes to create a habit. If you get into the good habit of doing something a little extra to improve your skills or enhance your productivity and effectiveness your sales are bound to grow.


The 21-Day Get Sales Fit Program

Day 1 - For the next five business days, arrive 15 minutes earlier and use the time to prospect. Sometimes earlier in the day is the best time to reach decision makers. Of course what it really does is translate into 75 minutes of business development. Focus exclusively on dialling. Don't get distracted.

Day 2- Send out 10 thank you cards to your top 10 clients. Simply tell them 'thank you' for all the business in the past. Tell them you don't take them for granted. Hand write the card and envelope. Use a real stamp. Go here for more information on this simple but highly effective task.

Day 3- Ask your manager to monitor five of your (completed) calls today and provide feedback on how you can enhance and improve your approach to a call. A good coach means good results.

Day 4 - Identify 15 inactive clients (a customer who has not bought something in the last 12 months) and give them a call. Ask them questions to get a feel for their current situation. Identify needs. Pay attention to them. Groom them. Reactivate them.

Day 5 - Today, implement a "passive referral" program i.e., a means of soliciting referrals from clients (and prospects) using a variety of methods (e.g., e-mail). For more information on this process go here.

Day 6 - For the next 5 business days, stay 15 minutes longer and make cold calls and develop new business opportunities. Sometimes later in the day is the best time to reach your decision makers. Try it and see for yourself.

Day 7- Today you want to get "some skin in the game" and invest in yourself. Go to a books store or visit Amazon and buy a book on selling. Find something to enhance your approach to selling. When you invest in a product you are more apt to read and apply the techniques in order to get an ROI. (See the Book recommendation following this article)

Day 8- For today, identify your top 5 selling products and list 2 add on sales for each these products. Jot them on a sheet of paper and when appropriate cross sell or up sell on these products. Do this today and for the rest of the 21 days. Watch the average value of your sale increase.Go here if you'd like more information.

Day 9- Swap five of your prospects who are not returning your calls with 5 prospects from a co-worker. Sometimes a new voice and new approach generates new sales.

Day 10 - Scan the internet and find an industry or product related article that you can send or e-mail to 25 clients. Add a little note that says, "I thought of you when I found this article. Enjoy!" This creates value. It positions you as a 'resource' and not just a 'source.'

Day 11 - Call 10 of your "B -level" customers and ask them if there are any projects / sales three to six months down the line. Not only are you scoping out long term opportunities, you are staying 'top of mind.'

Day 12 - Eat lunch at your desk and spend the time making cold calls - maybe to a different time zone. That'll give you an extra 50-60 minutes of business development opportunity. See what happens.

Day 13 - Call your top 10 clients (the same ones to whom you sent the thank you cards on Day 2 and who probably got your industry related article on Day 10.) Ask them for a referral.

Day 14- Today, create an e-prospecting letter and send them to 15 prospects. For tips on e-mails go here.

Day 15 - Make follow up calls to the 15 prospects who got your e-mail on Day 14. Timing is everything.

Day 16 - For the next five days, come in 10 minutes earlier and stay 10 minutes later. That means an additional 100 minutes of business development activity. Ten minutes on either end of the day? Heck, that's easy.

Day 17- Monitor 5 calls from three of your co-workers (15 calls in all). Get a feel for what they do. Maybe you'll get some fresh new ideas or approaches.

Day 18 - Call five clients and ask them for a testimonial quote that you could use in an e-mail or letter or presentation. When you get them, be sure to leverage them!

Day 19 - Call or e-mail those who have given you a referral and given them an update on the status of the referrals you received.

Day 20- Send a thank you card - not an e-mail- to those who have given you a testimonial quote.

Day 21 - Evaluate all that you have done over the past 21 days. What has been the net result? If you've missed anything implement it. Now, build your 'little extra' plan for the next 21 days. Keep the momentum going.


The above tips are easy to implement and take very little time. Do the extras. The extras will give you the edge and make things happen.


By Jim Domanski of Teleconcepts Consulting. Please visit Jim's web site at http://www.telesalesmaster.com/ for additional articles and resources for tele-sales professionals


George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker
Listen to Business in Motion audio PodCasts On iTunes Business in Motion on Facebook

Contrarian or Team Player - Which are You??

Why We Need Contrarians in The Workplace

This article by Barbara Moses published in the Globe and Mail suggests that contrarians are valuable additions to every workplace team - whether they are appreciated or not.

But is a contrarian really appreciated by a group of team players? Are the two labels polar opposites, or is one a different shade of the other?

I agree with the position of the article that the concept of being a team player has been over hyped. I think to the point of blind obedience.

In my experience good team players:

• Go along with the rest of the group
• Are unwilling to offend others
• Do not place a high value on their own time
• Are willing to sacrifice results for group harmony
• Avoid embarrassment

In my experience contrarians:

• See things differently
• Ask bold and challenging questions
• Are willing to take a postition
• Are willing to oppose the group
• Accept that they will make mistakes

  

George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker Listen to Business in Motion audio PodCasts On iTunes Business in Motion on Facebook

10 Tips to Make 2012 More Productive and Profitable

Kick off the new year by listening to George Torok's "Top 10 Tips to Make Your 2012 a More Productive and Profitable Year".

Listen to this 30 minute radio show with host, George Torok.
10-tips-to-make-2012-more-productive-profitable

Here is a summary of the tips.

