Play with all your heart 'til the very end...

“Sometime around 2:10 a.m. as the Titanic began settling more quickly into the icy North Atlantic, the sounds of ragtime, familiar dance tunes and popular waltzes that had floated reassuringly across her decks suddenly stopped as Bandmaster Wallace Hartley tapped his bow against his violin.   Hartley and his musicians, all wearing their lifebelts now, were standing back at the base of the second funnel, on the roof of the First Class Lounge, where they had been playing for the better part of an hour.  There had been a few moments of silence, then the solemn strains of the hymn “Nearer My God to Thee” began drifting across the water.  It was with a perhaps unintended irony that Hartley chose a hymn that pleaded for the mercy of the Almighty, as the ultimate material conceit of the Edwardian Age, the ship that “God Himself couldn’t sink,” foundered beneath his feet.  As the band played, the slant of the deck grew steeper, while from within the hull came a rapidly increasing number of thuds, bangs and crashes as interior furnishings broke loose, walls and partitions collapsed–the Titanic was only moments from breaking apart.”¹

 

I’m sure you recognize the story that is told here.  The band, while employed on the ship, were not crew members of the ship.  They were in fact employed by a Liverpool music agency who was employed by the ship.  Thus, the musicians were just ‘passengers’ like everyone else outside of the ship’s crew.  They could have left at any time they wanted, just like the passengers were leaving.  Note that the entire band perished in the icy North Atlantic waters that morning along with 1495 fellow passengers and crew.

 

When you look at the lives of these men (short descriptions here), you don’t find anything that would have caused you to believe that they would possess such courage. Yet, when the time came, the gave all.

 

When you stop and think, I would say that our survival instincts would prove to be one of our highest, so knowingly going to your ‘grave’ just isn’t something the overwhelming majority of people would ever do. How was it that Wallace Hartley was able to lead his team in a way that caused them to stay and play (work) when everyone around them was panicking?  They obviously saw something in this leader that caused them to follow him, to the very end.

 

So as you lead your team today, ask yourself these questions:

 

o   Am I hiring top talent for the positions I’m filling?

o   What culture am I instilling within the team concerning the customer experience, comradery, and the company mission & vision?

o   Am I a leader that people believe in and trust?

o   Do I lead by example?

o   Am I a leader that people willingly follow?

o   Am I a leader that inspires?

o   Am I seen as a servant leader or a task master?

o   Everyone leaves some type of legacy – what will mine be?

 

 

“A man who wants to lead the orchestra
must turn his back on the crowd.”
~Max Lucado

¹From RMS Titanic Remembered

Lessons I Learned - From a SunBurn

It was Memorial Day...must have been around 1989. I went out on a water skiing trip with some friends and in about a two hour time frame, became so sun-burnt that I had to miss a week of work and take (internally and externally) so many medications. It was without a doubt the worst pain I've even been in throughout my life (so far, no broken bones!).

As I ponder on that, with Memorial Day quickly approaching, I thought about the leadership lessons I learned from this event. They are:

• Always be sure to consider the consequences of your decision. I often discuss with my son that every decision has a consequence - some positive, some negative, but there's always a consequence. Our job is to try to make as many decisions that will produce positive results as possible.
• Go into the action prepared. I should have known better than to go out on the water, in the middle of a hot, cloudless sunny day, without sun-screen. Anything you're going to do needs a plan, regardless of how simple or how meaningless you believe it is.
• Have a "replacement" plan in affect. You are never guaranteed another day. I had no plan for being out unexpectantly for a week. You never know when something is going to happen, possibly even good (a promotion or the career of your dreams comes along), that will cause you to not be able to perform your current role. All great leaders are always working to replace themselves so that they can move on to the next challenge. Create a program that immediately begins to fill your role...in case.
• Set your team up for success. I've seen so many micro-managers in my life. They're the leader who has to have their hand in everything. They work from the philosophy, "If I want it done right, I'll do it myself." This is the worse path you can create for your team, and for the success of what you do. Prepare your team every day to work, decide and to lead as if you were not there. Then, when/if something happens, the team can continue to be successful.
• Be accountable. When something happens to you, the majority of the time it's because of some decision you've made. Just like with me going to the river in the middle of the day without sun-screen...that was my decision to do, regardless of whether I thought about it or "forgot it". My actions, my accountability. I couldn't blame anyone else for what happened to me that day. I hear so many people, and unfortunately a majority being the younger population, blaming others for things that happen to them. Be accountable for your actions...you'll learn more in the long run when you do.

