1. What could you lose today that you have?
2. Who could you thank that you really appreciate?
3. How could you love and give first, sell second?
4. How could you offer support instead of worry?
5. What would you do differently today if it were your last?
6. How great do you really have it?
7. What could you go for it on today that you’ve put off for years?

What the hell are you waiting for?
Special thanks to my family, clients, friends and amazing wife.
I’m so blessed.

Get out there and SHAKE IT UP!

I Feel Sorry for Potato Farmers

Recently, I walked into the grocery store in search of a few items my wife had sent me out to purchase for a family gathering.  As I approached the potato area, I noticed I was very cold…I’m convinced that these stores crank the AC just to see how fast they can make us shop…  but I also noticed the specials and the prices and some buy 3 get one free deals on different types and “brands” of potatoes… but other than that, there was nothing that drove me to choose one potato over any other.  These poor potato farmers are hoping to see sales rise for their special little products, but they don’t have a fighting chance unless they launch their SUPER SPUD campaign!   I found 4 brands of russet potatoes… hmmm, let’s see, this one is a nice shade of brown –  hah!  they get the business this time!

The SUPER SPUD Exercise – explore the magic of distinctions.  If you can do it for a potato, you can do it for your business – Capiche?

1. Write down 4 different types of potatoes (get ‘em at the store if you can)
2. For each potato, list what unique characteristics they each have and be sure to include prices, special offers, color, texture– etc.
3. Now, create your Super Potato!  Choose one of the potatoes that most appeals to you for whatever reason.  Name it if you like…  and then, decide what factors would create an irrational need for you to buy this potato over the others.  Your objective is to create a powerful message that would drive people nuts to buy this potato!  Oddly enough, as you look deeply, you’ll find that this strategy actually reveals value!  It’s not just creating thinkage… it’s identifying what would have the MOST meaning to a potential buyer.  Just answer these questions and remember that buyers have priorities in their lives that have NOTHING to do with potatoes, so selling the SPUD isn’t the answer.  Go deeper… find out what is driving families to buy ANYTHING.  It’s the FEELING that buying something creates.  Chances are you’ve been selling and marketing based on the wonders of all potatoes.  Now, focus on YOUR gifted, super potatoes and what they mean to others – what value they bring – is your PRIMARY focus.  Become the ideal buyer… rushed mom, beer shopping dad, busy, overworked and distracted, health semi-unconscious American.  What is stressing me, grabbing my attention.  How can this little spud remove some of that pain for me now?
   1. How can the potato help with your health and that of your family?
   2. What would your potato be if it was waaaaay better and even cooler than a potato? (a nutrition cooking system all in one veggie?  A meaningful gift for family time?  A toy for making little family member models?)
   3. What about this potato could improve your money situation? (does it create more fries per spud than any other?)
   4. How is the potato useful for your work-life situation? (perhaps related to eating on the fly and easy to have on hand)
   5. What about this potato makes it easy or less time-consuming? (extra mashable, comes with a high speed, disposable slice and mash system, pre-peeled for these 5 reasons…)
   6. How could incorporating a potato in your meal plan create a sense of ongoing progress in your life?
   7. Is there a creative way to promote this unique little spud in your relationships?  (fun with kids, romantic dinners, experimenting with recipes, wine pairings, fun cooking together experience… )
   8. What standard could this SUPER SPUD meet that no other potato could even dream of meeting?  (every spud sold supports “x” youth programs – potatoes for playgrounds fund)

1.  Take a BREAK – Clear your desk and your mind:  Life is full of distractions that can make us less than productive – even anxious and distracted.  A client needs this now, an employee or associate wants you for “Just a minute”, which is often a life and time suck that can last far longer.  We are creatures of habit, so if you’re used to being interrupted and allowing it to happen, you need to start retraining yourself with focus.  Accept that you’ve been distracted and step back from your desk.   Also, if you aren’t taking breaks, you are KILLING your productivity.

2. Get Altitude: Stretch and look around.  As you are doing this, remove any thoughts from your mind that you’ve been working with and essentially clear the slate – start over.  Clearly the path you were on is not feeling good or the highest and best use of your time and resources.

3. Write your WINS list: Get out a clean sheet of paper and write down 2 things that you will get done today if nothing else. Forget about the to do list from earlier today.  It was too long and likely written with a feeling of frustration about how overworked you are.  You need to put your head on straight and WIN THIS DAY!