10 Tips to Make 2012 a More Productive and Profitable Year


1. Fail Fast, Fail Often and Fail Cheap

Be willing to make, and learn from your mistakes. Treat mistakes as part of the growing process – not an end. Think ahead by limiting the cost of possible failures. This tip is courtesy of Jim Estill.


2. Be Clear on Your Purpose

Why are you doing this? Ask that question of yourself more often before you invest your time, money or effort. Clarify the purpose of each meeting, promotion or decision before you commit.


3. Fundamentals

Revisit the fundamentals. Technology changes rapidly. Techniques adapt to circumstances. But the fundamentals never change nor fail you. Don’t wing it, understand the fundamentals.


4. Stop Chasing Perfection


You will never be perfect. Chasing perfection will result in repeated frustration. Instead strive to be better every time. Then you can experience a chain of small wins and progressive successes.


5. Stop Doing Things

What do you need to stop doing to allow you to do more of what you really want to do? Write your “Stop doing list”. This is as important as your “To do list.”


6. Scare Yourself

Face at least one thing that scares you. That’s how you grow. Courage is not being without fear – it is facing your fear. You’ll discover more about yourself when you scare yourself.


7. Ask Better Questions

Ask better questions of yourself, others and the world around you. You’ll be amazed at the answers you’ll get. It takes more thought to ask good questions than to answer them.


8. Review and Use Your Resources

You have resources that you aren’t fully using. Check your tangible and especially intangible resources for new opportunities. You already have what you need to succeed. Check your pockets.


9. Visit Other Worlds

Life is best observed through a kaleidoscope. Discover other cultures, opinions and perspectives. Volunteer for a charity, read about history and listen to other views without judging. Walk around the block with your eyes open.


10. Accept the Mess in Your Head

You are the best person to deal with the mess in your head. That will include a mix of ideas, questions, unfinished thoughts, self doubts, fears, anxieties, hopes, dreams…

No one else will ever know about the mess in your head. And you can work to organize some of that mess.

Listen to the podcast of this radio show here.

Best Interviews from 2011

It's difficult to select the best because many of these radio interviews with business leaders are so good. Here is our selection for this year. Click the links to listen to the interviews. Enjoy. Be inspired.


Murray Hogarth, Founder Pioneer Gas Stations

 

Murray Hogarth launched the first Pioneer gas station in 1956. Today there are more than 150 Pioneer gas stations across Ontario.

 

• Pioneer donates 1% of profits – not revenue to charity.
• Murray Hogarth was instrumental in the formation of CAFE – the Canadian Association of Family Enterprises.
• Pioneer is the largest independant gas station chain.
• Murray Hogarth was voted the Entrepreneur of the Year by the Burlington Economic Development Corporation for 2010.

Listen to the radio interview with Murray Hogarth

 

 

Bruce McDougall, The McDougall Group

Who is Bruce McDougall?

He is the founder and president of The McDougall Group, a financial planning company in Burlington, Ontario. A past president of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce he is a long time active Rotarian. He is a marathon runner, tri-athlete, a past competitive racquetball player and an avid golfer.

Listen to the interview Bruce McDougall


Kathy Bardswick, The Co-Operators Group



Kathy Bardswick has been with the Co-Operators for 32 years. She worked her way through various roles with the company. A working mom with four children she was inspired by her own mother (with six children) who encouraged her to pursue her dreams. Kathy earned her MBA at McMaster University.


Listen to the interview with Kathy Bardswick

Business in Motion Podcasts

 

 

Alan McLaren, Infinity Communications

Interview with Alan McLaren, Co-CEO of Infinity Communications
Who is Infinity Communications?

Infinity is a full service communications agency specializing in public relations, branding and social media strategies. We help our clients “Get Noticed and Stay Noticed”, through focused communication programs designed to build brand awareness and drive revenue growth.

One of the best ways to reach your target audiences is to use a combination of traditional public relations strategies offline, while leveraging social media and web strategies online.

We are living in a connected world and it is important to bridge the conversation both online and offline.

———————————————
Insights and excerpts from this interview with Alan McLaren of Infinity Communications

Purpose of marketing is building the brand to be top of mind.

Common mistake on the web is not connecting the dots.

Key question is, does more traffic mean more business? That is the bottom line.

Marketing is not scientific. One plus one does not equal two.

Half the time, we turn prospective clients away because the fit is not right.

Red Flag Deals was one of our proud success stories.

I hate doing the numbers – but you need to do that.
As Co-CEOs we each have our strengths and defined roles.


Interview on Business in Motion with radio show host George Torok

Listen to the radio interview on podscast

Listen to the radio interview on itunes

Motivational Chicken and Egg

You know the old conundrum, “What came first, the chicken or the egg?”
One leads to other and one can exist without the other.

Well a similar conundrum exists when it comes to motivation. The question is, “What comes first the motivation or the motion?” Motivation and motion are closely related and interdependent. The words come from the same root. Certainly motivation leads to motion and motion builds motivation.

What comes first? It doesn’t really matter. When you feel motivated you will move into action – motion. When you are in motion already you will feel motivated – motivation. So if you don’t feel motivated – move. Do something. Start something. Get yourself into motion and you will start to feel more motivated. Doing things motivates. Resting seldom motivates you. Yes everyone needs a break but “break” is relative and a good break can just be a change.

When you want to feel motivated – move. Put yourself into motion. You might be surprised at how motivated you feel. We feel most motivated just after we have completed a tremendous task. Right after I finish a marathon I feel like I can run another (not right away of course).

So when you need some motivation – move. Try your happy dance.

