In my last article I discussed the importance of working with trusted professionals who have built a strong relationship with prospects that you would most likely serve in the future. They are centers of influence that complement your business rather than compete with your business.
This week finishes the Life Transitions chapter that will be published this summer in collaboration with Brian Tracy and other authors. I hope you realize the power behind this concept and what it can do for your business. Here are seven things you can do to start harnessing the power of Life Transitions for your business and become an important part of your customers’ lives.
First, identify the specific Life Transitions your current customers may be experiencing. If it’s not obvious, ask them questions to learn more about their situation and what motivates them to seek your products, and how does it benefit them. If you discover more than one Life Transition, prioritize them and examine the effectiveness of your current marketing strategy to attract individuals in the various transition points. For example, if you own a furniture store, you might identify these prior transition points: Moving to the area, buying a new home, birth of a child, etc.
Second, examine the Life Transitions that precede the one that motivates your customers to come to your business. Draw a timeline and label the specific transition points in relation to the one you primarily service. You may notice that some points are directly connected and occur shortly prior to the Life Transition that motivates your customers to come to you, or they may be at the same transition point and much earlier in the process. Other transition points will occur over a longer period of time on average. If the primary Life Transition that motivates people to buy from a furniture store is people moving into the area, then they will have also bought or rented a house recently.
Third, list the business categories and specific businesses that serve each of the Life Transitions identified in the second step. Using the example of a new home rental or purchase from the second step, you could list realtors, apartment complexes, and property management companies as the business categories. Once you’ve identified the categories, look through your local directory to list specific businesses serving each category.
Forth, identify what’s in it for them to work with your business. This will vary for each type of business and each business owner. Some professions do not allow a financial reward, while it may be the standard practice for others. Some may be more than happy to refer their customers to you once they feel you will deal with their customers professionally and provide outstanding service. In other words, you must sell yourself to the business owner, and then discuss how the relationship can be mutually beneficial.
Fifth, contact the business owners or managers to discuss your proposal to work together. This can be an informal visit over the phone or in person that is concluded with a handshake, or it could involve a letter of agreement to formally establish the relationship and expectations of each other. Make it convenient to refer your business by providing business cards, brochures, and other materials that will make it easy to recommend your business.
Sixth, follow-up frequently and keep the relationship active. Just like any other relationship, you must continue to make contact and communicate the results of the individuals or companies referred to your business. You are building an ongoing relationship to develop greater trust and benefit among everyone involved.
Seventh, analyze the Life Transitions your customers experience during or after you have served them. You want to do this for several reasons:
• By fully understanding and empathizing with what your customers are experiencing, you can provide better service to them and also refer them to other highly-qualified businesses that will take care of their additional needs.
• You could earn some form of a reward if the customer makes a purchase based on your referral. Again, this will depend on the type of business and the laws that regulate compensation.
• You may expand the products or services you provide to better satisfy that specific Life Transition and earn additional income. Using the furniture store example, you may discover that new parents are buying rockers, but many of them are complaining about the lack of quality cribs and other related furniture, so you could expand your product line to include baby furniture.
Your ability to work with complementary businesses in the same or different Life Transitions will improve as you continue to build a strong network where each business benefits. Over time, you’ll receive more qualified referrals, your marketing will be much more effective, and your profits will increase.
The 30,000-foot perspective offers a greater view for your business to serve your customers better by being there before they need you. It will also allow you to gain a competitive edge by positioning your business as the best and only choice for a successful transition, even in a crowded Life Transition intersection.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Building Beneficial Relationships With Complementary Businesses, Part III
Last week I talked about developing relationships with complementary organizations, and how they are the key to positioning your business as the best choice amongst a gaggle of competitors. Complementary businesses are focused on the same prospects as your business at an earlier moment on the timeline, and prior to the Life Transition intersection where most of your competitors are figuratively gathered.
Developing mutually beneficial relationships with these businesses means that they will recommend your products and services to prospects who are highly qualified. Using the example of an engaged couple, they would visit a jeweler early in their preparations to get married. At the lower level of a business relationship, the jewelry store will have the business cards or brochures on their counter for couples to take that promote other companies that will be visited in the future. At the highest level of the business relationship, the jewelry store owner and staff would highly recommend the services of a business they trust to assist the couple with the success of their wedding.
A key concept is for you to work with trusted professionals who are reputable because of their excellent customer-focused orientation, are respected by their peers and clients, and their recommendations are warmly welcomed. The result of nurturing a mutually beneficial relationship with a trusted professional is you will be associated with a strong center of influence that refers qualified prospects who already trust you to offer the best Life Transition solution to their wants and needs.
As you develop more relationships with complementary businesses that cater to your prospects at a Life Transition intersection prior to the transition point you serve, you will create an ongoing stream of referrals. You will also begin to position your business as a trusted source because of the regular recommendations from other trusted, complementary businesses.
Years ago, before the Internet became a powerful marketing tool, I noticed that many of my clients served engaged couples as a common customer. They were all advertising in the same media with about the same message as their competitors and waiting for the couples to contact them. I worked with them for about a year to fine-tune a program that got the names of newly engaged couples and asked them to complete a checklist of the items they were still planning to purchase.
The couples were mailed a packet that included a checklist, useful information, and coupons from the businesses I worked with, and my clients received a useful database of names and the items the couple still needed so they could be contacted directly. Each of the businesses worked collaboratively to preempt the marketing efforts of their competitors, and the competition didn’t even know what was happening because we didn’t use conventional media to promote it.
This is a more complicated method to work in cooperation with several businesses in a strategic alliance. However, you can develop simpler Life Transition relationships working one-on-one with complementary businesses. Once you grasp the power of harnessing Life Transitions in your business and how you can become a part of your prospect’s life prior to their need for your goods and services, you’ll easily identify ways to keep customers loyal to your business and create a greater lifetime value from your customers.
To identify the complementary businesses that you can start working with, think of your most valuable target customer group and put them in the middle of a piece of paper with a circle around them. With the example I’ve been using, “engaged couples” would be in the center and circled. Now draw spokes radiating from the center circle and list all of the different categories of businesses the couple and their families will visit to prepare for their wedding. For example, the engaged couple will be visiting jewelers, restaurants, photographers, bakers, reception centers, etc.
Now that you have a list of non-competing and complementary businesses that serve your target market, the next step is to imagine the sequence or priority when each of the businesses would typically be visited so you can identify the businesses that will be seen prior to visiting your business.
Make a list of the specific businesses in each of the categories and identify those organizations that have the best reputation, and have built the strongest relationships with their customers. You will want to approach the best companies at the top on your list. In next week’s article, I’ll wrap up this series by sharing seven specific steps that you can take to make effective use of your prospects’ and customers’ Life Transitions.
Developing mutually beneficial relationships with these businesses means that they will recommend your products and services to prospects who are highly qualified. Using the example of an engaged couple, they would visit a jeweler early in their preparations to get married. At the lower level of a business relationship, the jewelry store will have the business cards or brochures on their counter for couples to take that promote other companies that will be visited in the future. At the highest level of the business relationship, the jewelry store owner and staff would highly recommend the services of a business they trust to assist the couple with the success of their wedding.
A key concept is for you to work with trusted professionals who are reputable because of their excellent customer-focused orientation, are respected by their peers and clients, and their recommendations are warmly welcomed. The result of nurturing a mutually beneficial relationship with a trusted professional is you will be associated with a strong center of influence that refers qualified prospects who already trust you to offer the best Life Transition solution to their wants and needs.