So even though I went through a very painful, very memorable event, there were valuable lessons learned (again, the eternal optimist in me). And this isn't the only event that's happened to me where I've learned something (here and here).

My question: What personal event has lead you to do life a little differently, with more focus?

[Note: photo from http://www.philarockgym.com/]

“Your Success Is My Business.”™

pondering - "to think about : reflect on"

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I Can See! (Vision - Part II)

I've been pondering a lot recently about vision. In fact, I just wrote another blog about it so it's really been on my mind a lot lately.

For business, I can't fathom a reason why there wouldn't be a clearly defined vision, mission and culture statement that every employee knows by heart. When I talk with great business leaders, they tell me they literally cringe when their teams can't immediately recite all of these to someone. For everyone in your business to understand the purpose of the business, how you're going to get there and how you're going to work in accomplishing this is so vitally important to any company's long-term success, how do businesses operate without them?

I was recently listening to Bill Hybels share some keys in creating a organizations vision and wanted to share some of them with you:

• Vision creates the picture of the perfect future.
• The most incredible vision is worthless if no one owns it.
• The first step in creating your vision is to use the team approach in drafting it. "People don't have to have their way, they just have to have their way considered."
• The vision must be refined before delivered in it's final version.
• Declare the vision to your company - this is a team activity.
• Vision leaks. Use all tactics available to keep people's vision buckets full.

And the last point of creating a successful vision: The single most determining factor to whether your followers will own the vision is by how deeply they believe that you own it.

My question: What is your company's vision?


[Note: photo from http://intimacywithgod.files.wordpress.com/]

“Your Success Is My Business.”™

pondering - "to think about : reflect on"

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Vision

Vision. It's not just what you see; sometimes it's about what you don't see, but what you want to see. You ever ponder on this?

People can have a vision about where they want to go, what they want to accomplish, how they want to get there. Businesses are supposed to have a vision as well. It's all about "where are we going and who wants to go with us."

I always enjoy listening to great leaders (whether the leaders of industry, nations, religion, etc.), to hear their passion and to listen to their vision. I learned in a leadership session once, some of the keys it takes to be a great leader (sorry but I can't remember which one now or who said this) but there were three keys to it and it all surrounded vision. From my notes, the three keys to a great leader are:

1. A passionate vision.
2. The ability to share the vision so that you get disinterested people to follow.
3. Exhibit no embarrassment in the articulation of the vision.

Think about the people you'd call great leaders and see how they applied each of the items above.

My question: Are you sharing your vision with others?

[Note: photo from http://joeypeacock.com/]

“Your Success Is My Business.”™

pondering - "to think about : reflect on"

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Questions about you

You ever see one of those "Questions about you" that you can answer and share with others that helps tell who you are? They're pretty cool and can often times be very revelling.

I was digging through one of my many paper-pads looking for a specific quote I wanted to use as a “status post” for my Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter pages, and while doing so I found “10 Questions” from notes taken a couple of years ago during a talk by Steve Siebold. You don’t have to answer them back to me, I just thought they’d make you stop and ponder:

1. What are the three (3) most positive experiences of your life?
2. List the three (3) most important things you’ve learned about success?
3. How did your family make you feel about yourself?
4. List your three (3) biggest heroes.
5. Write down your own obituary as if you achieved all your dreams.
6. What do you want your great-great grandchildren to say about you?
7. What does success mean to you?
8. What accomplishments are you the most proud of? Why?
9. What beliefs and values are you willing to die for?
10. Describe the perfect day in your life, if there were no limits.
    

My question: What did you learn about yourself from answering these questions?