© George Torok is a Canadian motivational speaker who specializes in helping business owners and professionals deliver their messages for better results. Visit his website www.Torok.com

Who's Responsible for Your Success?

The 10 Reasons Why You Don't Sell as Much as You Could (or Should)
and What To Do About It
by Jim Domanski


Be real honest with yourself: are you selling as much as you could ... or as much as you should? If you have that vague and uneasy feeling that maybe you could be doing better but you're not precisely certain why you're not, then this article might give you some much needed perspective


1. You lack product knowledge
You might not be excelling at selling because you lack product knowledge. Maybe you're new to the job. Maybe you haven't been diligent in learning more about your products and services.

Here's the good news: you can readily fix this. Learn your products inside out. Review brochures, manuals, white papers, special reports. Read industry magazines. Subscribe to industry e-newsletters. Visit competitive web sites. Find a savvy mentor. Pick your boss's brain. Do SOMETHING. Invest a few extra hours a week. Eat lunch at your desk and read. Stay and extra half hour. Take stuff home.

2. You don't use the skills that you got when trained
You might not be selling to the degree that you would like because you are NOT using the skills you were taught in training. The trouble with learning new skills and techniques is that it means CHANGING your selling behaviour. Most people resist change even if that change means better results.

This is easy enough to fix too: find someone that will act as a coach, a cheerleader or conscience. Most often it's your manager. Engage him or her. Call them to task. Get trained again if necessary. Get them to monitor your calls and analyze what you are doing well and not so well. Get them to pat you on the back or kick you on the backside. Do SOMETHING and start applying what you learned.

3. You abuse the skills that you got in training
You may not be a good seller because you 'abuse' what you learned. This is different from #2 where you don't use ANY of the new skills. In this case, you don't use what you learned well. You have diluted, changed or altered the selling skills and techniques; you go half way; you cut a corner or two... or three...or four; you don't follow through; you've whittled away a tactic. You may not even know it.

The best thing to do is get yourself a coach - a manager, a friend, a mentor, an outsider- to objectively listen and analyze your calls. Be open to their remarks. Get training. Get your manager to provide constructive feedback.

4. You lack experience.
You're new to sales. You've just come off training. You haven't made enough calls to get a complete feel for your selling environment. You haven't dealt enough with customers or prospects. You haven't had enough victories or defeats. You lack the experience that only comes with time and effort. You lack the volume work that provides insights, confidence and savvy.

The solution? Don't quit. Keep plugging away. Keep a log book of experiences. Jot things down. Chat with others. Learn. Store those experiences somewhere. Above all, be sure to keep dialling. You'll learn by doing. Mistakes are great teachers; so are successes. Push yourself.

5. You quit too soon
Speaking of quitting: you might not be as successful as you could be simply because you quit too soon or you too easily. Quitting means any number of things. It means stopping an activity short of completion. For instance, instead of making 70 dials you quit at 55. Instead of making four or five follow up you quit at one or two. If a prospect says 'no' when you ask for the sale instead of querying further you crumble like a house cards and hang up.

What's the answer? Buck up, baby! Grow a spine. Don't be a wimp. Push a little further. Push a little harder. It won't hurt a bit and it WILL help your sales.

6. You need an attitude adjustment
Attitude can be a real sales killer and it may be holding you back from extraordinary results. Look, if you don't like your boss; if you're convinced your prices are "always" too high; if you feel your list is lousy; or you think that your competition has a better product, a better offer, better terms ... whatever; then quit. Don't waste any more of your time.

Or, alternatively, you can change your attitude. It's as simple as that. Make a choice. Negative thoughts and beliefs will hold you back from succeeding. So here's what to do. Stop whining. Stop blaming and finger pointing. And above all, stop excusing yourself. Your sales success is YOUR responsibility.

Here's what you should do: grab a yellow sheet of paper and a red marker. Write these words on it in big letters, "So, what am I going to do about it?" Post it where it will always be visible. When you feel yourself going down the self pity path, look at the poster and thing about solutions or hard work.

7. You're complacent
You might not be selling as much as you could or should because of complacency. It means you are content, perhaps even smug about your sales results. You're happy with what you are making and achieving. This is not necessarily a bad thing provided you are meeting or exceeding your objectives.

The only trouble with complacency is that it's a slippery slope. It gets easy to stop doing the things that made you successful...and you don't realize it. One day you wake up and you're behind the game. Complacency is common and it creeps up on everyone from time to time.

The good news is that complacency is relatively easy to fix. Push yourself every day by trying something new or setting more challenging objectives. Make 10 more calls. Push for one more sale. Get in 15 minutes earlier. Prospect a half hour longer. Stay an hour later once a week.

8. You're lazy
Ouch! Being lazy is different than being complacent. Lazy is several steps past complacency. Laziness is knowing what to do but consciously choosing not to do it. And excusing it. Laziness is seeing what needs to be done and ignoring it.

No one likes to admit that he or she is lazy but if your sales are down and they've been down for a while, you need to have a little 'heart-to-heart' with yourself. Only you can answer the question. As for the solution; it's self-evident.

9. You don't invest in yourself
Your sales might not be where you want them because you have done little or nothing to help get yourself to the next level. You haven't invested the time or the money for self-improvement. That you are reading this article is a good start but let me ask, have you bought a book or DVD on sales in the last six months? Have you thought of hiring a coach? The moment you invest a few bucks of your own money is the moment you have something to lose. It is also the moment you want an ROI. You create risk with an investment.