As you develop more relationships with complementary businesses that cater to your prospects at a Life Transition intersection prior to the transition point you serve, you will create an ongoing stream of referrals. You will also begin to position your business as a trusted source because of the regular recommendations from other trusted, complementary businesses.
Years ago, before the Internet became a powerful marketing tool, I noticed that many of my clients served engaged couples as a common customer. They were all advertising in the same media with about the same message as their competitors and waiting for the couples to contact them. I worked with them for about a year to fine-tune a program that got the names of newly engaged couples and asked them to complete a checklist of the items they were still planning to purchase.
The couples were mailed a packet that included a checklist, useful information, and coupons from the businesses I worked with, and my clients received a useful database of names and the items the couple still needed so they could be contacted directly. Each of the businesses worked collaboratively to preempt the marketing efforts of their competitors, and the competition didn’t even know what was happening because we didn’t use conventional media to promote it.
This is a more complicated method to work in cooperation with several businesses in a strategic alliance. However, you can develop simpler Life Transition relationships working one-on-one with complementary businesses. Once you grasp the power of harnessing Life Transitions in your business and how you can become a part of your prospect’s life prior to their need for your goods and services, you’ll easily identify ways to keep customers loyal to your business and create a greater lifetime value from your customers.
To identify the complementary businesses that you can start working with, think of your most valuable target customer group and put them in the middle of a piece of paper with a circle around them. With the example I’ve been using, “engaged couples” would be in the center and circled. Now draw spokes radiating from the center circle and list all of the different categories of businesses the couple and their families will visit to prepare for their wedding. For example, the engaged couple will be visiting jewelers, restaurants, photographers, bakers, reception centers, etc.
Now that you have a list of non-competing and complementary businesses that serve your target market, the next step is to imagine the sequence or priority when each of the businesses would typically be visited so you can identify the businesses that will be seen prior to visiting your business.
Make a list of the specific businesses in each of the categories and identify those organizations that have the best reputation, and have built the strongest relationships with their customers. You will want to approach the best companies at the top on your list. In next week’s article, I’ll wrap up this series by sharing seven specific steps that you can take to make effective use of your prospects’ and customers’ Life Transitions.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
A 30,000 Foot Perspective of Business, Pt. II
Last week I shared the concept of viewing your customers from a metaphorical 30,000-foot perspective. This means that you take a much broader, three-dimensional look at them on their journey through life, and prior to the point where they have a need for your product. That point on their life map is represented by the “intersection” where you and your competitors are vying for their attention with similar media and advertising. If you were the first business to grab their attention prior to the point where they have a desire for your goods or services, then you would be in a better position to establish your business as a trusted professional, and effectively eliminate the competition as a choice.
Business is ultimately about attracting and keeping customers by offering solutions with goods and services that uniquely satisfy their wants and needs. Those wants and needs will change as they move through life, and they are heightened when they experience specific events at the intersection of their lives that create added stress and require additional solutions. I refer to these events and changes as “Life Transitions,” and they act as milestones, or intermediate reference points in a person’s life. Almost all of our memories are established during transition points, or moments where life changing decisions are made that can take us on another route – for better or worse. Good decisions make good stories that we remember, and bad decisions make great stories that we never forget.
The starting point for everyone is birth and their final destination is to have lived a fulfilling life when their journey is complete. In between those two positions are numerous transition points throughout life that challenge a person to look for individuals and organizations that can provide better solutions to their wants and needs. Some of the major Life Transitions that many people will travel through on their life’s journey include parenting, starting school, employment and career development, engagement and wedding, pregnancy and birth, celebrating special events, moving and relocation, purchasing or renting a house, starting and growing a business, taking care of health issues, retirement, divorce, and coping with the death of a loved one.
When you view the lives of your prospects from a heightened perspective, you’ll see how each Life Transition is part of the continuous journey your prospects will encounter on their timeline road. The transitions also create stress in a good or bad way, and act as catalysts to trigger new needs and wants that were latent or did not previously exist. This drives individuals to seek out goods and services that they are motivated to purchase soon.
For example, when a couple becomes engaged, the event triggers a slew of needs and wants that will need to be satisfied before the eventual marriage. The bride, groom, and families will need rings, a cake, announcements, decorations, tuxedos, dresses, a bridal gown, photos, catered food, etc. Some businesses earn a large portion of their revenue catering to couples who are experiencing this particular Life Transition.
In addition, one Life Transition can be the catalyst for several other transitions. For example, when a couple weds, they may have graduated from school, are planning to move to a new location, and will possibly start a new career. In the near future, they may have a baby and experience parenting.
At the present moment, many of the prospects in your target market may be experiencing a specific Life Transition that connects them with you. Imagine, though, if you could figuratively use Google Maps to view your prospect’s life at the ground level, and then increase the altitude to an elevation that allows you to view all their Life Transition intersections that are before and after the ones you best serve.
Often, the specific Life Transition that you and all your competitors center your marketing efforts around is preceded by one or more transition points that are the focus of other non-competing businesses that are gathered at the intersections your prospects just left. Instead of doing what all your competitors do by figuratively standing at your prospect’s specific Life Transition intersection and just waiting for them to show up and take notice of your business, you should also develop beneficial relationships with those non-competing and complementary businesses.
I call them complementary businesses because they are focused on the same prospects as your business, but they are positioned earlier in the Life Transition intersection. In the wedding example, after a ring is purchased at the jewelry store and the bride accepts the proposal, many other businesses will be visited prior to the wedding date, such as flower shops and reception centers, to complete the process that ensures a successful wedding. It makes sense that a business visited later in the timeline should develop a mutually beneficial relationship with complementary businesses visited earlier in the timeline.
Business is ultimately about attracting and keeping customers by offering solutions with goods and services that uniquely satisfy their wants and needs. Those wants and needs will change as they move through life, and they are heightened when they experience specific events at the intersection of their lives that create added stress and require additional solutions. I refer to these events and changes as “Life Transitions,” and they act as milestones, or intermediate reference points in a person’s life. Almost all of our memories are established during transition points, or moments where life changing decisions are made that can take us on another route – for better or worse. Good decisions make good stories that we remember, and bad decisions make great stories that we never forget.
The starting point for everyone is birth and their final destination is to have lived a fulfilling life when their journey is complete. In between those two positions are numerous transition points throughout life that challenge a person to look for individuals and organizations that can provide better solutions to their wants and needs. Some of the major Life Transitions that many people will travel through on their life’s journey include parenting, starting school, employment and career development, engagement and wedding, pregnancy and birth, celebrating special events, moving and relocation, purchasing or renting a house, starting and growing a business, taking care of health issues, retirement, divorce, and coping with the death of a loved one.
When you view the lives of your prospects from a heightened perspective, you’ll see how each Life Transition is part of the continuous journey your prospects will encounter on their timeline road. The transitions also create stress in a good or bad way, and act as catalysts to trigger new needs and wants that were latent or did not previously exist. This drives individuals to seek out goods and services that they are motivated to purchase soon.
For example, when a couple becomes engaged, the event triggers a slew of needs and wants that will need to be satisfied before the eventual marriage. The bride, groom, and families will need rings, a cake, announcements, decorations, tuxedos, dresses, a bridal gown, photos, catered food, etc. Some businesses earn a large portion of their revenue catering to couples who are experiencing this particular Life Transition.