4. Limit communications: Write down exactly who you need to speak with to accomplish today’s goals and create an agenda for those calls or meetings.  What is the meeting designed to accomplish? What questions will be asked?  What is the outcome?  How quickly can the goal(s) be met effectively so you can move on to other things?

5. Quarantine yourself: Tell people in your immediate area that you are focusing on an important project/task and will need to do so uninterrupted if possible.  If they still interrupt – short of slamming doors and making faces, use closed doors and words like “let’s schedule a time for that so I can finish what I’m focused on” language.  This is your life and if you’re going to feel good, you’ve got to be productive and focused.

6.  Ask the great questions:  What are my reasons for having this project done or making this progress that I feel good about?  What makes this more than a task?  When I’m successful at what I’m doing, who – in my life does this help?  (remember the impact on EVERYONE at home and at work when you’re productive or not)

Life is not as much what happens to you, but how you perceive what happens to you.  If you see the value in taking a break regardless of the circumstances or frustrations – then clean your slate and reengage at a more focused level, you’ll be more productive and happier!  Try it.  You’ve got the juice, so USE IT!

(check out this great research on breaks!)

Ready to share your GIFTS in your business and become a stronger leader and entrepreneur?  Call for a FREE 30 minute breakthrough session for a limited time.

So, here’s what to do to remove that frustration when it comes about. It only takes 5 simple steps – and if you remember the steps, you’ll be able to use this advice again and again in the future as you work to use frustration to your advantage.

Identify the cause:
Take 5 minutes and write down exactly what is frustrating you and BE specific.
Example: I’m just not feeling successful in my sales and marketing– so I’m frustrated! Just write, write, write! Ahhhh… that felt good. Now you don’t have to dump on your family or staff and ruin their morning too!

Next, Identify the solution. What would have to happen to cause the frustration to go away? Identify what specifically would make you feel successful and therefore NOT frustrated in this area.

Example: I’d need 3 more clients per month from my sales and marketing. That would remove my frustration.

Find the reason to change:
Now, why do you want to have that? What are your reasons? Identify your top 3 to start getting leverage – reasons like this are powerful to drive action!

1. My business and staff are counting on me for success
2. My family is counting on me to take care of them
3. I love helping and serving others and want to do it more

Create a workable strategic plan to reach your goal:
Talk to a business marketing and sales advisor or find articles with insights and advice that you believe in and can test immediately. Remember to keep it simple and do it today! It can even come from that one idea in the book you bought, but never bothered to read! You getting the idea. Solving problems isn’t always about NEW ideas, it’s about implementing ideas and testing them today. Do a gut check to make sure the advice you get feels right – even run it by another business owner to see what they think. Then, get to work and schedule the action to see how it goes over 30 days.

Example: I will call, write to or visit 10 new prospects each day until I reach my goal. I’ll use what I learn from each action to improve my pitch and selling ability.

Get leverage:
Now, resolve to make it so! Tell 2 people close to you exactly what you are doing and how you intend to do it. Then, take the action to make it happen NOW! One way I did it recently – I just told a close friend that if I didn’t take MY first step toward a goal that I promised by a certain time TODAY – I would give him $100. That’s leverage and I hit the goal with time to spare!

Check out the first clip of our media strategist, Dan’s Monday Morning Show which features several important people who were at last week’s event.

We’re looking forward to more events supporting Manchester’s small businesses.

Find Bellman Jewelers on Twitter & Facebook!

Now, keep in mind that I was no stranger to hard work at home – but the prospect of getting paid for something opened my eyes to a whole new world.  I could work hard, make money and enjoy the freedom that came from the cycle.  But, there was a problem.  The small amount of dough I could make from mowing one yard wasn’t nearly as much as I could make by mowing several of them!  But, how could I grow my little lawn mowing enterprise if only one neighbor had called so far?  How come more weren’t calling?  I had a mower and was proven to be great at the work!  That’s when I began knocking on doors and asking if people wanted their lawns mowed.  If you’ve ever sold anything door to door, you learn how demoralizing, tedious and sometimes even dangerous this can be! (dogs)  Did I really need to know that the guy who owns that blue house eight doors down wheres fluffy slippers a stained undershirt and boxers at 1pm on Sundays?  Nope.  I had gotten by my entire life not needing to know or see that.  But, it was worth it for a little while, because by knocking on doors for 2 or 3 hours, I could often secure 2 or 3 lawn mowing jobs.  Then, I’d rush home, borrow my dad’s mower and push it up the street – or arrange to use the stranger’s mower.  There were days I made nearly $40 in one day!  Not bad for a young kid.  This went on for an entire summer and things went well some weeks and not so well on others, but what I learned then I’ve recently relearned now that I’m in my 30′s.  It’s one of the most important lessons any marketer can learn… and it’s so damn simple.