Next step? Visit a bookstore one day this week. Browse the marketing and sales selves. Find something to buy and read. Then schedule a half hour a day or a couple of hours a week to read and learn new techniques. (Not sure what to buy? See "I recommend "Smart Calling" - see the column below for more information)

10. You don't have the talent
Maybe your sales aren't so great because you lack the talent. Talent is an inherent ability to do well or at least, well enough. Not everyone has it. I can't dance a lick. I have NO talent for it. Can't sing either. Wasn't blessed with it. Golf? I play but it's a torture to watch.

Some people aren't cut out to be sales people because they don't have the talent. If you have tried everything suggested here, if you have moved from sales job to sales job and have not been 'successful' then maybe you don't have the talent. Maybe you should move on to something else. No shame in that. Call it a moment of truth but it could make your life a whole lot more enjoyable.

Summary
If you haven't gathered by now, your success is up to you. It's your choice. Making certain choices is not always easy but it is the only path to sales success. Choose wisely.


Jim Domanski
President, Teleconcepts Consulting
http://www.teleconceptsconsulting.com/
B to B, outbound tele-sales consulting and training services
Phone: 613 591 1998
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Powerful advice from Jim. If you are successful - you are responsible. If you are not - you are responsible.

George Torok

P T Barnum - Showman

Phineas Taylor Barnum (July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891) was an American showman, businessman, scam artist and entertainer, remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and for founding the circus that became the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.


P T Barnum died more than 100 years ago and we still quote him and base many business practices on his advice. Many of us can learn much from his words.


Here are some lasting insights excerpted from his book, "The Art of Money-Getting" or "Golden Rules for Making Money".



-----------------------

Those who really desire to attain an independence, have only to set their minds upon it, and adopt the proper means, as they do in regard to any other object which they wish to accomplish, and the thing is easily done.

But however easy it may be found to make money, I have no doubt many of my hearers will agree it is the most difficult thing in the world to keep it. The road to wealth is, as Dr. Franklin truly says, "as plain as the road to the mill." It consists simply in expending less than we earn; that seems to be a very simple problem.

Mr. Micawber, one of those happy creations of the genial Dickens, puts the case in a strong light when he says that to have annual income of twenty pounds per annum, and spend twenty pounds and sixpence, is to be the most miserable of men; whereas, to have an income of only twenty pounds, and spend but nineteen pounds and sixpence is to be the happiest of mortals.

Many of my readers may say, "we understand this: this is economy, and we know economy is wealth; we know we can't eat our cake and keep it also." Yet I beg to say that perhaps more cases of failure arise from mistakes on this point than almost any other. The fact is, many people think they understand economy when they really do not.

True economy consists in always making the income exceed the out-go. Wear the old clothes a little longer if necessary; dispense with the new pair of gloves; mend the old dress: live on plainer food if need be; so that, under all circumstances, unless some unforeseen accident occurs, there will be a margin in favor of the income.

A penny here, and a dollar there, placed at interest, goes on accumulating, and in this way the desired result is attained. It requires some training, perhaps, to accomplish this economy, but when once used to it, you will find there is more satisfaction in rational saving than in irrational spending.

Here is a recipe which I recommend: I have found it to work an excellent cure for extravagance, and especially for mistaken economy: When you find that you have no surplus at the end of the year, and yet have a good income, I advise you to take a few sheets of paper and form them into a book and mark down every item of expenditure.

Post it every day or week in two columns, one headed "necessaries" or even "comforts", and the other headed "luxuries," and you will find that the latter column will be double, treble, and frequently ten times greater than the former.

The real comforts of life cost but a small portion of what most of us can earn. Dr. Franklin says "it is the eyes of others and not our own eyes which ruin us. If all the world were blind except myself I should not care for fine clothes or furniture." It is the fear of what Mrs. Grundy may say that keeps the noses of many worthy families to the grindstone. In America many persons like to repeat "we are all free and equal," but it is a great mistake in more senses than one.
---------------------

Spend less than you make.


Powerful, simple and easy to understand - yet overlooked by too many today. That includes governments, corporations and individuals.

Funny how some things never change.


George Torok

Business Speaker

Business in Motion radio show

Business In Motion on Facebook

Fail Often, Fail Fast, Fail Cheap

That's powerful advice from Jim Estill. He is a successful entrepreneur who build his business from nothing to annual revenue of over $300 million. He then sold the business - like a smart entrepreneur.

I have shared the stage with Jim as presenters and expert panelists. Jim has much wisdom to offer. Of all the advice I've gathered from him this one resonates with me the most.

"Fail often, fail fast, fail cheap." - Jim Estill

Just imagine how "the fear of failing" can halt success. Instead, Jim suggests that we accept failures as necessary to growth.

Jim Estill discusses each point in more detail in this article.

For Better Innovation - Fail Often, Fail Fast, Fail Cheap
by Jim Estill

Companies need to be encouraging of failure. Too often people are disciplined for trying things that do not work. I advocate the opposite. Praise those who try - even if they fail.

Read the rest of this article at For Better Innovation - Fail Often, Fail Fast, Fail Cheap

This line in the article particulaily jumped out at me.

"Having failures does not make you a failure. Not trying makes you a failure."


George Torok

Host of Business in Motion

Speaking About Marketing In Iran - TV interview

George Torok is interviewed on People in Connection TV about his speaking tour in Iran.

He spoke about the Secrets of Power Marketing to business audiences in five cities.

Fools & Experts on Creative Problem Solving Team

Why do you need both fools and experts on your creative problem solving team?
What are their strengths and roles that help you solve problems?

In this video George Torok explains the answers to those questions.