In addition, one Life Transition can be the catalyst for several other transitions. For example, when a couple weds, they may have graduated from school, are planning to move to a new location, and will possibly start a new career. In the near future, they may have a baby and experience parenting.
At the present moment, many of the prospects in your target market may be experiencing a specific Life Transition that connects them with you. Imagine, though, if you could figuratively use Google Maps to view your prospect’s life at the ground level, and then increase the altitude to an elevation that allows you to view all their Life Transition intersections that are before and after the ones you best serve.
Often, the specific Life Transition that you and all your competitors center your marketing efforts around is preceded by one or more transition points that are the focus of other non-competing businesses that are gathered at the intersections your prospects just left. Instead of doing what all your competitors do by figuratively standing at your prospect’s specific Life Transition intersection and just waiting for them to show up and take notice of your business, you should also develop beneficial relationships with those non-competing and complementary businesses.
I call them complementary businesses because they are focused on the same prospects as your business, but they are positioned earlier in the Life Transition intersection. In the wedding example, after a ring is purchased at the jewelry store and the bride accepts the proposal, many other businesses will be visited prior to the wedding date, such as flower shops and reception centers, to complete the process that ensures a successful wedding. It makes sense that a business visited later in the timeline should develop a mutually beneficial relationship with complementary businesses visited earlier in the timeline.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
A 30,000 Foot Perspective of Business
I was working with over 20 clients in the U.S. when I stumbled onto the concept of building strategic alliances around moments called “Life Transitions.” The need for goods and services is intensified during such events as marriage, parenting, moving, and death. By developing a collaborative process among my clients, they were able to achieve increased brand awareness, more referrals, and ultimately greater sales and profits.
I’ve been developing a website for several months that will provide businesses with an automated, lead generation system by focusing on over 17 major Life Transitions most people will experience on their life’s journey. The goal is to position clients in each Life Transition as a trusted professional who offers outstanding solutions to the challenges experienced by people during each transition.
In the next few columns, I want to share a powerful concept about how you can position your business to become the best and only choice to your target customers, even if you’re in a crowded competitive group. These articles are actually a chapter in a book that I am contributing as an author with management guru, Brian Tracy. The book is scheduled to be published this summer and the following is the first of four articles that will comprise the chapter…
Flying in the Air Force provided an interesting three-dimensional perspective that opened my mind to the big picture in business. While flying between Abilene and San Angelo, Texas, I could see both cities on either side of the cockpit. The 90-mile distance between the two cities would normally take me about one and a-half hours to drive; however, flying between them from a 30,000-foot perspective allowed me to see both cities at once.
Time seemed to slow down as I looked down at the spec of cars traveling on a thread of road because the cars seemed to be moving at an ant’s pace, and I could easily see most of the landmarks and intersections they had passed or would eventually encounter. Their limited perspective from ground level only allowed them to see a few thousand feet ahead or behind them, and it would take more than an hour before they could catch their first glimpse of their final destination.
Driving is a two-dimensional process that can be planned with a map to travel from a starting point to the end location. There are intermediate transition points of reference such as geographic landmarks, cities, and intersections that act as reference points to gauge a traveler’s progress.
Business planning is similarly looked at as a two-dimensional planning process that has a starting point and a final destination. Milestones along the route help gauge the progress of the business as transition points are passed.
Part of the planning process includes identifying groups of potential customers in various target markets, and then developing a strategy to effectively entice them to buy from your business. The marketing section typically takes a two-dimensional approach by looking at individuals who have an immediate need for your product. The plan also tends to use marketing messages and media that are very similar and easily accessible to your competition.
Using the driving analogy with your prospects moving along a road that symbolizes a timeline, they would approach a busy intersection where you and your competitors are gathered. As they continue to move through the intersection, all of your competitors are trying to grab your attention, similar to a political group gathered at an intersection, by waving brightly colored signs and screaming for the prospects to stop and buy from them. This creates confusion because of the numerous and similar messages that are promoted in the same media, and it positions each business as a commodity that is very similar to every other business vying for their attention.
What difference would it make in your business if your message was the first and only one they noticed, and you and your staff were viewed as trusted professionals who could best satisfy their wants and needs? Obviously, that’s a dream position to be in, and next week you’ll learn how it can become a reality for your business if you look at your future customers from a 30,000-foot perspective, and understand how you can distinctively position your business before they need what you have to offer.
I’ve been developing a website for several months that will provide businesses with an automated, lead generation system by focusing on over 17 major Life Transitions most people will experience on their life’s journey. The goal is to position clients in each Life Transition as a trusted professional who offers outstanding solutions to the challenges experienced by people during each transition.
In the next few columns, I want to share a powerful concept about how you can position your business to become the best and only choice to your target customers, even if you’re in a crowded competitive group. These articles are actually a chapter in a book that I am contributing as an author with management guru, Brian Tracy. The book is scheduled to be published this summer and the following is the first of four articles that will comprise the chapter…
Flying in the Air Force provided an interesting three-dimensional perspective that opened my mind to the big picture in business. While flying between Abilene and San Angelo, Texas, I could see both cities on either side of the cockpit. The 90-mile distance between the two cities would normally take me about one and a-half hours to drive; however, flying between them from a 30,000-foot perspective allowed me to see both cities at once.
Time seemed to slow down as I looked down at the spec of cars traveling on a thread of road because the cars seemed to be moving at an ant’s pace, and I could easily see most of the landmarks and intersections they had passed or would eventually encounter. Their limited perspective from ground level only allowed them to see a few thousand feet ahead or behind them, and it would take more than an hour before they could catch their first glimpse of their final destination.
Driving is a two-dimensional process that can be planned with a map to travel from a starting point to the end location. There are intermediate transition points of reference such as geographic landmarks, cities, and intersections that act as reference points to gauge a traveler’s progress.
Business planning is similarly looked at as a two-dimensional planning process that has a starting point and a final destination. Milestones along the route help gauge the progress of the business as transition points are passed.
Part of the planning process includes identifying groups of potential customers in various target markets, and then developing a strategy to effectively entice them to buy from your business. The marketing section typically takes a two-dimensional approach by looking at individuals who have an immediate need for your product. The plan also tends to use marketing messages and media that are very similar and easily accessible to your competition.
Using the driving analogy with your prospects moving along a road that symbolizes a timeline, they would approach a busy intersection where you and your competitors are gathered. As they continue to move through the intersection, all of your competitors are trying to grab your attention, similar to a political group gathered at an intersection, by waving brightly colored signs and screaming for the prospects to stop and buy from them. This creates confusion because of the numerous and similar messages that are promoted in the same media, and it positions each business as a commodity that is very similar to every other business vying for their attention.
What difference would it make in your business if your message was the first and only one they noticed, and you and your staff were viewed as trusted professionals who could best satisfy their wants and needs? Obviously, that’s a dream position to be in, and next week you’ll learn how it can become a reality for your business if you look at your future customers from a 30,000-foot perspective, and understand how you can distinctively position your business before they need what you have to offer.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Paradigm Shifts in Service
While I was attending an intensive, 10-day training program in Las Vegas for a business coaching franchise, I went on a tour at the headquarters of Zappos.com. It was an insightful visit that presented concepts that flew in the face of conventional business practices; yet, has allowed the company to achieve phenomenal growth.
