The Big Game

Tomorrow is the big game, as I’m sure you know. Who’s playing, you ask. Does it matter? Isn’t the draw the commercials and entertainment? For most, I think this is the case. It certainly is for me. Professional football is painful for me to watch. The game moves too slowly. The emotion of college football is missing. And the players are way too clean. Where’s the mud that I used to be covered in when I played football as a youngster. Too manufactured. Too corporate. Too boring.

But not the big game! The big game is a spectacle without comparison. It’s an experience that draws you in, regardless of whether or not you’re a football fan, or even know the rules of football. It’s an international party. I heard yesterday that there will be enough guacamole consumed during the big game to fill a football stadium 7 feed deep. The big game is a must-see, can’t miss event. The NFL is genius for pulling this off, don’t you think? I do. It’s pure marketing genius.

So let me ask you this: What are you doing to be unique? How are you setting yourself apart? How will you “sell the guacamole?” It’s an interesting question; not at all easy to answer. But, it is one of the keys to success. As we peel the avocados, let’s think about this question, commit to do something about it, and enjoy the big game.

Phil

Discipline or Process Improvement

People screw up. They make mistakes. Nobody is perfect, right? But, what happens when your people make a mistake? What do you do about it? What is your organizational philosophy for correcting people? It’s important to know the answer to these questions.

In general, I see two major philosophies in use. One says that mistakes are made because people are stupid. There is nothing wrong with anything except the person who screwed up. It’s all their fault and they need to suffer the consequences. This thought process leads to discipline.

The other philosophy says that mistakes are made because processes are broken. Yes, people are not perfect, but if we had the right processes in place, we’d have fewer mistakes. It’s not the fault of the person. It’s the fault of the organization. This thought process leads to process improvement.

Now, let me ask you a question. Under which philosophy would you rather work? If you are an individualist, you may prefer the first scenario. Let everyone fend for themselves. Hold people accountable. Separate the wheat from the chaff. It’s all about me.

However, if you’re more of a communalist, you’d probably rather be in the second situation. We’re all in this together. Forgive and forget. If we all work together, we can build something really great. It’s all about the team.

There’s nothing wrong with either approach, unless they are inconsistent with organizational values, mission and vision. Both philosophies have their place in the right organization. The key is to know which organization you’re in and act accordingly.

Phil

People are Strange

OK, strange may be too strong of a word. How about different? Is that better? Don’t want to offend anyone… But, the reality is that people are different. We are not all the same. Don’t you agree?

With this simple concept established as the truth, I’d like to ask a few questions. Why, then, do we assume that people will act just like us in a work situation? Why do we not assume they will act completely different than us? After all, we’re all different, right?

Different people have different values, perspectives, and attitudes. Not all people share these things. If they did, there would be world peace. When was the last time we had world peace?

It is even more difficult for a business owner to see this reality clearly. Many owners are frustrated because their people don’t act like an owner. Of course, hired help will never act like an owner, but don’t try telling an owner this because it won’t compute.

So what are we to do? The answer is that we need to understand this reality to begin with. Then, we should seek to understand our own values, perspectives, and attitudes. Finally, we should strive to align ourselves with people who share our values, perspectives, and attitudes. None of these are simple things to accomplish but they are well worth the effort.

If you’d like to discuss this in more detail, please call me. I’d love to speak with you about it.

Phil

Life is a Marathon

You’ve heard the phrase, “life is a marathon, not a sprint,” right? Well, I have to tell you that I’m more aware of this every day. Once again, I’m working through a minor injury that is keeping me off the ice. However, I’m OK with it. When I was younger, an injury would have caused me great despair. Now, I have a much healthier attitude about it and just want to take one day at a time to work it out. The last thing I want to do is to overextend myself and cause an even greater setback.

I see many parallels between my injury and business growth. We have to be patient, dedicated, and focused on the long term to be successful in business. We have to see the big picture but also execute on a daily basis to move forward. If we try to move too fast, we may suffer a setback. Every move must be calculated. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, remember?

P

Giving it away

Recently, I’ve been working on several projects that involve the process of qualifying sales leads. Because of this, it has been on the forefront of my mind that it is not uncommon for a salesperson without a good qualification process to give it away for free. What am I referring to when I refer to “it”? That is a great question.

“It” is whatever the buyer or potential buyer wants from you. In most sales situations, the seller wants to make a sale. However, the buyer doesn’t want to buy. In fact, the buyer is never going to buy from this sales person. Unfortunately, the sales person has no clue that this is the case. The buyer does want something, though, from the buyer. He wants information. This is the “it.”

As soon as the buyer has the information, guess what happens. You got it: nothing. The salesperson gets voicemail and a cold shoulder. The buyer takes the free information and uses it against the incumbent. Thank you very much.

