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Monday Morning Motivators – June 9, 2008
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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
“We are all competing against mediocrity.”
--Blue Man
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Table of Contents
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1. – Linda Fayerweather
2. The Power of the Testimonial – Part 2 - Rebecca Booth
3. Release Instant Gratification - Pat Altvater
4. Follow Up – Paula Frazier
5. To Do This Week
6. Fine Print
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1. Vacation, Yeah, Take One!
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When was the last time you took off two weeks? Business owners need to plan and then take vacations to refresh, reinvigorate and renew their commitment to their business. Other things that may happen when you vacation include:
1. Identify Number 2;
2. Test “What if” scenarios for an extended owner absence;
3. Test Standard Operating Procedures;
4. Identify things you don’t need to do leading to new space in your calendar;
5. New ideas for the future!
Planning for a vacation is a key step to long range planning. Next time you hear someone say “I haven’t had a vacation in 2 or 3 or 5 years, image a big “L” for loser on their forehead. Business owners that forget to vacation usually have no long term plans. If you are still a skeptic, read Joe Albanese’s story about his start-up and Iraq. http://www.inc.com/magazine/20080601/when-absence-makes-the-team-grow-stronger.html
Copyright 2008 Linda Fayerweather
I’m on vacation this week!
Changing Lanes LLC
www.ChangingLanes.biz
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2. The Power of the Testimonial – Part Two: Dissecting the Testimonial
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A good testimonial needs to be short and to the point. But just saying, “XYZ Company saved me time and money” isn’t going to cut it. Readers want to know how XYZ Company saved that person time and money. Here’s a stronger testimonial: “I worked closely with XYZ Company on developing a new software system for my business. Not only did they listen to my needs, I’ve been able to increase my profits twofold thanks to the time I saved by using XYZ’s software!”
This testimonial is stronger because it mentions:
1) Specifics (increased profits twofold)
2) That you listen to your clients and respond to their input
3) That you work closely with them (no one trusts a lone wolf to deliver products/service any more).
By demonstrating through testimonials that your product or service can save a prospect time, make them more efficient, and allow them to get more business done during the day you have a strong testimonial. By telling them you can also save them money, you have a tried and true winner!
Copyright 2008 Rebecca Booth
Marketing Goddess
Imagine That!
419-855-3399
www.rebeccaboothmarketinggoddess.com
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3. Release Instant Gratification
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We’ve become an instant gratification society; we want everything NOW! We’re accustomed to fast food, changing the TV channels with a push of a button and instant information on the Internet. When this mindset flows over to our business, it can be harmful.
Studies show that individuals who cultivate the ability to delay gratification are more successful, financially stable and happy people. They know that a choice today that may result in waiting for results is typically better than the quick fix of instant gratification.
The ability to delay gratification can be developed by practicing with small goals. Select one behavior change and do it every day. Keep track daily to keep yourself accountable for making this change. Here are some things you can do to build your self-discipline muscle:
1. Check email only twice a day.
2. Eliminate TV for an entire week. No exceptions, no TV.
3. Put the $3.50 from your daily café mocha into a savings account for something you’d like to buy; rather than buying it now with credit, wait until you have the cash to purchase the item.
4. Get up an hour earlier to have quiet time for yourself.
Each small victory leads to greater victories so keep your momentum going by selecting other goals to work on; goals that may be more long-term in nature.
Pat Altvater
Certified Law of Attraction Practitioner
www.thesecretofpermanentweightloss.com
www.permanentweightlossebook.com
www.transformationsinstitute.com
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4. Follow Up
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Dear Monday Morning Motivators Readers – This is an article written by my long time colleague and friend Hazel M Walker. Enjoy!!!
You have just spent 3 hours at a networking event, you get back to your office and the phone rings, there are 37 emails that need to be answered, clients need help and life happens. What happened to those business cards? Two weeks pass, three weeks pass and the next thing you know there is a rubber band around the cards and they are put in a drawer, sound familiar?
Business people all over the world spend a great deal of time going to networking events. Often it is wasted time because there is little or no follow up. If you consider the value of your time, these events can be expensive.
For instance, you drive 30 minutes to an event, you are at the event for 2 hours, and you drive 30 minutes back to your office, for a total of 3 hours. If, as a business owner, you calculate the value of your hour as $100, you have now spent $300 for this networking event. Take this times 10 events per year, you are now at $3000 per year for just this one event. Add to that cost, the cost of the event, cost of the fuel or any other cost, then multiply it times the number of events and you can rack up $10,000 to $15,000 in networking expenses.
If you are investing this kind of money in your networking, wouldn't it make sense to have a follow up system in place?
I asked Dr. Ivan R. Misner, founder of BNI and the Referral Institute, what he thought was the very best system for follow up. After all he is known as the "Father of Modern Networking", so certainly he would have the best system. I was surprised by his response, "The best system is the one that works for you. Everyone has a different style, so what might work for one might not be the best for another. The important thing is that you have a system that you will stick to."
Copyright 2008 Hazel M Walker is a Master Trainer for the Referral Institute teaching business professionals how to implement the Science of Referrals. She is a member of the National Speakers Association and she is the owner of an award winning BNI Franchise, where she works with business owners to implement the power of referrals in their businesses. Hazel can be reached at hazel@referralinstitute.com
Paula Frazier is a referral marketing trainer, coach, consultant and keynote speaker. She is an Executive Director for BNI and part of a select team of Master Trainers for Referral Institute. Paula’s business networking articles have been published nationally. She is also acknowledged in the New York Times best seller, Truth or Delusion – Busting Networkings Biggest Myths. Check out #33, Delusion with a twist!
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5. To Do This Week
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Plan your next day before you leave the office.