In case you haven’t heard of Zappos.com, they started in 1999 and after making minimal gross sales their first year, they went on to earn $1.6 million in 2000 selling shoes online. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’ve rarely bought shoes online because it’s one of those things that you need to try on first and walk around a bit to make sure the shoes are a right fit.
Well, there must be a lot of people that don’t think like me because their sales continued to grow each year because their focus was on giving great service. CEO Tony Hsieh summarized a paradigm shift that helped reposition the company to achieve meteoric growth by stating: “back in 2003, we thought of ourselves as a shoe company that offered great service. Today, we really think of the Zappos brand as about great service, and we just happen to sell shoes."
A paradigm shift is basically a change from one way of thinking to another, sort of a mindset metamorphosis where individuals begin to think in a new and different way. The term was first coined by Thomas Kuhn when he argued that scientific advancement is a “series of peaceful interludes punctuated by intellectually violent revolutions,” and those revolutions have “one conceptual world view replaced by another.”
With Zappos.com, it is a subtle shift in the ultimate purpose of the company, and the critical role everyone has as agents of service who are ready to go above and beyond the expectations of their customers. The company had a goal to reach one billion dollars in sales by 2010, and they achieved it by 2008. When I was there in November, they had just experienced their biggest day on Cyber Monday (a few days after Thanksgiving Day) by answering over 14,000 calls and making sales of $16 million in one day!
I have been a student and teacher of customer service for over 20 years. I developed the first accredited customer service course at Northern Marianas College, have written numerous articles published in the paper on the topic, and have worked with dozens of businesses to implement better service. And from my studies, I have concluded that most service training focuses on making external changes by training employees to smile more, use a person’s name, and behave in a certain manner.
Zappos.com and many other great service companies apply an inside-out approach to service by changing the mindset of its employees and instilling core values that help transform their culture. Values and culture are such an important component of the company, that they have a division that is called the Culture Department. In fact, our tour guide, Rocco, worked in the department and introduced himself a “culture magician.”
Extraordinarily successful companies have achieved paradigm shifts that have separated themselves from the competition and allowed them to achieve outstanding performance. Even though these mindset shifts are simple to understand, they can be very difficult to change in a company because it involves a change in attitude, thoughts, and behaviors that must start at the top and be sustained at the bottom. In other words, there has to be a cultural shift among everyone in the organization. I believe that the companies that will survive and continue to thrive are those that are currently implementing important paradigm shifts or who will learn to make them a part of their business in the future.
In case you haven’t heard of Zappos.com, they started in 1999 and after making minimal gross sales their first year, they went on to earn $1.6 million in 2000 selling shoes online. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’ve rarely bought shoes online because it’s one of those things that you need to try on first and walk around a bit to make sure the shoes are a right fit.
Well, there must be a lot of people that don’t think like me because their sales continued to grow each year because their focus was on giving great service. CEO Tony Hsieh summarized a paradigm shift that helped reposition the company to achieve meteoric growth by stating: “back in 2003, we thought of ourselves as a shoe company that offered great service. Today, we really think of the Zappos brand as about great service, and we just happen to sell shoes."
A paradigm shift is basically a change from one way of thinking to another, sort of a mindset metamorphosis where individuals begin to think in a new and different way. The term was first coined by Thomas Kuhn when he argued that scientific advancement is a “series of peaceful interludes punctuated by intellectually violent revolutions,” and those revolutions have “one conceptual world view replaced by another.”
With Zappos.com, it is a subtle shift in the ultimate purpose of the company, and the critical role everyone has as agents of service who are ready to go above and beyond the expectations of their customers. The company had a goal to reach one billion dollars in sales by 2010, and they achieved it by 2008. When I was there in November, they had just experienced their biggest day on Cyber Monday (a few days after Thanksgiving Day) by answering over 14,000 calls and making sales of $16 million in one day!
I have been a student and teacher of customer service for over 20 years. I developed the first accredited customer service course at Northern Marianas College, have written numerous articles published in the paper on the topic, and have worked with dozens of businesses to implement better service. And from my studies, I have concluded that most service training focuses on making external changes by training employees to smile more, use a person’s name, and behave in a certain manner.
Zappos.com and many other great service companies apply an inside-out approach to service by changing the mindset of its employees and instilling core values that help transform their culture. Values and culture are such an important component of the company, that they have a division that is called the Culture Department. In fact, our tour guide, Rocco, worked in the department and introduced himself a “culture magician.”
Extraordinarily successful companies have achieved paradigm shifts that have separated themselves from the competition and allowed them to achieve outstanding performance. Even though these mindset shifts are simple to understand, they can be very difficult to change in a company because it involves a change in attitude, thoughts, and behaviors that must start at the top and be sustained at the bottom. In other words, there has to be a cultural shift among everyone in the organization. I believe that the companies that will survive and continue to thrive are those that are currently implementing important paradigm shifts or who will learn to make them a part of their business in the future.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Metamorphosis
When the first phase of life as a caterpillar is complete, it moves to a branch and begins to spin a cocoon to transition into a butterfly. This metamorphosis is different from a tadpole that transitions into a frog because the caterpillar undergoes a complete meltdown into a mass of liquid gel. Specific cells, called imago cells, will organize themselves into an entirely new creature that will eventually emerge from its protective shell.
To do this, the butterfly must create an opening large enough that will allow it to escape. Interestingly, the longer the struggle during this transition, the longer the butterfly will live. Well-intentioned individuals who try to “help” the emerging butterfly break through the cocoon often cause more harm than good because the new creature needs to exert enough effort to pump fluids into the small, unformed wings. If this doesn’t occur, the wings are not developed enough for it to fly away to safety and find food, and it will eventually die.
As humans, we go through numerous transitions in life that can motivate us to change as we experience life’s struggles. A successful “metamorphosis” occurs when we are able to learn the lessons that life presents to us. If we avoid or ignore the struggles, we may not learn the important lessons that will allow us to progress toward a more fulfilled person.
This progress may involve deep introspection that causes us to examine our current beliefs and realities, and ask ourselves if we are happy with the way things are right now. Interestingly, the less we have to struggle, the less we will learn from the lesson, and the more likely we will have to deal with similar struggles in the future. Often, our greatest growth will come from experiences that cause a “meltdown.” At this point we might become unrecognizable to ourselves and others as we examine how we have arrived at a particular point in life, determine what we want to become in the future, and then make the decision to reshape ourselves into a new and better person.
Knowing our values and beliefs allows us to lay a foundation upon which we can form a specific image of the person we wish to become. If our struggle is shortened by well-intentioned groups, persons or programs, then we may not fully learn life’s lesson, nor transform into the person we are destined to become, and instead of evolving into a better person we devolve into a bitter person.
It may be instinctive to reach out to others and take the pain away from those who are struggling. However, unless the situation is life-threatening or could cause long-term harm, our efforts to help might shortchange the growth process and deny the person the challenge that is necessary for them to transform in a more mature and joyous person.
Social programs are great to help struggling individuals to get back on their feet; however, they can backfire by creating a culture of dependency on others that turns those helped into helpless individuals. It denies them the challenges they need to become more self-reliant and fulfilled. This nature is then passed on to the next generations, where the assistance becomes an entitlement that limits them from developing into fully capable individuals who contribute back to society.
To break this dependency cycle, one must realize that the struggle is part of the growth process. It will take three key characteristics to emerge from the cocoon of safety: 1) Commitment to our future self, 2) persistence to not quit when the going gets tough, and 3) developing new life skills and strategies that will allow us to remain independent.