George Torok - Creativity Catalyst

Creative Facilitation

Creative Problem Solving training seminars

20 Classic Case Studies Every Business Student Should Know

Enjoy this collection of 20 important business lessons illustrated with case studies.

Here are two that I particularily enjoyed reading.

David vs. Goliath

It's tough to be the little guy, especially when one of the big guys becomes your direct competition. But at Hangers Cleaners, an offbeat image and good customer service helped them pull through when P&G opened an eco-friendly dry cleaners in the same town. Hangers differentiated itself through van delivery service, funny t-shirts and hangers, as well as social networking. The company also spent time connecting with the community by partnering with local businesses and charities.

Instead of out-pricing or out-spending P&G, Hangers embraced its personality and adopted a culture of excellent service that customers found value in. As a result, Hangers has experienced growth while other local dry cleaners have reported flat or declining revenues.



Triumph in Niche Exports

Another excellent international case study comes from bike manufacturer Triumph, which lost steam in its British home base three decades ago, but found new life by heading overseas. In 2010, Triumph sold just 7,562 bikes in the UK, but 50,000 worldwide, indicating that an international interest paid off for the company. Triumph's famous factory in Warwickshire closed up shop in 1983, but the Indian factory remained, and these days, the motorcycles have become the country's Harley Davidson.

The company struggles to meet demand in India, with a six month waiting list and a new factory being built. India's middle class has embraced the vehicle as an affordable commodity, even giving them as dowries in weddings.


Read the rest of these lessons here.

20 Classic Case Studies Every Business Student Should Know

The forever recession (and the coming revolution)

From Seth Godin

There are actually two recessions:

The first is the cyclical one, the one that inevitably comes and then inevitably goes. There's plenty of evidence that intervention can shorten it, and also indications that overdoing a response to it is a waste or even harmful.

The other recession, though, the one with the loss of "good factory jobs" and systemic unemployment--I fear that this recession is here forever.

Why do we believe that jobs where we are paid really good money to do work that can be systemized, written in a manual and/or exported are going to come back ever? The internet has squeezed inefficiencies out of many systems, and the ability to move work around, coordinate activity and digitize data all combine to eliminate a wide swath of the jobs the industrial age created.

There's a race to the bottom, one where communities fight to suspend labor and environmental rules in order to become the world's cheapest supplier. The problem with the race to the bottom is that you might win...

Factories were at the center of the industrial age. Buildings where workers came together to efficiently craft cars, pottery, insurance policies and organ transplants--these are job-centric activities, places where local inefficiences are trumped by the gains from mass production and interchangeable parts. If local labor costs the industrialist more, he has to pay it, because what choice does he have?

No longer. If it can be systemized, it will be. If the pressured middleman can find a cheaper source, she will. If the unaffiliated consumer can save a nickel by clicking over here or over there, then that's what's going to happen.

It was the inefficiency caused by geography that permitted local workers to earn a better wage, and it was the inefficiency of imperfect communication that allowed companies to charge higher prices.

The industrial age, the one that started with the industrial revolution, is fading away. It is no longer the growth engine of the economy and it seems absurd to imagine that great pay for replaceable work is on the horizon.

This represents a significant discontinuity, a life-changing disappointment for hard-working people who are hoping for stability but are unlikely to get it. It's a recession, the recession of a hundred years of the growth of the industrial complex.

I'm not a pessimist, though, because the new revolution, the revolution of connection, creates all sorts of new productivity and new opportunities. Not for repetitive factory work, though, not for the sort of thing ADP measures. Most of the wealth created by this revolution doesn't look like a job, not a full time one anyway.

When everyone has a laptop and connection to the world, then everyone owns a factory. Instead of coming together physically, we have the ability to come together virtually, to earn attention, to connect labor and resources, to deliver value.

Stressful? Of course it is. No one is trained in how to do this, in how to initiate, to visualize, to solve interesting problems and then deliver. Some see the new work as a hodgepodge of little projects, a pale imitation of a 'real' job. Others realize that this is a platform for a kind of art, a far more level playing field in which owning a factory isn't a birthright for a tiny minority but something that hundreds of millions of people have the chance to do.

Gears are going to be shifted regardless. In one direction is lowered expectations and plenty of burger flipping. In the other is a race to the top, in which individuals who are awaiting instructions begin to give them instead.

The future feels a lot more like marketing--it's impromptu, it's based on innovation and inspiration, and it involves connections between and among people--and a lot less like factory work, in which you do what you did yesterday, but faster and cheaper.

This means we may need to change our expecations, change our training and change how we engage with the future. Still, it's better than fighting for a status quo that is no longer. The good news is clear: every forever recession is followed by a lifetime of growth from the next thing...
Job creation is a false idol. The future is about gigs and assets and art and an ever-shifting series of partnerships and projects. It will change the fabric of our society along the way. No one is demanding that we like the change, but the sooner we see it and set out to become an irreplaceable linchpin, the faster the pain will fade, as we get down to the work that needs to be (and now can be) done.

This revolution is at least as big as the last one, and the last one changed everything.

Kathy Bardswick, The Co-Operators Group radio interivew

Radio interview with Kathy Kathy Bardswick

Radio interview with Kathy Bardswick, President and CEO of the Co-Operators Group.
Kathy Bardswick has been with the Co-Operators for 32 years. She worked her way through various roles with the company. A working mom with four children she was inspired by her own mother (with six children) who encouraged her to pursue her dreams. Kathy earned her MBA at McMaster University.
—————————–
Inisghts from this interview with Kathy Bardswick

The Co-Operators is a co-operative that is owned by 47 other like-minded co-operatives.
Each owner owns an equal share. The share value does not change which means that the company does not focus on driving share value.