[Note: photo from http://www.promotionalpro.com/]

“Your Success Is My Business.”™

pondering - "to think about : reflect on"

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The Greatest of the "New Hire"

The "new hire". Don't you love them? The brand new team member (employee) at your business --- all happy, excited, energetic, optimistic and enthusiastic. They come in like a sponge looking for every drop of information they can get. Their minds are fresh & full of creative thoughts - even if some of them won't fly, they voice ideas about ways they believe will grow and prosper the organization.

Everyone they meet or are introduced too around the office they're smiling and shaking hands with, all seemingly amped up on caffeine or some magic "new hire" drug. They get home and tell their friends & family about how they've just landed the best job every. They share all the incredible opportunities ahead of them and what a super company it is they're associated with.

But somewhere along the line, something happens to these new hires. Haven't you seen this happen? Did it even happen to you?

What is it?

Somewhere along the path they stop smiling at everyone, they stop shaking hands, end all their enthusiasm and energy, quite coming up with creative ideas...and have none of the excitement or motivation like they used too. Now, the career that they once thought was a blessing has suddenly caused them to curse it.

As the leader or business owner, you have the more difficult task in all this: Keeping everyone motivated and acting like "new hires" each and every day!

As a leader, here is a list for you to review:

• Are you, the leader, constantly sharing the vision?
• Are you constantly talking about the culture?
• Are you removing roadblocks that create frustration?
• Are you the great communicator within your company?
• Do you immediately resolve internal conflicts?
• Do you constantly carry the rallying cry of the purpose of your company?
• Do you provide constant, regularly scheduled employee evaluations so that people know exactly where they stand?
• Do you eliminate incompetence?
• And finally, do you make work fun?

As the leader, it's up to you to continue to fuel your team and to help them maintain that "new hire" mentality regardless of how long they've worked with you. Do so and watch your business grow!

Until next time, remember “Your Success Is My Business.” ™

[Note: photo from http://www.shanesart.com/]

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Are you going up hill?

I subscribe to John Maxwell's "Maximum Impact Club", so each month I receive a CD lesson to review (along with a mini-booklet).

The one I just completed (Volume 13, Number 2) was really great. It was titled "Truths About Leadership".

John made a statement in the lesson that really stood out to me, and I think provides some sense of encouragement to leaders who feel they're always going "against the wind".

John stated, "You can tell when you're on the road to success, it's up-hill all the way."

Now how powerful is that!?!

Though, as leaders, we can often tell we are making progress, sometimes that progress seems to be filled with pain and resistance. When you review yourself through the filter of John's statement, then it helps make sense why this is happening.

Do you have any thoughts and/or examples of how you've felt this way as a leader (and remember, John's other famous saying is that "...everyone is a leader of someone...")? Please click the comment link below and share your stories.

Thanks!

Until next time, remember “Your Success Is My Business."™

http://joeypeacock.com/

Full-Service

Full-service gas stations are almost like the 8-track cassettes of years past...just a memory. I can typically only find full-service stations in small towns now. I bet most people born after 1990 don't even know what a full-service gas station is (okay, or 8-tracks either).

Years ago, all gas stations were full-service. Self-service would have been considered an insult. A full-service gas station would fill your gas tank, wash your windows, check your oil and air in your tires for you...without asking! You never had to get out of your vehicle---you just sat there while someone else provided you all the customer service you needed. There were even "bays" for you to get a service job, or tires changed/installed, and some would even do electrical repairs like AC, alternator, distributor, etc. work! A true "one stop shop" for your vehicles health.

You don't know what you've missed if you never have pulled in to a full-service station.

Personally, I'm fortunate enough to work right next to a full-service gas station. Ricky McDougald is the head-chess over there and this guy is all about customer service.

I've never seen Ricky upset or mad, and I've seen him with more than he and his team could handle. He knows so much about what he does, but is so humble about it. I've seen him "plug a tire" (repair a hole in a tire for those of us who are not mechanically gifted) and not charge anything for it...unreal! If Ricky doesn't have the part you need, he'll personally walk down the street to the local Auto Parts store and pick up the right part for you.