So, what’s a salesperson to do? Don’t give it away for free! The buyer wants what you have (information). Don’t give it to him unless he’s going to pay you for it. It’s that simple. Don’t play the game. Don’t be used. Don’t be stupid. The buyer has no interest in your welfare. He’s only concerned about himself. Wise up, my friend!

In 2009, with a broken economy, we can’t afford to give it away, can we? So let’s not do it.

P

The Ultimate Question

Now is a great time to be asking the ultimate question of our customers. Here’s one version of this question: “On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, how likely are you to refer us to someone you know and respect?” If answered honestly, this question measures customer satisfaction with simplicity.

Higher scores indicate high levels of satisfaction. Think about it. If someone is highly likely to refer you to someone they respect, they have to be very satisfied with your business. In this manner, they are actually promoting your business to others. What a beautiful thing.

On the other hand, if the respond with a middle-of-the-road score, they are fairly passive or neutral. They will hesitate to refer your business or will decline to do so. They may not say bad things about your business but they surely aren’t going to help you grow it.

Hopefully, we’re not receiving really low scores. Someone who responds with a very low score represents a highly motivated person in a negative sense. They will sabotage a business’ efforts to grow, as they tell everyone they know about their terrible experience.

The concept of the ultimate question is indeed simple. But, putting it into practice and utilizing it to improve your business may be a bit more complicated. If you’d like to know more about how to use the ultimate question in your company, I would encourage you to read Fred Reichheld’s book titled The Ultimate Question: Driving Good Profits and True Growth. This is a great book and deserves to be on every business leader’s bookshelf.

P

Strategic Direction

Everyone seems to be scrambling to find the secret formula to surviving a recession, as if one existed. I personally believe that business owners and leadership teams need to discover their own secret formula; one that will not only help them survive this economic downturn but propel them toward long-term success.

The beginning point, however, is to know what it means to be successful; to know what the finish line looks like. Knowing this will provide strategic direction, motivation, and alignment—necessary ingredients for success.

I often find that businesses lack clear direction. They may have a vague sense of direction. They may even have clear short-term objectives. But many lack a clear long-term strategy. I think this is a critical error.

There is no better time than right now to develop your long-term strategic direction. What are you waiting for?

P

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Today’s national holiday should cause us to reflect on Dr. King’s vision. What was this vision?

According to Coretta Scott King, “On this day we commemorate Dr. King’s great dream of a vibrant, multiracial nation united in justice, peace and reconciliation; a nation that has a place at the table for children of every race and room at the inn for every needy child. We are called on this holiday, not merely to honor, but to celebrate the values of equality, tolerance and interracial sister and brotherhood he so compellingly expressed in his great dream for America. (www.thekingcenter.org).

Unfortunately, racial inequality is still alive and well today. If our eyes are open, we see it every day. What will it take for us to change? Will we ever arrive? I don’t know the answers to these questions. All I know is that I have a choice to make each day. I can either judge people superficially, according to their outward appearance, or I can look deeper into a person to see who they are. Each one of us has these two options. Our decisions collectively will determine how quickly Dr. King’s vision is realized.

Today, let’s take a few minutes to reflect on our own values and attitudes toward others. And then let’s live our lives accordingly.

P

Someplace Warm & Sunny

It’s my turn to go someplace warm & sunny. I may or not write on my blog during this time. I know, I know. But you’ll just have to find a way to continue until I get back Saturday. It will be OK. I promise. See you then.

P

Proverbs 3:8-19

Phil writes about Proverbs on Sundays.

8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
9 They will be a garland to grace your head
and a chain to adorn your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you,
do not give in to them.
11 If they say, “Come along with us;
let’s lie in wait for someone’s blood,
let’s waylay some harmless soul;
12 let’s swallow them alive, like the grave, [b]
and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
13 we will get all sorts of valuable things
and fill our houses with plunder;
14 throw in your lot with us,
and we will share a common purse”-
15 my son, do not go along with them,
do not set foot on their paths;
16 for their feet rush into sin,
they are swift to shed blood.
17 How useless to spread a net
in full view of all the birds!
18 These men lie in wait for their own blood;
they waylay only themselves!
19 Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
it takes away the lives of those who get it.

We live in a world filled with much evil. Every day the news is filled with horrific stories of people who have committed vile acts against others. Many other evil acts are never reported. Abused of children and women hit the news almost daily now. The internet is filled with disgusting and evil acts against the weak and powerless.

This section of Proverbs serves as a warning to us; that if we follow those who’s “feet rush into sin” the results will be disastrous. Verses 18-19 say that these men will bring judgment on themselves and their lives will be taken away. How appropriate.

P