Try, Try Again, or Maybe Not

IF at first you don’t succeed, it doesn’t matter that you tried.

This study was discussed in the New York Times.

That seems to be the message of a working paper prepared recently by a team at Harvard Business School. The study found that when it comes to venture-backed entrepreneurship, the only experience that counts is success.

“The data are absolutely clear,” says Paul A. Gompers, a professor of business administration at the school and one of the study’s authors. “Does failure breed new knowledge or experience that can be leveraged into performance the second time around?” he asks. In some cases, yes, but over all, he says, “We found there is no benefit in terms of performance.”

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You can read the rest of this article at the New York Times.

The article raises some questions about the validity of learning from failure.

I strongly disagree with the conclusions of this study because I know that my most memorable lessons have been my failures. And many of my radio show guests tell me about their early failures that later led to success for them.

How about you?


George Torok
Business Speaker
Business Networking Tips

Cursing your luck? Think Again

Unemployed? Lucky you!
Good luck, bad luck -- it's all how you perceive your lot in life

GEORGE TOROK
The Hamilton Spectator (Mar 18, 2009)

You lost your job -- how lucky can you get?

Luck is more a matter of perspective than it is the roll of the dice.

If luck is a matter of random chance then mathematically every one of us is equally lucky. Whether you think you are lucky or not is irrelevant. The real question is how lucky do you feel. Because, how you feel, will determine your actions and outcome.

Read the rest of this article as published in Hamilton Spectator.


George Torok
Canadian Business Speaker
Motivational Speaker

BIM Corporation

BIM Corporation


Who is BIM Corporation?

There appears to be a company called BIM Corporation. And BIM stands for Business in Motion. It seems to be a network marketing company. What products it sells seems unclear, at least to me.


I (George Torok) am not associated in any way with BIM Corporation. At this time I have had not had contact with anyone from BIM Corporation (at least that I know of). I do not endorse BIM Corporation - nor do I have anything good or bad to say about them at this time.

Click below to read what CBC's Marketplace says:

More about Alan Kippax and BIM Corporation

Buying into the pitch to become rich

And here is the link to the BIM Corporation website





Business in Motion, my radio show was started in September 1995 on radio station 93.3 cfmu and has been broadcasting continuously since then.

Listen to my radio show, Business in Motion, Fridays at noon on 93.3 cfmu in Hamilton, Ontario.
George Torok
Business in Motion
Canadian Business Speaker

Articles on Evan Carmichael

Articles by George Torok on Evan Carmichael


How to Kill Your Restaurant Business Fast: Four Eulogies - Click To Read Article
One of the biggest mistakes that restaurant owners make is to believe that they are in the food business. Big mistake! Grocery stores are in the food business. Restaurants are in the experience business. The experience at McDonalds is very different from that at Boston Pizza from TGI Fridays from Ruth's Chris Steak House. Yet they are all in the same business - just different segments of it. Why do restaurants fail? It's usually not the food. Here are four restaurant failures that I witnessed recently in our neighborhood.

Presentation to the seven dwarfs - Click To Read Article
Every member of your audience is different. You can’t treat them the same and expect the same reaction from all of them. You must be prepared to connect on different levels and receive different reactions to your presentation. Consider this challenge. Imagine that you are presenting to the seven dwarfs. You might be tempted to think that they are all the same because they are all dwarfs and all working in the same industry. Think again. Consider these possible very different reactions to your presentation.

The fire alarm rings during your presentation - Click To Read Article
What do you do when the fire alarm rings during your presentation? I've witnessed this disaster happen to two other speakers and this week it was my turn. It's a lot easier to think logically about it after it is over. It might never happen to you - but perhaps you should be prepared for the fire alarm to ring during your presentation.

Networking Can Save Your Life - Click To Read Article
Networking is often touted as a powerful career or business development tool. But, have you ever thought about networking as a necessary skill to save lives? Can networking save your life - or the life of someone you love?

The Van Gogh Syndrome can kill your business - Click To Read Article
If you consider yourself a professional, technical expert or artist, learn from the mistakes of Van Gogh - quickly - if you want to grow your business. When I research and work with these folks I often find that their business is suffering because they are reluctant and uniformed in marketing their business. They mistakenly believe that being good at their craft is enough. Poor fools.

Selling in a Recession

Selling in a Recession - that's the theme for my radio show, Business in Motion, this week.

My guest is sales expert, trainer and author - Kelley Robertson.

Kelley Robertson is author of two sales books, Stop, Ask and Listen and Secrets of Power Selling. He is creator of Fearless Selling - a program for more sales.

If you're looking for tips and advice on how best to sell in this recession listen in to Business in Motion at 12:00 noon Friday March 6, 2009. You can listen live on the web at http://cfmu.msumcmaster.ca/

If you are in the Hamilton area you can tune in to 93.3 FM.

The show runs from 12:00 noon to 12:30 - an entertaining content-packed interview is expected.

Fund Raising Week

CFMU is local community radio owned an operated by the McMaster Student Union. This week is fundraising week so if you like what you hear and what it to continue contribute to CFMU. It's those listener contributions that keeps CFMU alive and broadcasting.

Here's a bonus

If you contribute at least $20 during the broadcast of Business in Motion you will receive a free autographed copy of my bestselling book, Secrets of Power Marketing. That is a regular retail value of $27.95 plus GST.

You get to contribute to CFMU and receive a fabulous marketing book as our thank you gift. The book is published in at least seven countries.

How can you contribute?

You can contribute online using PayPal

http://cfmu.msumcmaster.ca/promotions/overview.htm

To qualify for the free book - put "CFMU Business in Motion" in the purpose field.

You can also phone in your contribution to 905-528-9888

Listen to CFMU online

Visit Fearless Selling website

Visit Business in Motion website

Read an excerpt from Secrets of Power Marketing

Monkey See Monkey Do

Monkey see monkey do

Remember that old expression? Some folks might not like the analogy but it expresses this lesson in management well.

If you want your staff to focus on a particular behaviour – you need to focus on it yourself.

Follow these three steps to getting the behaviour that you want from your staff.

1. Let them see you doing what you want them to do.

2. Make the desired behaviour a regular agenda item.

3. Encourage and celebrate the desired behaviour in your staff.


People, like animals, will tend to behave in a manner that rewards them.

Imagine that you want to take a customer centric focus in your business. That is a smart strategy to follow in these challenging times.

As manager or business owner, what could you do?

Here are some ideas for you.

Treat customers as king and queen and mean it. No snide remarks behind their backs about your customers.

Start every staff meeting with a customer story. Invite staff to bring and tell their best customer story at each meeting. Make it a contest among your staff.

Collect more customer testimonials and display them for all to see.

Tour customers through your facility more often.

Name your customer of the month, week or day.

Give awards to your staff for customer service. Ask your customers to vote.

Allow and encourage your staff to make direct contact with your customers. Don’t be the buffer between them.

Consult with your staff for more information about your customers. Don’t be the source of information. Be the one asking questions.

Brag about your staff and their customer success stories.


Go ahead and peal that banana and remember - the rest of the monkeys are watching you.


George Torok

Host of Radio Show, Business in Motion

Motivational Business Speaker