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Monday Morning Motivators – November 5, 2007
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Enjoy your java with an eclectic collection of tips and ideas to use today and to get energized for the week ahead. Subscribing and Unsubscribing at www.mondaymorningmotivators.com
“In modern business it is not the crook who is to be feared most, it is the honest man who doesn't know what he is doing.”
--William Wordsworth
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Table of Contents
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1. Five M’s – Linda Fayerweather
2. Marketing Kudo – Part 2 - Rebecca Booth
3. Mind Over Munching – Pat Altvater
4. Networking by Definition – Paula Frazier
5. To Do This Week
6. Fine Print
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1. Five M’s
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No, this isn't a plug for M&Ms, although I'm sure some treats are still lurking even though I'm thinking about caramel apples. The Five M's identify the primary resources driving operational performance and hopefully profits.
· Men & Women: The people in your business, employees, vendors and contractors - everyone from the farmer to the delivery driver to get caramel apples to market.
· Machines: Systems or devices for performing work; including both paper and computerized information systems. This includes regulations on products and services - maybe they don't look like machines, but one bad apple . . .
· Materials: Items from which value is created; including work-in-process information - the apple, the stick, the caramel.
· Methods: The procedures used to produce value. Step by step directions for the most efficient way to produce the caramel apples so we don't have a sticky mess.
· Measures: The evaluation tools for monitoring and managing. Production and customer feedback is essential!
Identifying your Five M's will also help you identify waste. Ask yourself if your business is doing something that doesn't fit in the above model and then if it doesn't add value ask "Why are we doing this?"
Copyright 2007 Linda Fayerweather
Changing Lanes LLC
www.ChangingLanes.biz
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2. Marketing Kudo
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Just so you know, that Paper Coach I work with, Julie Higby, doesn’t always attract bad marketers. In fact, she’s got a great story to tell about her recent move. She worked with Ron Erdman from National City Bank for the loan on her new home. The day she closed on her house, she was pleasantly surprised by a gift on her front door step. The loan officer had a “Welcome Home” message attached to a beautiful houseplant for her and her daughter. A few days later, she received a thank you note. The icing on the cake: Ron had his secretary call Julie to see how things were going with the move and if she needed any additional help. While others choose traditional form letters as a follow up, Ron warmed up the touch with the personal call.
BTW, Ron and Julie also do business together. He has hired Julie to be his virtual assistant on a follow up birthday card campaign that he has initiated with Send Out Cards (sendoutcards.com). Not only did he earn a commission off the home sale, he shared his wealth with the client by hiring her to do something for him. While she probably won’t be buying another house again soon, he has upped his chances of garnering more referrals by giving back to his client. That’s one smart cookie!
Copyright 2007 Rebecca Booth
Marketing Goddess
Imagine That!
www.marketingsolutioneers.com
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3. Mind Over Munching
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Next time a food craving hits, British researchers say to counter it with a crossword puzzle or Sudoku puzzle. They concluded that diverting your attention as soon as the urge strikes for an unhealthy snack may help you regain your self-control.
The researchers gave 18 dieting coeds mental tasks and tempted them with three snacks: chocolate-covered sponge cake with orange filling, mini chocolate bars, and chips. The dieters ate less when distracted with tasks that engaged their complete attention. The distraction you choose must be totally absorbing, the scientists advise; hobbies like knitting won’t do because they allow your mind to wander-maybe right back to that pie or the ice cream in the frig. Furthermore, they concluded that the more you practice, the better the method works. So choose a diversion you can use anywhere, like books of Sudoku, the popular math riddles, crossword puzzles, etc.
Copyright 2007 Patricia Altvater
Transformations Institute
Author, Journey to Health 12-Month Total Transformation Program
www.transformationsinstitute.com
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4. Networking by Definition
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Networking, as defined by Ivan Misner, the networking guru, is “the process of developing and using contacts to increase your business, enhance your knowledge, expand your sphere of influence or serve the community. It is one of the most powerful techniques you can use to succeed in any venture.” So learn the skills and techniques necessary for effective networking and deliver a positive message effectively.
Copyright 2007 Paula Frazier
Executive Director
BNI – Southwestern Virginia
http://bniswva.com
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5. To Do This Week
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A Haiku to remind you to backup your computer.
Windows XP crashed.
I am the Blue Screen of Death.
No one hears your screams.