If we have a specific image of the person we want to become in our mind, stay focused and committed to a course of action that will allow us to fully develop, and then implement the new skills and strategies necessary to make a successful transition into a new and better person, then we can continue this process when we have new challenges we must face.
Do you have what it takes to meet life’s challenges head on and gain the strength to be a new and better person, or will you remain in a cocoon of safety? Leadership and life are about growing through each of our challenges and experiencing transformations that eventually allow us to fly above them and create a new life that is more fulfilling and an inspiration to others. The question isn’t if you’ll experience a life transition, but instead the quality of your experience as you transition through life.
To do this, the butterfly must create an opening large enough that will allow it to escape. Interestingly, the longer the struggle during this transition, the longer the butterfly will live. Well-intentioned individuals who try to “help” the emerging butterfly break through the cocoon often cause more harm than good because the new creature needs to exert enough effort to pump fluids into the small, unformed wings. If this doesn’t occur, the wings are not developed enough for it to fly away to safety and find food, and it will eventually die.
As humans, we go through numerous transitions in life that can motivate us to change as we experience life’s struggles. A successful “metamorphosis” occurs when we are able to learn the lessons that life presents to us. If we avoid or ignore the struggles, we may not learn the important lessons that will allow us to progress toward a more fulfilled person.
This progress may involve deep introspection that causes us to examine our current beliefs and realities, and ask ourselves if we are happy with the way things are right now. Interestingly, the less we have to struggle, the less we will learn from the lesson, and the more likely we will have to deal with similar struggles in the future. Often, our greatest growth will come from experiences that cause a “meltdown.” At this point we might become unrecognizable to ourselves and others as we examine how we have arrived at a particular point in life, determine what we want to become in the future, and then make the decision to reshape ourselves into a new and better person.
Knowing our values and beliefs allows us to lay a foundation upon which we can form a specific image of the person we wish to become. If our struggle is shortened by well-intentioned groups, persons or programs, then we may not fully learn life’s lesson, nor transform into the person we are destined to become, and instead of evolving into a better person we devolve into a bitter person.
It may be instinctive to reach out to others and take the pain away from those who are struggling. However, unless the situation is life-threatening or could cause long-term harm, our efforts to help might shortchange the growth process and deny the person the challenge that is necessary for them to transform in a more mature and joyous person.
Social programs are great to help struggling individuals to get back on their feet; however, they can backfire by creating a culture of dependency on others that turns those helped into helpless individuals. It denies them the challenges they need to become more self-reliant and fulfilled. This nature is then passed on to the next generations, where the assistance becomes an entitlement that limits them from developing into fully capable individuals who contribute back to society.
To break this dependency cycle, one must realize that the struggle is part of the growth process. It will take three key characteristics to emerge from the cocoon of safety: 1) Commitment to our future self, 2) persistence to not quit when the going gets tough, and 3) developing new life skills and strategies that will allow us to remain independent.
If we have a specific image of the person we want to become in our mind, stay focused and committed to a course of action that will allow us to fully develop, and then implement the new skills and strategies necessary to make a successful transition into a new and better person, then we can continue this process when we have new challenges we must face.
Do you have what it takes to meet life’s challenges head on and gain the strength to be a new and better person, or will you remain in a cocoon of safety? Leadership and life are about growing through each of our challenges and experiencing transformations that eventually allow us to fly above them and create a new life that is more fulfilling and an inspiration to others. The question isn’t if you’ll experience a life transition, but instead the quality of your experience as you transition through life.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Great People
I recently went to a laboratory to have my blood and urine analyzed as part of my regular health check up. I was told by the physician to go to the location that I had been to several times in the past, but when I arrived on the appointed day, the place was empty inside and a paper was taped to the window stating that the company had moved to the second floor of a larger and nicer building.
I wondered how many other individuals made the wasted trip. That was one strike against the company for not informing the medical clinics and physicians about their move. I’ll spare the name of the business, even though they enjoy a virtual monopoly on the island.
When I arrived at the new location, I went to the second floor and wandered around for a few minutes looking for a sign with the name of the company. On my second trip around I noticed some people sitting in a large room, so I looked at another piece of regular paper taped to the door with their name on it. Strike two for cheap signs and lack of professionalism. I have some hope that the next interaction will be positive after I read their slogan: “Great Science. Great People.”
The chairs were lined up like a workshop with a TV screen in the front, but it was turned off. No one was there to greet me, nor were there signs to say what to do. I walked over to a desk and saw a clipboard with a few names on it, and asked one of the individuals waiting if we were supposed to sign in. She said “yes,” so I signed in and sat down and waited for a few minutes until a gentleman called my name.
Okay, here was one of the “great people” I was going to be dealing with, but there was no greeting, he only asked for my insurance card, and then told me to sign a paper that had some wording as part of their contract. I started reading it and he seemed annoyed that I was actually reading something before signing it. I was then told to have a seat while he processed my paperwork.
A few more minutes go by and then I hear “Come with me,” and the individual gets up and walks off. I look up and there are a couple of people seated with me, and I’m not sure if it was for me, so I wait until he appears at the doorway and tells me again to come.
I’m now seated and my blood is taken, then I’m told he needs some “pee-pee.” Luckily, I understand his less-than-scientific terminology, having raised several children and having used the same word often when they were babies. However, each interaction I’m having with the “great people” of this company, is making me question the “great science” they’re going to use to analyze my bodily fluids.
I’m ready to leave at this point, but they’ve already got my blood, so I might as well leave my pee-pee. The restroom is clean, but then I notice that there is no trash receptacle in the room. I’m pretty creative, so I make do and when I go to wash my hands there is no soap in the container. Okay, I’m really losing confidence in this place as a professional facility.
When I finally leave the restroom with my pee-pee container in hand, I see that they’ve conveniently placed the trash can on the outside of the door. I point out to the individual that there is no trash receptacle in the bathroom, and he just shrugs and tells me to place my sample on a shelf with other samples. I checked to make sure my name is spelled correctly - at this point they have just struck out and I have lost all confidence in their great people, and their great science is waning in my mind.
As a business person, my thoughts quickly move to see what would need to happen to compete successfully against this company and knock it off its monopolistic pedestal. The equipment can be purchased, and the science part can be hired out or outsourced. The great people may be more difficult to find, but they can be trained. With great customer service, communication, and strong relationships built with the local medical clinics, there would be another option for patients to have their lab work done.
Would a medical clinic rather send their patients with confidence to a lab that takes care of their people vs. the cattle car of an operation that fronts itself as a laboratory? I think so.
I once had a wise business person jokingly tell me that the reason he was so successful was because he’s no worse than the competition. In reality, he made sure his business had great service, great products, and great people to deliver them. In a down economy that we’re experience, it is risky to treat people as just another number, and essential to make them a valued customer.
I wondered how many other individuals made the wasted trip. That was one strike against the company for not informing the medical clinics and physicians about their move. I’ll spare the name of the business, even though they enjoy a virtual monopoly on the island.
When I arrived at the new location, I went to the second floor and wandered around for a few minutes looking for a sign with the name of the company. On my second trip around I noticed some people sitting in a large room, so I looked at another piece of regular paper taped to the door with their name on it. Strike two for cheap signs and lack of professionalism. I have some hope that the next interaction will be positive after I read their slogan: “Great Science. Great People.”