Ricky also makes every customer fill at home...they have comfortable chairs inside with an awesome air conditioner system that keeps you cool on a hot Florida summer day. Or, if you want, they have a really nice wooden bench out front (in the shade by-the-way) that you can wait/rest on & read the paper, and even visit with friends or other customers while you're there. Mayberry has nothing on Ricky!

So if you ever have the fortune of traveling through Blountstown, Florida, take a moment and stop by McDougald's Station on Hwy. 71 for an ice-cold drink and a full-service tank of gas. You will not regret it.

Do you know a local business like this? I'd like to hear your story of a business that goes out of their way to serve their customers like Ricky does. Please add in the comment section (link below).

Until next time, remember “Your Success Is My Business."™

http://joeypeacock.com/

Nobody Can See The Wizard...?

The Wizard of Oz...a great, classic movie. One of my favorites! In fact, I have a special collectors edition laser disc of the movie (yes, I said laser disc---UGH!).

To me, one of the memorable lines of the movie is when the door man to Emerald City says, "Nobody gets in to see the Wizard! Not no way, not no how!" Of course in the end we understand why.

But, my fondness of the movie is besides the point of my message here: I know of a business, which I frequently go to and do business with, and in this business there are some "classic movie" posters around the place---one of them being the "Wizard of Oz". Since my wife and I enjoy watching classic movies, I've found this an interesting and pleasing side-note to the business. And the business has nothing to do with the entertainment industry, movies or anything with electronics or technology.

But here's the thing that most stands out to me about this business---over the door that leads to where the owner is, there is a sign with the above mentioned quote from the Wizard of Oz movie, "...Nobody gets to see the Wizard...". I think that in some way, the sign is a joke and relates to their Wizard of Oz poster, but then again it maybe is the way the owner thinks.

In all the times I've been in the business the owner has never once, no not once, ever greeted me, spoken to me or even thanked me for doing business there. I've never seen him come out to offer any of this to anyone else either. Hard to believe isn't it?

How do you have a business and not have some conversation or interaction...of any form...with the people who give you their money?!?

Today, I ask you to re-evaluate your business. Is it customer friendly? Does someone either in a leadership position or even the owner meet, greet, interact, talk with the customers that come to your store? Does your store have posted signs that discourage interaction?

If you have any similar situations where you've seen this happen to you, or if you know of a business that for whatever reason isn't customer friendly, I'd love to hear your comments (see link below).

Until next time, remember “Your Success Is My Business."™


http://joeypeacock.com/

Raving Fans...

I've just completed the Satmetrix Net Promoter® Conference and Certification this past week. It was an incredible conference with many great speakers including Charles Schwab President & CEO Walt Bettinger, Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh and Intuit President & CEO Brad Smith to name a few. Blogger and author Joseph Jaffe also entertained us as well and caused us to reconsider how businesses market to their intended audiences.

After the conference, the certification part of Net Promoter® begin...three days of intensive training, case studies and lessons.

All this because my best friend asked me "Does your company use NPS?"

How does a simple question like that turn my career into an incredible new journey?

I've always been passionate for the customer and have always known that the experience the customer has with your business and what they tell their friend & colleagues will often make or break you company. I believe the success I had years ago in my short-term financial services business as well as my decade plus electronics business was mainly due to the service---and customer experience---that I provided my clients. I also believe that the success I've personally had in FairPoint Communications has been because we had (for the teams I've lead) a true focus on delivering world-class service in every customer interaction.

Have all those interactions been world-class? No. Unfortunately that's not possible. But when you focus everything you do around that philosophy, then you're bound to have a lot more success than failure.

In the Net Promoter® Score (NPS) program, customers who are most happy with you and refer your business to their friends & colleagues are called "Promoters". At FairPoint Communicatios, we've always referred to them as "Raving Fans!" (from the Ken Blanchard book).

It seems like every business would understand that happy (loyal) customers are the foundation for a successful long-term and profitable company...but for some reason all businesses don't make that their ultimate focus.

Until next time, remember “Your Success Is My Business."™

http://joeypeacock.com/

Do Businesses Really Care About Creating Customer Loyalty?

