Step Back, then Step Out
September 23, 2010
It is important to be happy and enjoy what we do. Naturally, there will be down days and frustrations, but overall a happy positive spirit will help us to do what we do in our best way.
I came across an article that included the following thought provoking quote.
“I contend that the key to professional happiness is asking yourself two simple questions every single day: Are you passionate about what you do? And if not, what are you going to do instead?”– Bill Murphy Jr. – the author of The Intelligent Entrepreneur ($27.50, amazon.com).
This key to happiness is something worth considering. Having passion about what we do is very important. We can also find passion in what we do away from the workplace. But finding happiness at work results from a deep desire to solve problems and help others. I am going to look for ways today to re ignite my passion for what I do and why I do it.
Like it or not – We Must Take Risks
June 29, 2010
Business is all about risk taking. We can dream up an idea for a product or service, but when it comes to implementing it the risk taking begins. Investing money in the start up and deciding where and how to advertise all involves risk. The best we can do is to research the options and make an informed decision based on that knowledge.
Ways to lower the risk.
A very important thing that many businesses forget to do is to find a way to track their successes. We need to ask customers how they heard about us and that will help us discover what methods of advertising are working best. It is important to place response cues within the advertisement that will let us know which ad motivated the purchase or the call for more information. This call to action will possibly involve a free sample, a coupon, a bonus if you act now. This way we can track the ads success in bringing new clients. In direct sales and cold calling we still want to keep track of the response rate and discover how to improve our presentations by surveying the clients on their feelings about the way the product or service was presented. Brainstorm to find creative ways to reach new clients, but track the process so you can build on this success and improve your outreach.
The Best Time to Grow Your Business
June 22, 2010 by magicnorm
Yesterday I enjoyed planting two cherry trees in the yard. They are about 6 foot tall and full of foliage, but it will be at least 2 years before they will have some nice cherries. An Ancient Chinese Proverb says… “The best time to plant a tree is 15 years ago… the second best time to plant a tree is today.” We need to get moving on growing our business now, today! Each day should be spent in to developing new customers and reaching out to our existing customers. Think where we would be if we had done more to develop new clients 5 years ago. Sure we would be better off if we did more last week or last year. We can not dwell on missed opportunities unless they motivate us to not let it happen again. Do something to move forward today.
Make an action plan for tomorrow and get on it. In no time you will enjoy the fruit of your labor.
Risk Taking & Business Success
March 6, 2010
We are a society that admires risk takers. We cheer on the person confidently clinging to a silver brief case While Howie Mandel waits for a phone call from a banker looking down from his corner office in a high corner of the studio.
Olympian skiers fly down hills at bone crushing speed and Brett Farve fights to the finish with bruised ribs and knees.
Risk in Business
In business we are told to push the envelope, and think outside the box. The risk takers see great success as new products and businesses are launched, yet we don’t see the trash bin out back full of half baked failures. But a willingness to face the possibility of failure is just what it takes to come up with something new and improved.
The word improve has a root word and that is improve. If we want to see improvement we need to experiment or be improvisational. This skill is used by teams coming up with new product ideas or brainstormers who develop creative solutions to problems. This skill is deftly used by great public speakers and leaders who seem to be able to effortlessly think of their feet. It is a valuable skill that can be learned and applied.
Even though we cheer on risk in others, we tend to shun risk in our own lives and work. It seems much preferable to curl up in bed and watch Cheers or Gilligan’s Island than go out into that cold cruel world each day.
There are ways to face out fears and move forward with confidence and a positive attitude.
That confidence comes from practice and experience. There are ways to develop this skill and we can study the lives of those who had success to learn its secrets.
One basic secret is that there will be ups and downs and that we must learn from both. No one is 100% successful in each project or endeavor. Yet there will be no success unless and attempt is made. We must step out are take a risk. Sometimes we will succeed other times come close. We can also learn from those near misses.
It took Thomas Edison over 2000 attempts to make a working light bulb. He commented after another failed attempt, “We now know a thousand ways not to build a light bulb.” With each attempt, he discovered something – another way that does not work.
Thomas Edison also said, “I never failed once. It just happened to be a 2000 step process.”
Tags: business, keynote, motivational speaker, positive attitude, risk in business, risk taking
Improvisation and Creativity in Business
March 5, 2010
Improvisational teams such as the Second City in Chicago launched the careers of John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Dan Ackroid, Bill Murray and many other comedy greats of the past 20 years. It was a place to play and experiment. Some of these experiments made a very small impact – in the audience you could hear the sound of one hand clapping. Others blew the roof off! The team had to trust each other and themselves.