They are in the business of offering financial security for Canadians along with peace of mind for the ups and downs of life.

Co-operators was formed to meet unmet needs in 1945 by Saskachewan farmers who were unable to buy insurance from the traditional insurers.

It is run democratically in that everyone has a voice – yet people are held accountable.
A big concern and worry is the sustainability of our world environment and the quality of life.

The increasing gap between rich and poor does not bode well.

Youth Sustainability Conference – an opportunity for students to leverage their passion for sustainability.

We have reduced our internal footprint by 22%. The next goal is 50% and the step after that is to be carbon neutral.
entrepreneur to separate the two.

Tips for Getting Your Start-Up Going

By Cynthia Kocialski

Entrepreneurs suddenly have an idea and then they just want to get going building the product and starting the new business. All entrepreneurs are impatient people. It’s hard to pull on the reins and get them to stop and investigate the idea before they go full speed ahead.

Almost all serial entrepreneurs and investors know that whatever the founder believes is the first product, won’t be the product. It’s almost always a variant. The better the starting point, the faster and more efficiently the entrepreneur will arrive at the start-up’s true first product offering.

What is it and why should it exist?

Most entrepreneurs start with the product idea. Before even thinking about wrapping a business around the product, the entrepreneur should ask themselves these questions.


What is the problem that the product solves? How much of the problem do you solve for the customer? A customer wants the total solution, not just 10% of it. Is the problem one the customer desperately wants solved? Are customers currently searching for a solution and unable to find one? Are they willing to spend to solve it? Does the customer need the problem solved immediately? How do you know these answers?

If the entrepreneur doesn’t have the answers then the start-up is already in trouble. The last question is there because I am always in awe at how many start-ups have never talked to an actual customer, and their answers are based solely upon research!


TIP: Exploring possibilities doesn’t require paperwork


Many entrepreneurs believe they have to have completed and filed all the corporate paperwork with the required government agencies before starting their venture. No, you don’t. You can create a company name, print business cards, give yourself any title you like, get a domain name, put up a website, and have a corporate email account without any incorporations, licenses, or permits.


Talk is cheap and you can answer the above questions without waiting for filings. Find the answers first.


TIP: Understanding Customers’ Work Behaviors


Many entrepreneurs have difficulty getting to speak with customers. Most will cold call or send unsolicited emails. The result is being ignored. Why? In an office environment, most people are most concerned about what work they need to get done today or the meeting they have to go to in an hour. They are trying to get through their daily to-do list and you are distracting them.

The solution is getting to talk to them when they are someplace where they are there to network and connect with others. That’s why attending conferences, tradeshows, workshops, and seminars works so well. They are removed from their day-to-day tasks. If you are targeting big companies as customers or are going to a large event, consider volunteering to register attendees. I know a founder who always works speakers’ registration, his potential customers come to him and while he’s checking them in, he gets to make an appointment to speak with them during the conference. It also means the conference for free.


Some of the smaller events will provide you with the attendee list. This will allow you to do research ahead of time. You can attend the meeting and look for specific people to talk with, and this is the real reason there are name tags and badges at events!


TIP: Learning What the Customer Really Wants

Most entrepreneurs get in front of their potential customers and spend all their time telling customers about the products they are creating. At some point in the conversation, consider asking the customer what are their top problems right now. It amazes me why founders just don’t ask, “What one problem would you pay anything to solve right now?” The answer may surprise you and you may just discover a better product to offer.


A good foundation is worth a lot to a start-up. It is not something that can be done in a day, a week or even a month. But getting a good starting point will simply make the rest of the planning and execution easier.



About the Author
Cynthia Kocialski is the founder of three tech start-ups companies. In the past 15 years, she has been involved in dozens of start-ups and has served on various advisory boards. Cynthia has held various technical, marketing, and management positions at IBM and Matrox Electronics. Cynthia has engineering and mathematics degrees from the University of Rochester and the University of Virginia. Cynthia writes the popular Start-up Entrepreneurs’ Blog
http://www.cynthiakocialski.com/ and has written the book, “Startup From The Ground Up - Practical Insights for Entrepreneurs, How to Go from an Idea to New Business”.

Recruit Both Fools and Experts to Your Creative Problem Solving Team

You need both fools and experts on your creative problem solving team. They bring different and essential strengths to your team.

But they are needed for different purposes. You will get the most from them if you understand their strengths and use them accordingly.


Fools on your creative problem solving team

Fools are good at asking questions

Fools help you discover options

Fools are best at stepping into new paradigms

Fools are fond of breaking rules

Fools are helpful in defining strategy

Fools are effective

Fools are best at divergent thinking

Fools help you zoom out to see the big picture



Experts on your creative problem solving team

Experts are best at answering questions

Experts help you focus

Experts are best at maintaining the status quo

Experts are fond of following procedures

Experts are dependable with tactics

Experts are efficient

Experts are best at convergent thinking
Experts help you zoom in on the details


When you form your creative problem solving teams, be sure to include both fools and experts. Both groups play critical parts in the creative problem solving process. It’s not about being right or wrong. It’s about finding and implementing the best solutions to the challenges you face.


George Torok

Creative Facilitator

Creative Problem Solving seminars

Can You Be a Health Coach?

