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Monday Morning Motivators – March 10, 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
“The purpose of a business is to create a customer.”
--Peter Drucker
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Table of Contents
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1. The Customer Does Not Depend on Us – Linda Fayerweather
2. 11 Rules for Living – Part 1 of 3 - Rebecca Booth
3. Use Mindfulness to Cope with Stress – Pat Altvater
4. Do Your Referral Sources Know? – Paula Frazier
5. To Do This Week
6. Fine Print
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1. The Customer Does Not Depend on Us
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This shopping adventure takes us back to 1988 and my desire to have an Isuzu Trooper, the 4X4 truck of the year. I wasn’t willing to spend full price, so I was seeking a 1986 Trooper and found one in great shape with 26,000 miles. The salesperson that approached quickly learned I had cash in the bank; we test drove the truck; and I was ready to buy. So, what could possibly go wrong? Well, apparently this salesperson didn’t realize I was the customer because he told me he wanted my husband to drive this truck before he would sell it to me. Not the right thing to say! I must admit, I did stomp my foot like a petulant child and loudly said “I guess you don’t want a commission because I really want this truck right now!” This minor tantrum did cause another salesperson to help out and in less time than it takes to change a tire, I had a bill of sale and my truck. I often have wondered if he asked all women this question, what if they weren’t married, would their fathers have to test drive the truck? Just a simple reminder of a business’s dependency on customers and your customer is the person that has the money to pay you. Oh yes, I’m not sure how long I had the truck before my husband got to drive it as I was very busy getting it muddy!
Copyright 2008 Linda Fayerweather
“Did you thank a customer today?”
Changing Lanes LLC
www.ChangingLanes.biz
The Customer Service Rules
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2. 11 Rules for Living – Part 1 of 3
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As you may recall, I absolutely LOVE thumbing through magazines that I’m not the target market for. Not only do I learn what the real reader’s concerns are, I usually learn something of interest. And did I ever discover a gem of an article in New Accountant magazine last month. This article was originally written by Charles J. Sykes and reprinted in New Accountant. What I find most interesting is the honest, no-holds-bar tone that the article presents to its target market of college students who are studying accounting.
The article reads as follows:
Here’s a list of 11 things that many high school and college grads did not learn in school In this feature, we talk about how feel-good, policitally-correct teachings created a full generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.
Rule #1 – Life is not fair; get used to it.
Rule #2 – The world won’t care about yourself-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
Rule #3 – You will NOT make $40,000 a year right out of high school. You won’t be a vice president with a car phone, until you earn both.
Copyright 2008 Rebecca Booth
Marketing Goddess
Imagine That!
419-855-3399
www.rebeccaboothmarketinggoddess.com
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3. Use Mindfulness to Cope with Stress
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During a high stress situation, it's natural to feel pulled toward something that distracts you and makes you feel better fast and often that something is consuming food or engaging in other addictive behaviors! Instead try mindfulness.
Mindfulness is simply finding awareness in the present moment and listening to your inner wisdom without judgment or expectation. It's a way of restoring your internal balance no matter what else is going on around you. It is your true state of being.
When we are mindful, we are better able to recognize the choices we are making and adopt healthier, more constructive behaviors if we don't like what we see.
So make a list of all of the other things you could do to cope with stress in a way that makes you feel good about yourself and reduces your stress. Your list could include walking, calling a friend, meditation, etc.
Make your list today and the next time you are stressed, do the first thing on your list!
Copyright 2008 Pat Altvater
Certified Law of Attraction Practitioner
www.thesecretofpermanentweightloss.com
www.permanentweightlossebook.com
www.transformationsinstitute.com
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4. Do Your Referral Sources Know?
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I recently had the opportunity to meet Jack Canfield. You know . . . the Chicken Soup for the Soul guy. Motivational is an understatement! At one point he looked at us and said, “You are the average of the five people you spend most of your time with”. It applies in life and it definitely applies in referral marketing.
I was inspired! I couldn’t get home fast enough to share my new epiphany with my clients at our regular weekly workshop. I asked them to write down the five people that they’d spent most of their time with in the last four weeks and then posed these caring questions:
1. How many of them are active referral sources?
2. Do they know that you’re counting on them to help create referral revenue for you and your business?
3. How many times have you met with them in the last month to develop the relationship and educate them as a referral source?
4. What have you proactively done for them to motivate them to refer you?
5. When is your next scheduled meeting?
The reality is that most of us want to receive referrals but we’re not spending enough time with our referral sources. When we do manage to get face to face, we don’t typically have purposeful, productive conversations. It’s been so long since you’ve seen each other that you’re busy catching up on what’s new.
BLINDING FLASH OF THE OBVIOUS: Many of us complain that there isn’t enough time in a day. There’s plenty of time! When it comes to your referral marketing efforts, are you spending it with the right people?
Copyright 2008 Paula Frazier
Master Trainer for Referral Institute and an Executive Director for BNI, the world’s leading business marketing organization. To learn more about motivating your referral sources visit http://www.bniswva.com or http://www.referralinstitutevirginia.com
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5. To Do This Week
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Test your back up system by making sure you know how to restore a file.