In business, teams and entrepreneurs have to creatively think on their feet and improvise to bring success.
There are rules for improvisation. It is not all made up on the spot and guidelines are required for the out of the box thinking.
The First Rule of Improvisation: Believe in yourself. You have to trust that you have ideas and an innate creative ability. Many people say, “I’m not creative.” But that is simply not true. Necessity is the mother of invention and if you were placed in a situation, such as having the door fall off your refrigerator, and no repair shop open until Monday, you would quickly discover your ability to come up with a solution. You would most likely come up with several ways out of this.
Think of some solutions now to this exercise, then, read on.
In my classes on improve, several ideas came forward such as; leaning the door back up and putting a chair against it, laying the refrigerator on its back and letting the door lay on it. Another wise participant said, “Call everyone over and throw a party and eat it all up.” And of course there is duct tape!
The situation caused a need for a solution and when pressed we all can think of several ideas. We are creative, when we have to be.
So much of our creativity has been flushed away by school and peer pressure. But it is still there waiting to flower like a seed under the snow in March.
Second: Trust your team. Try to avoid judging ideas too quickly, instead build on the ideas tossed out and see your success grow.
An important technique is saying, “Yes and…” You agree with the “yes” and then add more information after saying, “and.”
For example Mary says, “the color of the fire extinguisher product box would look good in that fire engine red” and Dave says, “Yes, and… we could put a window here to let them see the extinguisher inside.” Ideas build and flourish with, “yes and…”
Get started and try some of the skills methods found in this article or invite me to your next team building meeting and let’s get the minds exercising.
The Value of Meetings
February 23, 2010
There is a lot of concern with keeping budgets tight and one place many feel is necessary to cut back is with meetings. The meetings and travel industry has had to prove its value in these tough times. In a recent article in Meetings Magazine, this was tackled head on.
Meetings can energize people and build team spirit. The importance of building relationships in a face to face manner have great value. Sheila Smith Le Corre is the Director of Business Development at Martin Bastian and she said that, “People have a basic need to interact. For companies this means bringing people together to hear about plans, measure progress, network with colleagues or customers, share best practices and recognize superior achievements.” She also explained that these interactions cannot be replaced by a conference call or vitual meeting.
It is good for the company and the customers to have an inspired workforce and a meeting can motivate staff and help accomplish this.
I look forward to helping to build your team with my inspirational keynote presentation. Check it at InspireBiz.com.
One benefit that comes from this downturn in the economy is that consumers can get some great deals and meeting planners can get some very attractive packages for their events.
New Year’s Eve Appearance at Dellwood Hills Golf Club
February 16, 2010
Dellwood Hills Golf Club knows how to put on a wonderful New Year’s Event. They are known for their excellent food this evening was no exception as they offered wonderfully prepared, fine food from oysters to the prime rib. Salads, fruit and sauces were also fantastic. Dellwood Hills club also has a very friendly and attentive staff and wonderful décor in their lovely banquet rooms.
If you are planning a special event this is a great place to consider. The views out the banquet room are fabulous and the staff strive for excellence. Many business groups have meetings here and your group will be pleased if you choose Dellwood Hills.
This New Year’s Eve party had a live band providing jazz and pop music. Cool music is great entertainment for corporate parties.
During the social hour they had a comedy strolling magician interacting with the guests – hey that’s me! The guests were very receptive to the playful comedy entertainment that magic offers. It is fun for me as an artist to see the faces light up as they react to the amazing tricks such as pens vanishing and pennies disappearing and then growing in size. It is fun to see them laugh and have their jaws drop by my magic dust routine or the borrowed dollar that becomes a $20.
I really enjoy bringing smiles and laughter to groups and this is my 3rd appearance at Dellwood Hills over the past few years, twice for New Year’s Eve events and once for another member’s event. I was also invited to entertain the Dellwood Staff with my stage comedy and magic show at their annual staff party held at North Oaks Country Club. Come to think of it, North Oaks has also used my entertainment many times for their member’s family and adult parties.
I love to bring laughs and that extra Pizzazz to special events. How can I be of service to you and your group? I present a very fun motivational program that draws people in and impacts them with the message of service and teamwork. I enjoy tailoring my skills to make your event fun and memorable.
Check it out at InspireBiz.com