You are invited to attend a Health Coach webinar event (60-minutes) that will demonstrate how to earn an income as a Professional Health Coach usingweb based systems for coaching. This complimentary presentation is hosted by Hilton Johnson Productions, the people who have pioneered professional Health Coaching with web-based technology.http://www.globalteleclass.com/specialhc240b

Companies like Google, Motorola and UnitedHealthCare are employing web- based health coaches everyday to address the problems of healthcare directly.

Because of the demand, there is a shortage of good qualified health coaches. Could this be the next billion dollar business?

Health coaching is changing healthcare because it helps people not to get sick in the first place. Web-based coaching allows almost anyone to quickly build a professional coaching practice/income and deliver excellent coaching.

This teleconference call/webinar will show you exactly how. You can be a successful health coach without any selling, prospecting, or using any persuasive techniques. This call will take place on: Wednesday, July 13th at 2:00 PM ET (New York Time) To attend this complimentary training session click on the link below or copy and paste it into your web-browser. (You will need to be on your phone and the Internet to attend this event.)http://www.globalteleclass.com/specialhc240b

The concept makes sense to me. I would rather avoid those colds then suffer through.

George Torok

Wayne Vanwyck, Radio Interview

Interview with business owner and business author, Wayne Vanwyck.

Wayne Vanwyck is the owner of three businesses – a training company, a call centre and a franchise business.

He is also the author of “The Business Transition Crisis”
————————————
Insights from this interview with Wayne Vanwyck

71% of business owners in Canada plan to retire in the next 10 years

This book is for baby boomers who own businesses and are or should be thinking about leaving the business.

Why would a successful business owner sabatage his own retirement?

Took a six month sabatical to travel around North America and research the book.

Your buisness is a product. One day you might want to sell it for a profit.

There are five million businesses in Canada. 98% of them employ less that 10 people.

Of the businesses that are for sale – only 1 in 5 will sell.

Your business is not you and you are not the business. It’s tough for an entrepreneur to separate the two.

Listen to this radio interview with Wayne Vanwyck


George Torok

Host of Business in Motion

Motivational Business Speaker

10 Big Businesses That Started in a Garage

Every big business had to start out somewhere, right? Some have come from more humble beginnings than others, launching with no more than some basic equipment, a couple employees, a garage space and a big idea. Whether you’re a business or finance student hoping to follow your own path to entrepreneurial success or already working in your own garage on the next big thing, these stories of companies that rose from obscurity to be multi-million (or billion) dollar industries can be a big inspiration. They may very well help you finally realize your dream of getting out of that garage and onto bigger and better things.

Apple: Today, consumers will wait in line for hours just to get their hands on some of Apple’s latest products, but once upon a time this electronics giant was a mere blip on the technology industry’s radar. Back in 1976, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniack and Ronald Wayne started a business out of a garage in Cupertino, CA, putting together one of the first prototypes of their personal computers. Over the next decades, the company would introduce several more models, including their Macintosh line in 1984, arguably what turned them from a struggling startup into a fully fledged business. Today, the company manufactures much more than computers, has almost 50,000 employees and brings in revenues of over 14 billion each year.

Google: Google might be a household name today, but back in 1998 the search engine giant was just starting out. Their corporate headquarters? A Menlo Park, CA garage. For the next five months, Google’s staff of three would work out of this garage, perfecting their search algorithm, indexing web pages, and raiding the refrigerator of their friend’s attached home. By the next year the company had outgrown the garage and eventually moved into what is today known as the Googleplex. To celebrate their 8th birthday, Google purchased the garage and intends to preserve it as a lasting legacy to the humble beginnings of their business.

Mattel: Mattel wasn’t always the toy maker we know it as today. When the Handler’s got their start in the 1940’s in a Southern California garage, they were making picture frames, not toys. Ruth Handler began taking the scraps of wood from those frames and making doll furniture, a side business which proved quite successful. Because of this, the entrepreneurs decided to change their focus to toys instead. In 1959, they introduced the first Barbie, and afterwards became a household name. Today they’re home to big names in the toy business like Fisher Price, Hot Wheels, American Girl and a number of board games.

HP: Back in 1939, Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard decided to establish their own electronics manufacturing company. Based out their garage in Palo Alto, CA, with an initial investment of only $538, the two helped establish the technology hub that would become Silicon Valley. When they started out, they made everything from high-tech electronics to agricultural products but by the 60’s were homing in on the tech market exclusively. Today, the company is an electronics giant, with some of the highest quality personal computing products on the market. They have opted to preserve the garage where they got their start, making it into a museum.

Amazon: In 1994, Jeff Bezos laid the foundations for what would be the online retailing giant Amazon in his garage, hoping to follow in the footsteps of fellow garage entrepreneurs HP. With a strong foundation, the company grew very quickly, and before long was in need of a much bigger space to house their operations. Today, there are few people who haven’t shopped with the online retailer, buying everything from food to televisions to electronic media. This small business had become one of the leading retailers in the world, with billions of dollars in sales each year.

Disney: While he would go on to build an animation and entertainment empire, Walt Disney’s first studio was a tiny, one car garage in Hollywood. There he worked on a variety of animation products, setting up a makeshift studio in the space, while he waited to see if his Alice in Wonderland pilot would be picked up by any major distributors. It was, and the company quickly moved out of the garage into a proper studio. These days, Disney is an entertainment giant for kids and adults alike with movies, theme parks and products around the world. That tiny garage was almost torn down, but the dedication of a few interested citizens helped to save it and interested visitors can go there today to see where it all began.