I visited a couple of local businesses the other day, and based on my experiences, I'm wondering if businesses are truly concerned about creating customer loyalty.

Let me share my experiences...

I went to a local fast food restaurant. Now, you may think that fast food restaurants aren't really concerned with customer service, much less customer loyalty because all customer's are interested in is food, fast (and let me add that most chain stores are locally owned and operated). But I disagree, just ask Chick-fil-A, they really care. And I really care too. What difference should it matter whether I'm sitting down in a fine restaurant or stopping by a chain? I still desire a friendly face from someone who wants to provide great service.

At this chain, the employees (all of them) acted as if someone were holding them hostage to work there. There was never a "thank you" or "your welcome" or "how may I help you". I got a "Can I take your order?" and, then as I've found common to this particular store, "...we don't have..." this and that, and a "that isn't ready and will take 20 minutes to cook" like I was putting them out!

I was the second guy in line, but more people came in after me and all got the same cold, put-off treatment. Let me also add here that all this happened right at supper time when they should have expected a crowd to come in and was prepared with appropriate food to deliver.

After about a 20 minute wait, and then not getting exactly what I ordered, I then got home to find food that was, let me say, questionable...you wouldn't find me recommending this place to my friends and colleagues. I also wouldn't say they created a loyal customer out of me either. And other than the fact that I will not state the name of the location here, you could truly call me a detractor to their business.

For the other business, I saw one of their sales people who in the middle of our casual conversation added, half-joking half-serious, "...let me sell you some (product name)." I thought, who trained them in their sales skills and how do they feel this is an appropriate approach to moving their products?? I gave the "I'm not really interested now" reply and that was it. I actually believe the person wanted to sell me their product, but the approach and follow-up were completely unprofessional.

I just can't understand how in our current economy that business owners are not focusing on training their teams to deliver world-class service with every customer interaction!!

Whether you provide your team books to read on the subject, provide on-line training, leader motivation in weekly team discussions, or by bringing someone in to lead a team meeting, growing profits is directly related to how well your employees provide a great experience with your business. But isn't this really Business 101?

Until next time, remember “Your Success Is My Business."™

http://joeypeacock.com/

The Lessons I Learned While At A Funeral

My Uncle passed away over the Christmas holidays; he was my dad’s oldest sister’s husband and a favorite of mine. He was 78 years old and had been married to my aunt for 59 years and 11 months. He loved to fish and loved to eat mullet (me too!). He was a great guy. I don’t know of anyone who ever heard him say a cuss word. My uncle never had wealth, never traveled the world, never had a big house or fancy cars. But he was loved by all that knew him.

He was a handyman by trade and there’s no appliance he couldn’t fix. People called him all the time, even after years of retirement, to come repair something that was broken. No matter where he went people knew him and talked with him. They always referred others to him if they knew someone with an appliance problem---regardless of business or personal.

I thought about the lessons of life while I was at the funeral and, with your permission, wanted to share my thoughts with you here. Though the list isn’t that long, I think each is extremely powerful and, if each are focused on as becoming a main part of our life, the three are more than enough to keep a person occupied:

• How People Perceive You
  Do I have a high likeability factor? When people see me, do they dread a conversation with me or am I inviting & pleasant? Do all my stories revolve around me or them? All these factors are important if you’re a salesperson (and everyone is a salesperson!) as well. Are you pleasant in appearance and attitude when you’re with your customers? Are they glad to see you because you bring them value?
• Serving Others Is The Most Important Thing
  When my uncle passed away, he didn’t take anything with him----no money, no grand exit, nothing. So if we come into this world with nothing, and we take nothing with us…then what’s my purpose? Spend your time serving others…either by your hands or your gifts (charity). And however it is that I serve others? I need to do it to the absolute best (world-class) that I can. In business, you need to have this same philosophy: provide your customers with world-class service & solutions and they’ll tell everyone they know about you. Or, as I like to say, “…give them face and serve them to death”.
• What Will Your Legacy Be?
  Though as much as we try to avoid the subject, it happens to all of us eventually. We’re promised no duration of time. So what will my legacy be when I leave? Haven’t you ever been to a store you enjoy doing business with and find that your favorite salesperson has left (retired, moved, etc.), but now you have a great new person supporting you who you hit it off with? Build your business around the legacy of world-class service provided by building long-term relationships.