The chairs were lined up like a workshop with a TV screen in the front, but it was turned off. No one was there to greet me, nor were there signs to say what to do. I walked over to a desk and saw a clipboard with a few names on it, and asked one of the individuals waiting if we were supposed to sign in. She said “yes,” so I signed in and sat down and waited for a few minutes until a gentleman called my name.
Okay, here was one of the “great people” I was going to be dealing with, but there was no greeting, he only asked for my insurance card, and then told me to sign a paper that had some wording as part of their contract. I started reading it and he seemed annoyed that I was actually reading something before signing it. I was then told to have a seat while he processed my paperwork.
A few more minutes go by and then I hear “Come with me,” and the individual gets up and walks off. I look up and there are a couple of people seated with me, and I’m not sure if it was for me, so I wait until he appears at the doorway and tells me again to come.
I’m now seated and my blood is taken, then I’m told he needs some “pee-pee.” Luckily, I understand his less-than-scientific terminology, having raised several children and having used the same word often when they were babies. However, each interaction I’m having with the “great people” of this company, is making me question the “great science” they’re going to use to analyze my bodily fluids.
I’m ready to leave at this point, but they’ve already got my blood, so I might as well leave my pee-pee. The restroom is clean, but then I notice that there is no trash receptacle in the room. I’m pretty creative, so I make do and when I go to wash my hands there is no soap in the container. Okay, I’m really losing confidence in this place as a professional facility.
When I finally leave the restroom with my pee-pee container in hand, I see that they’ve conveniently placed the trash can on the outside of the door. I point out to the individual that there is no trash receptacle in the bathroom, and he just shrugs and tells me to place my sample on a shelf with other samples. I checked to make sure my name is spelled correctly - at this point they have just struck out and I have lost all confidence in their great people, and their great science is waning in my mind.
As a business person, my thoughts quickly move to see what would need to happen to compete successfully against this company and knock it off its monopolistic pedestal. The equipment can be purchased, and the science part can be hired out or outsourced. The great people may be more difficult to find, but they can be trained. With great customer service, communication, and strong relationships built with the local medical clinics, there would be another option for patients to have their lab work done.
Would a medical clinic rather send their patients with confidence to a lab that takes care of their people vs. the cattle car of an operation that fronts itself as a laboratory? I think so.
I once had a wise business person jokingly tell me that the reason he was so successful was because he’s no worse than the competition. In reality, he made sure his business had great service, great products, and great people to deliver them. In a down economy that we’re experience, it is risky to treat people as just another number, and essential to make them a valued customer.
Perturbation
Perturbation is an interesting word that describes change, especially agitation from the status quo. A perturbation of a biological system is a change in the external or internal environment. This can occur from temperature changes, pressure changes, toxins, drugs, etc.
Celestial bodies can experience perturbation when there is a disturbance of their regular orbit because of the attraction of neighboring planets. For example, perturbations in Neptune’s orbit led to the discovery of the planet Pluto, and perturbations in the orbit of stars have led to the discovery of other planetary systems.
The CNMI in general and individuals specifically are experiencing perturbation from the various activities that are impacting their normal routine. For example, the external events such as the changes in labor and immigration are affecting the personal lives of individuals and thus creating stresses that weren’t there before in the lives of the individuals and their families, as well as employers and customers. Other factors that have an impact are the economy, self-serving political bills and initiatives, and world events that have a ripple effect on the islands.
These influences cause slight to severe deviations that disrupt the status quo and puts programs, processes, and people in an uncomfortable situation that requires some adjustments – sometimes for the better. What might have worked in the past is now ineffective and a new set of strategies and systems are needed to create similar or better results.
Leaders will sometimes create perturbation intentionally to place additional pressures on their followers so that they are forced to discover new solutions. What was working in the past either isn’t producing the same results or the results the leader expects. I’ve known several leaders who announced that they were intentionally turning the organization upside down so they could shake their people out of complacency. The mantra of “that’s how we’ve always done it here” wasn’t working and change was needed right away.
If you think about it, many of your changes from routine patterns were caused by internal or external events that bumped you out of your comfort zone. People are creatures of habit, and usually will not stray far from their areas of comfort before returning to their familiar patterns of behavior. We typically sit in the same places in classes or church, and take the same routes to work or to shop.
Individuals often stay in relationships that aren’t working because they believe it’s too uncomfortable to change, so they will live quiet lives of desperation for years until something bumps them so far out of their comfort zone that they find it more difficult to return.
If you think about it, a breakthrough often follows a breakup, a breakdown, or a break with the ideologies of the past. It’s those rare individuals with a spirit of adventure that have broken speed records, climbed the highest peaks, or discovered new worlds while the rest of humanity was trudging along in their familiar ruts. These individuals intentionally place themselves in a state of perturbation to learn new ways of thinking, make new relationships, and learn new skills that will enable them to better adapt to change.
Trying to operate in the same way while the world around us is changing will only create more stress and ultimately lead to failure. Discovering new ways of thinking, working, and relating will allow us to better adapt to the many changes that are rocking our world.
Are you a creature of habit who gets over-stressed when things aren’t working the way you want them to work? When you find someone sitting in “your seat,” do you get perturbed? If your usual route to work is blocked because of construction, do you get upset, or do you just go with the flow?
Do something today that is out of the ordinary or a change in your routine. We have a new year coming soon, and this is a time when many people set resolutions or goals to accomplish. Set some goals to create perturbation and break you out of familiar routines. Learn a new skill, visit a new place, and make new friends. Soon you’ll make these mini-adventures a part of your life and start to look for bigger adventures that will transform you into a better and more interesting person.
Celestial bodies can experience perturbation when there is a disturbance of their regular orbit because of the attraction of neighboring planets. For example, perturbations in Neptune’s orbit led to the discovery of the planet Pluto, and perturbations in the orbit of stars have led to the discovery of other planetary systems.
The CNMI in general and individuals specifically are experiencing perturbation from the various activities that are impacting their normal routine. For example, the external events such as the changes in labor and immigration are affecting the personal lives of individuals and thus creating stresses that weren’t there before in the lives of the individuals and their families, as well as employers and customers. Other factors that have an impact are the economy, self-serving political bills and initiatives, and world events that have a ripple effect on the islands.
These influences cause slight to severe deviations that disrupt the status quo and puts programs, processes, and people in an uncomfortable situation that requires some adjustments – sometimes for the better. What might have worked in the past is now ineffective and a new set of strategies and systems are needed to create similar or better results.
Leaders will sometimes create perturbation intentionally to place additional pressures on their followers so that they are forced to discover new solutions. What was working in the past either isn’t producing the same results or the results the leader expects. I’ve known several leaders who announced that they were intentionally turning the organization upside down so they could shake their people out of complacency. The mantra of “that’s how we’ve always done it here” wasn’t working and change was needed right away.
If you think about it, many of your changes from routine patterns were caused by internal or external events that bumped you out of your comfort zone. People are creatures of habit, and usually will not stray far from their areas of comfort before returning to their familiar patterns of behavior. We typically sit in the same places in classes or church, and take the same routes to work or to shop.
Individuals often stay in relationships that aren’t working because they believe it’s too uncomfortable to change, so they will live quiet lives of desperation for years until something bumps them so far out of their comfort zone that they find it more difficult to return.