To make marketing 100% more productive, you need to remember the 5 basics that makes a 9 year old more successful at marketing and sales than most business owners!  Then, when you start toying with websites, social media and flashy new technology you won’t get sidetracked by the distractions and waste valuable time and money.

1.  Keep it simple (and be sure you love doing it!):  Know exactly what it is that you intend to do for others and be certain that they need it to solve their problem or get pleasure.  Since it’s 2012 and finding what people need is as easy as asking them or about 5 minutes of internet research, I suggest finding what people need and selecting form a list of things you love to do.  Chances are you’ll find several niche groups with high numbers of prospective clients that need  the “problem solving” product or service you offer.  Find out your strongest option that will yield you the best return first – including that it’s something you’re passionate about. Then, focus on that. That’s even better than the money! (But, you need both – especially when challenges arise)  Remember to talk with prospects about what they want to know and not just what you want to say.  Focus on their world, not yours.  (IE. Buyers will consider simple things like the basics:  Will it be mowed right and look good, will you show up, is the cost reasonable.)  If you make the mistake of sharing technical insights about lawn-care before they are interested, you risk distracting them with details and losing the sale.  We all knew that at 9 years old, but somehow forgot to keep it simple along the way.  Remember other services too:  make long grass short, make no grass areas into grass areas, make unhealthy grass into healthy grass, make less green grass more green.  As long as it’s safe, trustworthy and reasonably priced and there is proof that you can provide this, you’ll find most prospects don’t care about the rest.  Just keep it simple.
2. Share simple steps to get it: (create confidence) Make each step of your delivery obvious and easy.  (IE. I make long grass short.  When I come down you can walk me around and show me your yard and where you’d like long grass short with my mower or yours.  I’ll start at this time and end at this time.  It will cost you this much.)
3. Eliminate risk: (feels better) Provide proof that there is little or no risk to the buyer. (IE. Here are 3 people who I’ve done this for.  You can drive by and see that their grass isn’t long anymore.  It’s short.  Ask them, I’ve made it short before and they trust in my grass cutting ability and consistent delivery of short grass.)
4. Require commitment: (creates action) Ask the prospective buyer for a decision and get the commitment in writing and with a reasonable deposit.  Feel free to provide some helpful guidance and expertise before asking for money.  But, once you’ve given your guidance (which is very valuable) the prospect sees the vision of their problem solved.  This is the ideal time to secure a commitment so you can deliver with confidence that your costs and profits will be covered.
5. Keep Promises: (builds trust) Do what you said you were going to do and then some!
6. Collect Evidence: (builds credibility) Follow up with the client to see how they liked the experience and in doing so ask if they would provide you will any words of support (video, audio, written) in testimony that you do keep your promises.
7. Get Permission to Stay-in-touch: (builds appreciation and loyalty) Before you leave, give the client a reason to talk with you again.  This should come in the form of added value for them.  (IE. Grass deserves attention that we are prepared to give.  If you’d like we’ll stay in touch with you about what your grass needs.  Then, if you’d like us to provide for it, you can choose then.  Or, you’ll know what you can do yourself.  Either way – it’s helpful.)

How do I know that the above will make your marketing 100% more productive?  I don’t.  But from my experience, If you’re like most marketers, you get bogged down and focus on the shiny new technology, or get so caught up in your product’s features and benefits – you forgot that prospective clients point of view and your marketing far underperforms its real potential.  Remember that people are far more concerned with their problems or outcomes in simple terms than fancy industry jargon and technical features and benefits.  Trust is created from understanding and sharing the basics.  What is it that can solve my problem or give me pleasure, how can I get it, and how can I be sure it will come true?