For all my personal e-mails that I share with family, friends, etc., I always end it with a quote that I wanted to share with you today that I thought related to this message:

"It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference."
~Tom Brokaw

Until next time, remember “Your Success Is My Business."™

http://www.joeypeacock.com/

The Lessons I Learned While...

The Lessons I Learned While Hunting

Can you believe that while only 3% of the U.S. population hunts, the sport is a multi-billion dollar business? WOW! That’s truly incredible! And I’m one of those “3%” folks that enjoy being in the outdoors hunting.

Not long ago, I was talking with a good friend of mine, Paul Smith, and as we often talk about leadership & life, we talked about the fact that there is a lesson in everything we do…regardless of what that is. So during my recent vacation, in which I spent a good deal of time sitting in a tree stand, I thought about all the lessons I learned from something I really enjoy doing---hunting:

• Preparation
  When you hunt, the majority of your success is going to be based around the pre-season preparation. This includes scouting your hunting areas, creating your food plots, setting up your stands and game cameras, practicing target shooting and many other things needed for success. Your business is no different as you need to scout out your territory that you plan to sell in, putting out your marketing items, attending networking meetings including Chamber of Commerce and other such events, understanding and being knowledgeable about your products/solutions, etc. Part of your overall success is going to be directly related to how prepared you are. So just like you have to do your homework for a successful hunt, do your homework for a successful career.
  
• Patience
  Hunting, like sales and many other business aspects, requires a great deal of patience. Nothing great comes easily or quickly. It may take multiple trips to the woods before you bag that trophy; and it will most likely take multiple meetings with your customer/prospect before you have the contract signed on the dotted line.
  
• The Right Tools
  One key to success in hunting is having the right tool for the hunt. You wouldn’t take a bow and go Duck hunting, and you wouldn’t take a .22 rifle and go Elk hunting. You wouldn’t sit in a tree stand to take squirrel (though you could) and you wouldn’t sit in a double bull blind to take quail. And the same holds true for your business. Having the right tools, the right solutions at the right price delivered through world-class service is the key to success.
  
• Practice
  Long before archery season begins, you should be consistently out target shooting. Before Whitetail season begins, you should be out sighting in your rifle scope. The more practice you get the more experience and confidence you acquire which will help in your success. In your business, having hands-on experience with the product(s) you offer is key to your ability to successfully provide them to your customers. Working in the test labs with the Technicians prior to installation, being on hand during installation, attending training sessions are all part of the practice required to gain the knowledge & skills you’ll need to succeed.
  
• Focus
  When you’re hunting, you must have great focus. Spotting a Whitetail easing through the woods is often difficult. I’ve even seen times when a deer walked right behind someone and they never even knew it. And not only must you have focus, but sometimes you need aids (like binoculars) in order to see further than you normally can. Business too needs great focus. You need to have the ability to clearly see what’s around you, but also what’s “down the road” as well. All the while making the necessary adjustments in order to achieve success.
  
• Listening
  Sometimes you spot the big trophy not because you saw it first, but because you were intensely listening and you heard it coming. When you’re hunting, you spend the large majority of your time listening. To be successful in your business or career, you must also spend a great deal of time listening. Listening to what your customer is telling you in order to provide them the exact solution they’re seeking to solve their problem. Hear what your customer is telling you and provide them with the answers they need only after you fully understand.
  
• Mental Toughness
  When you’re hunting, you may find yourself sitting in a tree stand high above the ground for hours on end (and then days on end), and never even see any game. The mental toughness it takes to hang in there when your back, your bottom, your legs are aching and screaming for relief is rough. The wind might be blowing, it might even be raining…but you hang in there. It might be brutally cold, but you tough it out regardless because you know that trophy might be only moments away from showing up. Business is the same way---you’ll experience employee problems, legal issues, billing delays, returns, vendor related problems, lack of teamwork, etc., etc. Being mentally tough through these times, yet still providing world-class service to your customers through all of it will make you smarter, tougher and better suited for success in the long run.
  