If you think about it, a breakthrough often follows a breakup, a breakdown, or a break with the ideologies of the past. It’s those rare individuals with a spirit of adventure that have broken speed records, climbed the highest peaks, or discovered new worlds while the rest of humanity was trudging along in their familiar ruts. These individuals intentionally place themselves in a state of perturbation to learn new ways of thinking, make new relationships, and learn new skills that will enable them to better adapt to change.
Trying to operate in the same way while the world around us is changing will only create more stress and ultimately lead to failure. Discovering new ways of thinking, working, and relating will allow us to better adapt to the many changes that are rocking our world.
Are you a creature of habit who gets over-stressed when things aren’t working the way you want them to work? When you find someone sitting in “your seat,” do you get perturbed? If your usual route to work is blocked because of construction, do you get upset, or do you just go with the flow?
Do something today that is out of the ordinary or a change in your routine. We have a new year coming soon, and this is a time when many people set resolutions or goals to accomplish. Set some goals to create perturbation and break you out of familiar routines. Learn a new skill, visit a new place, and make new friends. Soon you’ll make these mini-adventures a part of your life and start to look for bigger adventures that will transform you into a better and more interesting person.
Christmas Presence
In a few days, children will wake up with glee to open presents underneath the Christmas tree. The anticipation that has been building up for weeks will come to an end with wrapping paper scattered throughout the house and batteries inserted into high-tech toys that would make Thomas Edison blush with envy.
As a young child, I can remember the difficulty going to bed on Christmas Eve as I thought about my wish list of presents I had picked out from the huge Sears catalog. At the break of dawn, I would wake up and quietly sneak into the living room to see all the colorfully wrapped presents under the lit tree and I would look for my name on the largest boxes, hoping they were mine.
What made that one day particularly exciting was the build-up towards Christmas from the traditions that have been handed down for generations. The Christmas cards, songs, decorations, and food were all part of the ambiance that got people into the season of giving. Christmas has become a worldwide celebration for Christians and non-Christians alike. Sometimes it is difficult to make the distinction because both celebrate similar themes publicly and in their homes.
As I’ve transitioned from believing in Santa Claus to being Santa Claus, I have tried to examine what really makes this season so special for anyone who celebrates it. Traditions are an important part of any celebration, and the giving of gifts has become essential, but what is it that really makes the season so memorable?
In my opinion, it is the presence and not the presents that makes this time so wonderful. Christmas tends to bring people together in a way that rarely happens at any other time of the year. People bond through the giving of gifts, the sharing of food, and the parties and personal moments that cause friends and family to enjoy one another even more. It’s a time to put personal biases and petty differences aside and look at our commonalities as brothers and sisters of the human family.
By becoming present in the moment to the needs of others and showing our concern and sharing our time, talent, or gifts with them, we become better people and help to make the world a better place to live in. Christmas is a time to look deeply inside ourselves and examine how we fit with the world outside ourselves, and realize that we may not be able to change the world, but we can make sure people know we are present.
One way to let others know you are present is to focus more on the moments, rather than the money. Think about your most memorable moments from Christmas past and in most cases it will be filled with the presence of loved ones versus the presents from loved ones. Yes, there are memorable times when you received that extra special gift that stands distinctly out in your mind. However, it was also having someone present to share the moment that made it so special. (Try playing Rock’em Sock’em Robots with yourself.)
The presents act as a catalyst to bring people together and share more of their presence. Having one without the other greatly diminishes the moment. This is especially apparent when loved ones are not present due to geographical distance, work demands, health issues, or military service. The presents they give are a minor substitute for their physical presence that is sorely missed.
This Christmas we will be sharing our presents with all of our children, but as our family has grown and some of the children moved to different parts of the world, we will be missing the presence of four of our children and three grandchildren. One joyous event we will particularly delight in is the reunion of our oldest son Joshua, his wife April and their two children. It will be beyond words for us to welcome them to Saipan for the first time and to share our presence with each other in a way that will hopefully be remembered as a special moment in all our lives.
As you open your presents on Christmas, remember that it is because of the intense love of a Father who was willing to give the presence of his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, that we truly celebrate this day. His greatest gift will not be anything that can be wrapped with a bow, but the opportunity for true believers to enjoy His eternal presence. However you decide to celebrate the season with your presence, I want to wish you and your loved ones a merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” – John 3:5
As a young child, I can remember the difficulty going to bed on Christmas Eve as I thought about my wish list of presents I had picked out from the huge Sears catalog. At the break of dawn, I would wake up and quietly sneak into the living room to see all the colorfully wrapped presents under the lit tree and I would look for my name on the largest boxes, hoping they were mine.
What made that one day particularly exciting was the build-up towards Christmas from the traditions that have been handed down for generations. The Christmas cards, songs, decorations, and food were all part of the ambiance that got people into the season of giving. Christmas has become a worldwide celebration for Christians and non-Christians alike. Sometimes it is difficult to make the distinction because both celebrate similar themes publicly and in their homes.
As I’ve transitioned from believing in Santa Claus to being Santa Claus, I have tried to examine what really makes this season so special for anyone who celebrates it. Traditions are an important part of any celebration, and the giving of gifts has become essential, but what is it that really makes the season so memorable?
In my opinion, it is the presence and not the presents that makes this time so wonderful. Christmas tends to bring people together in a way that rarely happens at any other time of the year. People bond through the giving of gifts, the sharing of food, and the parties and personal moments that cause friends and family to enjoy one another even more. It’s a time to put personal biases and petty differences aside and look at our commonalities as brothers and sisters of the human family.
By becoming present in the moment to the needs of others and showing our concern and sharing our time, talent, or gifts with them, we become better people and help to make the world a better place to live in. Christmas is a time to look deeply inside ourselves and examine how we fit with the world outside ourselves, and realize that we may not be able to change the world, but we can make sure people know we are present.
One way to let others know you are present is to focus more on the moments, rather than the money. Think about your most memorable moments from Christmas past and in most cases it will be filled with the presence of loved ones versus the presents from loved ones. Yes, there are memorable times when you received that extra special gift that stands distinctly out in your mind. However, it was also having someone present to share the moment that made it so special. (Try playing Rock’em Sock’em Robots with yourself.)
The presents act as a catalyst to bring people together and share more of their presence. Having one without the other greatly diminishes the moment. This is especially apparent when loved ones are not present due to geographical distance, work demands, health issues, or military service. The presents they give are a minor substitute for their physical presence that is sorely missed.
This Christmas we will be sharing our presents with all of our children, but as our family has grown and some of the children moved to different parts of the world, we will be missing the presence of four of our children and three grandchildren. One joyous event we will particularly delight in is the reunion of our oldest son Joshua, his wife April and their two children. It will be beyond words for us to welcome them to Saipan for the first time and to share our presence with each other in a way that will hopefully be remembered as a special moment in all our lives.
As you open your presents on Christmas, remember that it is because of the intense love of a Father who was willing to give the presence of his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, that we truly celebrate this day. His greatest gift will not be anything that can be wrapped with a bow, but the opportunity for true believers to enjoy His eternal presence. However you decide to celebrate the season with your presence, I want to wish you and your loved ones a merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” – John 3:5
Greener Pastures
What happens if you have a great product that’s wanted by your customers, impeccable service that gets them to return often, and your marketing campaign looks good; however, you just can’t increase your revenue beyond the loyal customers that you have right now?
