Blogs

Each and every day we have an opportunity to create something special with energy and resources. So, why do some people and businesses succeed, while others stumble from week to week? Is it talent… luck … persistence… what’s the difference maker?

Nothing, by itself, is the driver for success.

Instead, it’s a consistent combination of many things coming together, at the right time. That’s what we are doing when we make a commitment to build a successful business system. It’s a relentless pursuit of excellence, each and every day. We know and understand how critical it is to make each day the absolute best that it can be. It's a sense of urgency applied consistently to how we run our business. 

Success Building is a never-ending attitude that leads a great business towards freshness. Old, gnarly ways of doing things must be an easy thing to take note of and change. It’s easy to spot smelly, rotting, disgusting fruit… but by then, how many prospects have gone elsewhere, or worse yet, how many prospects AND CUSTOMERS have developed a much better nose than you have for your product or service? 
Yikes… now we can’t let that happen, so what can we do to stay in the Fresh Fruit section of the market?

In today’s competitive marketplace, a powerful network is critical to a rain maker. Meet new people.  Make more friends.  How often do you put yourself in a position to meet new people? Are you plugged in and active with a  local Chamber? Do you actively participate in a productive Lead Group? Do you make it a regular practice to invite key contacts to meet for a cup of coffee. Best investment I've ever made has been in all those $2-$3 high voltage espresso-laden Americanos! Get Involved with other business people...it’s the cure for slumps and being bummed out! JUST DO IT… it will lead you to a better place in your mind and your spirit, not to mention the best business opportunities you will ever find!

Are you doing consistent follow-up? How often do you receive professional follow-up? Not very often. In fact, when you do, it probably blows your mind! Your startled and maybe a little put off… “why are they being so nice to me… They must be trying to sell me something!” It’s crazy… we work our tails off to create a new customer while our current customers and prospects are on hold waiting to place new orders, or waiting to refer us to others, or waiting to ask a question that should have been anticipated.

Take a look at the Success Horizon and you can’t help but notice the many benefits of building a cloud based Business System. “Cloud” is a metaphor for the Internet. Over the last 5 years more and more companies have been delivering software that’s accessible from the Internet. No longer do you need to purchase expensive hardware and software to implement a new CRM solution for your work group. If you have consistent, reliable Internet, you can simply do some smart up-front planning and quickly deploy an effective solution that drives sales and provides your clients with an exceptional level of service.

Ever wonder why Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer, has the golden touch? From my standpoint, I’ve always admired him because he gets away without shaving and he always wears my favorite threads… jeans and a long sleeve, blue, semi-turtle neck. So, when a friend emailed a link to his June 12, 2005 Commencement address at Stanford, I was more than happy to check it out. I’m glad I did. He shares his life experience and why he is so driven to accept nothing less than greatness. Per my casual hero,...

I’m often reminded of a story I heard many years ago. It goes something like this…Bernard, on occasion, enjoyed stopping by Larry’s house for a cup of coffee and some great conversation.  During each visit, Larry would greet Bernard at the front door, and lead him into the kitchen.  During the first, and all all subsequent visits , Larry’s dog would meander into the kitchen, sit in the corner, and begin to howl. Larry always just ignored the situation, so Bernard felt compelled to mind his own business. 

Dear BS Blogger,
Just a quick update on the evolution of The North Pole Business System.  Per last year’s post, Santa’s Dilemma, we’d become burdened and ineffective with a complex, expensive CRM headache.  In theory our system looked fantastic, but in reality it was a huge energy and resource drain.  We’d made a massive investment in beefy new hardware, countless software licenses and hefty professional services. After all that, the entire staff refused to use the new system despite an endless series of North Pole training sessions. As you know we made a decision, prior to last year’s Christmas deliveries, to scrap our bloated system,  and focus on our core strengths… Caring & Magic.  We are pleased to announce that despite all of the last minute changes and uncertainty, we were able to pull it all together and make sure all the good girls and boys were not disappointed!

Eastern philosophy talks about the unproductive chatter that runs through our heads. We’ve all got a steady flow of thoughts, conversations, and dialogs speeding through our mind’s. This mental activity creates busyness which keeps us away from the essence of the moment. The Buddhist Term for this mental, destructive busyness is Monkey Mind.

Every business makes a promise. What’s yours?

Imagine a scenario where your business was able to provide the ultimate…
What would it look like?
How would it make people feel?
It’s simple. You know the answer.
It’s what you would want. Wear your customer’s shoes.

What would you JUMP UP & DOWN ABOUT!?!

Now The Hard Part... Keep Your Promise!

The only way to keep your promise is to have a consistent, effective Business System. If you are just winging it your Promise is a hit or miss proposition. Is that the sort of business you would want to do business with?

Keeping your eye on the ball…? Have a clue as to what THE BALL actually is? The first step in creating a Terrific Business System is to have a crystal clear vision of exactly what you’re about. It’s your on-going, living and breathing Business Purpose.  
What’s your Primary Aim?

Tweak your lens adjustment and zoom in. The scene comes into focus and becomes vivid and real. The setting, the people, the achievement, the exhilaration, the satisfaction, the freedom. Your life and others, have been transformed. You can see it... you can feel it.  It’s what you intended. You have mastered the ability to experience the ultimate vision for your growing business.
Now look back over your shoulder. MapQuest your journey. Document how you traveled from benchmark to benchmark to reach your destination. Calculate the estimated time between points. Remember how you continued onward, despite an occasional pothole or a bogus left turn… hey, we’ve all used MapQuest before right? Your vision is the inspiration that drives your business towards success!