• Storms
  Of course we will all have storms in our lives. How many rain-storms have I sat through while hunting looking for that trophy? Business is no different. We must prepare for the roller coaster ride that is life and business. And old Arab proverb states that “all sunshine makes a desert”. Often, if we reflect, we’ll find that we learned the most, grew the most, and eventually prospered the most by going through these storms.

Until next time, remember “Your Success Is My Business."™

http://www.joeypeacock.com/

“It’s a Monday!”

How often have your heard that stated…but in a negative manner…and worse yet, by your employees/team?

As a business owner and leader, one of your on-going challenges is to create an environment that motivates and stimulates your team(s). Environments that are exciting to be in and positive motivation that stirs your team to greatness, not for you but for your customers, will do wonders for your bottom line.

Dan Miller, author of “No More Mondays” and “48 Days to the Work You Love”, offers a website to help you inspire your team (http://www.48days.com/) as well as a free weekly newsletter you can consider subscribing too.

When your team sees Sunday afternoons at 5:00 the same way they see Friday afternoon at 5:00, then you’ll know you’ve won their hearts.

If you're not a business owner/leader: Do you find yourself miserable to go to your work on Monday mornings? Then why aren't you looking for another career? Why do you work at something you're unhappy about? Are you making others around you unhappy as well?

Even if you can't find something immediately, start looking. Work on your resume and start searching for somewhere to work that you have a passion for...even if it takes a while to find that "perfect" career path, at least your attitude will be better because you now have hope.

It's said that when you do something you love, then you never have to go to work---and I agree!

Start the journey, consider your passion and find a career that motivates & inspires you.

Make every Monday morning the best part of your week!

Until next time, remember “Your Success Is My Business."™

http://www.joeypeacock.com/

Brand Identity, or not?

Brand Identity, or not?

We all recognize the businesses above. They’ve worked for many years to create their brand identity. When you look at their logo, you know exactly who the business is and most likely what they do.

Do you realize that you have brand identity as an individual as well?

That’s right. Customers look at you and they identity you with a certain level of service, a certain level of support, with a certain company and certain products.

But, thinking with a world-class mind and thinking as the CEO, let’s take this to the ultimate level!

Brand identity simply means that people know you exist and a little (maybe) about your company. You know the companies in the list above, just like many of your customers know that you exist. I’m not oversimplifying this to the point that it’s not important, as it is. But this is just the first step.

The next step in this then is brand preference. Just like you shop at many of the companies in the list above, many of your customerss shop with you for their purchases. They allow you to bid on their Request for Proposal (RFP), they call you in when they’re asking for quotes on a new products and they contact you to compete for their business when their company is looking into new solutions. But this isn’t enough!

What you need to focus on and develop is the world-class category of being BRAND INSISTENCE.

You want to provide your clients such world-class service & support, such great products, such a deep & powerful relationship with them and complete understanding of their business so that they simple insist on doing business with you and no one else. Even if they have to wait!

Brand insistence is the ultimate relationship you can develop in partnership with your customers. As the CEO of your business and with a world-class mindset, you can achieve this. How? Give them faces, completely understand their business and serve them to death.

Have a great week and until next time, remember:

“Your Success Is My Business."™

What’s In Your Briefcase?

Everyday when we come to work we bring "stuff" with us. These things can influence---either positively or negatively---how we work, how we interact with other employees & peers, and how we treat & serve our customers.

So, what’s in your briefcase?

• Your Photo ID (with a smiling face)
  A positive attitude! To move forward, you have to stop looking backwards. Football teams only score by someone falling forward with the ball three yards at a time. We all know that we’ve had some obstacles that we’ve had to overcome in the past, but if we continue an atmosphere of rehashing the past, we’ll never positively move into the future. Remember: "Attitude, not aptitude, equals altitude."
  