You should examine the potential customers that exist in your location to determine if there are enough to sustain your business. For some business owners, the solution to your financial challenge may be to take your business to where there is a market demand for what you have to sell. There are numerous other ways to get your products to those who need and can afford them. The Internet has allowed many companies to sell globally. Going global expands your offering to a larger target market. This can be done through exporting to foreign countries, foreign licensing, and joint ventures. It also involves developing a global strategy. If you have a product that is unique, you may be able to form a strategic alliance with a well-established distributor in another country.
I met an individual who was a U.S. citizen, but had lived in Japan for several years and made some important contacts. His business was to broker deals with U.S. companies who wanted to sell to Japanese customers, but would have a difficult time breaking into the tightly-held distribution system already in place. He earned either a percentage of what sold or was paid a flat fee for his services. His clients benefited by increasing their sales exponentially.
You can also find brokers who will negotiate deals with businesses in numerous other countries that have a demand for what you’re selling. In addition, a product that is on the decline side of their product life cycle in the U.S. may experience a renewed demand in countries that are behind the technology curve. For example, it would be next to impossible to make a living selling the older, manual typewriters; however, in some developing countries or places without adequate electricity, they might be a welcome product.
Location can be an extremely important factor to consider when you start your business. With all other factors the same, you may be able to sell much more of your product in one area of the country than in another. This may be due to a larger population or a more affluent community. Brendan and John Ready were two brothers who grew up in a lobster fisherman family in Maine. They learned the trade from their father and would sell their lobsters off the docks, just as other fishermen did. One day they decided to go against tradition and they drove for two hours to sell their lobsters to wealthy customers at Martha’s Vineyard. The results were worth the inconvenience of the two hour drive because they sold all their lobsters and made three times as much revenue as they would have from selling on the dock.
When I lived in Logan, Utah, Kerry was one of my clients who made his living as a videographer, specializing in wedding videos. His top end video cost about $600, and he didn’t have much money after paying for his expenses. Within a few months of working with him, Kerry more than doubled his sales, but I told him that if he wanted to make more money he was going to have to move to a larger city. I was thinking of Salt Lake City, but he was even thinking bigger and moved to a retirement community in southern Florida that was much more affluent than Logan. There he was able to sell similar videos he made in Logan, but he charged $3,000 or more for them. That’s five times the amount for the same product. Not only was he able to earn more per client, but there were more clients willing to pay his higher fees. Needless to say, Kerry’s sales increased by more than 500 percent and his profits were even greater.
Let’s go back to the Ready brothers and their lobster adventure. After graduating from college, they tested a big breakthrough idea they developed in school called Catch a Piece of Maine. This was a membership club that planned to sell for about $3,000 and it included a dedicated lobsterman, your own lobster trap, and a specific number of gourmet lobsters delivered anywhere in the country. It also included other delicacies from Maine, and each shipment included a DVD of your lobsterman showing your catch before it was shipped, as well as a map of where your lobsters were caught and other personalized gifts.
Many people told the brothers that they were crazy, their idea wouldn’t work, and no one would buy… until the money started pouring in. The brothers had expanded their idea beyond the docks of Maine to sell to individuals who felt the concept was worth more than the high price. Brendan and John Ready weren’t just selling lobsters, they were selling a unique experience that would involve the customers in the lobster catch and turn them into partners by developing a relationship with their lobsterman.
The brothers had a goal to make over $1,000,000 in their first year by selling 400 memberships at $3,000. They ended up selling 200 memberships in their first three months and more than 400 in their first year. In addition, they have enthusiastic customers who are compelled to share their adventure with their friends. If a client has a party where the lobsters are served, they can show the DVD and brag about “their” lobsterman in Maine, who caught the meal for them this morning! You can catch their business at www.CatchAPieceOfMaine.com.
You should examine the potential customers that exist in your location to determine if there are enough to sustain your business. For some business owners, the solution to your financial challenge may be to take your business to where there is a market demand for what you have to sell. There are numerous other ways to get your products to those who need and can afford them. The Internet has allowed many companies to sell globally. Going global expands your offering to a larger target market. This can be done through exporting to foreign countries, foreign licensing, and joint ventures. It also involves developing a global strategy. If you have a product that is unique, you may be able to form a strategic alliance with a well-established distributor in another country.
I met an individual who was a U.S. citizen, but had lived in Japan for several years and made some important contacts. His business was to broker deals with U.S. companies who wanted to sell to Japanese customers, but would have a difficult time breaking into the tightly-held distribution system already in place. He earned either a percentage of what sold or was paid a flat fee for his services. His clients benefited by increasing their sales exponentially.
You can also find brokers who will negotiate deals with businesses in numerous other countries that have a demand for what you’re selling. In addition, a product that is on the decline side of their product life cycle in the U.S. may experience a renewed demand in countries that are behind the technology curve. For example, it would be next to impossible to make a living selling the older, manual typewriters; however, in some developing countries or places without adequate electricity, they might be a welcome product.
Location can be an extremely important factor to consider when you start your business. With all other factors the same, you may be able to sell much more of your product in one area of the country than in another. This may be due to a larger population or a more affluent community. Brendan and John Ready were two brothers who grew up in a lobster fisherman family in Maine. They learned the trade from their father and would sell their lobsters off the docks, just as other fishermen did. One day they decided to go against tradition and they drove for two hours to sell their lobsters to wealthy customers at Martha’s Vineyard. The results were worth the inconvenience of the two hour drive because they sold all their lobsters and made three times as much revenue as they would have from selling on the dock.
When I lived in Logan, Utah, Kerry was one of my clients who made his living as a videographer, specializing in wedding videos. His top end video cost about $600, and he didn’t have much money after paying for his expenses. Within a few months of working with him, Kerry more than doubled his sales, but I told him that if he wanted to make more money he was going to have to move to a larger city. I was thinking of Salt Lake City, but he was even thinking bigger and moved to a retirement community in southern Florida that was much more affluent than Logan. There he was able to sell similar videos he made in Logan, but he charged $3,000 or more for them. That’s five times the amount for the same product. Not only was he able to earn more per client, but there were more clients willing to pay his higher fees. Needless to say, Kerry’s sales increased by more than 500 percent and his profits were even greater.
Let’s go back to the Ready brothers and their lobster adventure. After graduating from college, they tested a big breakthrough idea they developed in school called Catch a Piece of Maine. This was a membership club that planned to sell for about $3,000 and it included a dedicated lobsterman, your own lobster trap, and a specific number of gourmet lobsters delivered anywhere in the country. It also included other delicacies from Maine, and each shipment included a DVD of your lobsterman showing your catch before it was shipped, as well as a map of where your lobsters were caught and other personalized gifts.
Many people told the brothers that they were crazy, their idea wouldn’t work, and no one would buy… until the money started pouring in. The brothers had expanded their idea beyond the docks of Maine to sell to individuals who felt the concept was worth more than the high price. Brendan and John Ready weren’t just selling lobsters, they were selling a unique experience that would involve the customers in the lobster catch and turn them into partners by developing a relationship with their lobsterman.
The brothers had a goal to make over $1,000,000 in their first year by selling 400 memberships at $3,000. They ended up selling 200 memberships in their first three months and more than 400 in their first year. In addition, they have enthusiastic customers who are compelled to share their adventure with their friends. If a client has a party where the lobsters are served, they can show the DVD and brag about “their” lobsterman in Maine, who caught the meal for them this morning! You can catch their business at www.CatchAPieceOfMaine.com.
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