Microsoft: In 1975, Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft, with just a few resources and an available garage space. Unlike Apple who developed both software and hardware, Microsoft homed in on the software market. Working with IBM, the company licensed their first OS for a mere $80,000. Later, they would go on to develop more sophisticated operating systems that would evolve into those we know as Windows today. The business would grow to be one of the most profitable and powerful in the world, dominating the personal computing market.

MagLite: Anthony Maglica started his dream of owning a business by working long hours to earn the money it would take to put a down payment on his first lathe. Working in a Los Angeles garage, he began to design and build precision parts for industry, aerospace and the military. By 1974, he was incorporated as Mag Instrument and the company was gaining a reputation for the quality of their products. In 1979, MagLite released their first flashlight, the product they are best known for today. It would help them to become a household name and secure their place in the market.

Yankee Candle Company: Unable to afford a present for his mother, young Michael Kittredge created his first scented candle from some melted crayons in his garage. Neighbors saw the candles and began purchasing them from him, eventually motivating the high school student to found a business with two high school friends. Kittredge sold the company in 1999 after a cancer scare, but it has gone on to even greater success and is now sold at many major retailers and a number of its own standalone stores.

Harley Davidson: It makes complete sense that a company selling vehicles would get its start in a garage or outbuilding, because that’s where those products eventually end up. Harley Davidson did just that, starting out in 1901 with a small business that built engines for bicycles. Of course, it wasn’t long before they started developing the motorcycles for which they are known, and in 1903 they had already released their first racing bike, constructed in a small wooden shed. Buoyed by the popularity and speed of their motorcycles, the company expands, constantly rethinking the best ways to build a bike. Today, they’re still known for producing some of the biggest, best motorcycles on the market and have become a household name.


Article Source
http://www.accountingdegree.com/blog/2011/10-big-businesses-that-started-in-a-garage/

Ken Tencer – SpyderWorks Audio Interview

Listen to the radio interview with Ken Tencer of SpyderWorks.

Interview with Ken Tencer, CEO of SpyderWorks & co-author of “The 90 Percent Rule”
SpyderWorks is a strategic design firm. They are “stratical” – a blend of strategic and tactical.

——————-

Insights from this interview with Ken Tencer

The 90% rule is based on doing the things that you are 90% capable. That lowers risk and cost.
I came from a family of entrepreneurs and always believed that I would be and entrepreneur.
The book is perfect for anyone who wants a practical way to grow their business.
The risk test is – could it put me out of business?
Don’t try to hit home runs.
Look for what the next 10% can offer you.
It’s not necessary to invent anything.

The Business Transition Crisis – Book Review

Who is this book for?

This book is a must read for entrepreneurs and business owners who are thinking about their succession plan or drafting an exit strategy. Every business owner must plan for that transition. Unfortunately not everyone does. If you don’t plan your business transition someone else will make the decisions for you.


What is the urgency?

This book sounds a timely warning to the baby boomers within that group. Many of those business owners will be forced into a fire sale. Baby boomers have affected so many aspects of our culture and economy as they’ve grown older.

If you are a boomer you might recall the mortgage rates of the eighties hitting the high teens. I felt lucky to lock in at 14% for five years. Prices skyrocketed when boomers were ready to buy – and they will plummet when they are ready to sell.

This book offers some startling statistics. One that might chill you is “71% of business owners plan to retire within the next 10 years, yet only 7% have a written plan for succession.”

Imagine the financial, emotional and health tolls on the unprepared business owners. Perhaps the most traumatic issue for entrepreneurs is to let go of the business they built. That’s the case at the best of times. Imagine the pandemic when the massive baby boomer crowd decides to exit en mass. That’s the crisis.


Why should you read it?

The Business Transition Crisis is a good read for any business owner even if the only thing it does for you is to help you recast your business as a product – not as your baby. That major perspective shift is necessary for you to begin and successfully complete your transition.

The book continues to offer perspective checks and guidelines for the successful business owner. You can follow this systematic approach to prepare yourself and your business for successful transition. Even if you think that it’s too early to start planning your transition it will be worthwhile to read the book, address the questions and start preparing yourself for the process.

The book is written in a business-owner-talking-to-business-owner candor. Wayne Vanwyck offers you insights from his experience as an owner of three businesses. That includes lessons from his mistakes and successes. He reveals his own painful wakeup call that forced him to address his business transition.

The author provides insights from the interviews that he conducted with hundreds of business owners across North America. The excerpts from some of these conversations are revealing. Some examples will make you cheer while others might sadden you. In every case the lessons are clear and simple. This is reflective experience speaking to you.

If you are thinking about your business transition then this book is a powerful yet clear and simple step-by-step guide to personal and financial success. You are presented with probing questions that must be addressed at each step of the process. There are checklists, action lists and tips.

There’s help on how to build your transition team and ensure that all the relevant players are working for your best interest. The book introduces the intriguing concept of working with a Business Transition Coach. This is a role that offers more comprehensive support than one would receive from a lawyer, banker, accountant or business broker.

The book lists and explores several options of retiring from your business. In each case there are important steps you must follow to ensure the success of your health, financial security and important relationships.

The Business Transition Crisis is a book that every business owner needs to read before they retire so they can retire successfully.


© George Torok is the host of the radio show Business in Motion. He has interviewed over 450 business leaders. You can listen to those interviews free at http://www.businessinmotion.ca/ You can also listen to those Podcasts on iTunes. George is a motivational business speaker. Arrange a speech or presentation at http://www.business-speaker.biz/ or call 905-335-1997



Book review by George Torok

Learn more about The Business Transition Crisis