• Team Jersey
  Do you consistently promote the team? Do you wear your jersey at all times? Are you distracted by something? You can’t play for the Celtics and for the Lakers at the same time. Where your heart is, is where your mind will be too. And what you demonstrate to your customers (and team mates) through company pride & enthusiasm will be make a huge statement about yourself.
  
• Glasses
  Vision. Can you clearly see and share the vision with others? Albert Schweitzer said in his waning years, "My eyesight grows dim, but my vision is clearer than ever." How clear are you on the vision? But not only is vision important, but so is perspective. Great leaders & salespeople not only see things from their own perspective, but also from the perspective of their client’s and support teams.
  
• A Magnifying Glass
  Do you have clear focus? Do you understand your gifts and are you working in those gifts? Anytime you work outside of what you’re gifted with, you’ll always find yourself struggling. Focus on your gifts and work in those; discover others who are gifted in the areas you are not and partner with them on projects & objectives.
  
• A Mirror
  Integrity. Always, without fail, guard and protect your integrity. Don’t carry it on the tip of your finger, allowing it to occasionally fall off so you can slip out of your integrity for even a moment. If necessary, put it in a backpack and strap it around yourself! Do whatever it takes to consistently display the highest morals/ethics and great integrity no matter where you go or what you do. The three self-tests for integrity are: You have nothing to prove, nothing to hide and nothing to lose.
  
• A Good Book
  Personal Leadership Growth. What are you doing to grow your leadership, sales & people skills? You should constantly be growing these skills including taking personal time to do so. As the "CEO of yourself", you lead in your career, in your home, in your church & in your community organizations, you should always be stretching yourself to be a better leader.
  
• Your Watch
  How are you doing with your self management? Are you busy or are you effective? You may be at work for 10 hours or more a day, but are you generating the same amount of productive hours? Do you schedule meetings one after the other and are never getting anywhere on time? Always leave a cushion between meetings so you don’t leave others being unproductive when you’re not where you’re suppose to be due to a delay. And, how are you doing with your "enjoyment" time---your personal leisure time. You have to schedule in time to relax, refresh, re-energize yourself not only for yourself, but also for your family; in the end, it even helps your work better.
  
• Your Phone
  How are your communications skills? Do you actively communicate with your support teams about jobs, objectives, customer issues and projects? Are you properly working with your teams prior to quote presentation? Are you presenting to your clients/prospects professionally?
  
• A Gift Card
  How generous are you? When it comes to giving, stop at nothing! We all go through life with either a ‘scarcity mentality’ or an ‘abundance mentality’. The ‘scarcity mentality’ tells us that we’re never getting what we deserve; that we have to take all the recognition for ourselves because it’s ours; we are jealous of our peers; and that we should never share information. The ‘abundance mentality’ tells us that there’s plenty for everyone; that we celebrate when someone has a win; that we give all the credit for a job well done to the support team; that we share what we know so that others can benefit and possibly bring the team to a higher level. Do you have an attitude of gratitude and send THANK YOU letters to your customers? Zig Ziglar says that the way for a person to become successful is by making other people successful! Remember the saying, "Give without remembering, but accept without forgetting."
  
• A Dictionary
  Do you have your processes right? Do you cooperate or manipulate? Do you communicate or delegate? Are you an encourager or discourager? Do you look for potential or problems? Are you concerned with influence or affluence? Do you evaluate and/or consider giving of yourself to someone based on their self-worth or their net-worth? Do your words contain: team, we, our, us, solutions, etc.; or do they contain: mine, me, I, they, problems, etc.?
  
• A Light
  Are you full of enthusiasm? Who wants to work with a 25-watt bulb? Wouldn’t you rather be around someone who is pumped and enthused about what they’re doing? Always be the most enthusiastic person in the group. Be a 100-watt bulb and turn the light on others!
  
• Your Will
  What impact & legacy are you leaving? When you move on, either by position change/promotion, relocation, retirement, etc., what will be left for others to follow? Will it be a path blazed with excellence and progression, or something else less desirable?
  
  
  So, what do you bring to work with you in your briefcase? Be careful what you pack.