5 Ways to Heat Up Your Motivation.

This time of the year, most businesses tend to power down a bit (not all mind you) and it give us time to plan for 2018. Unfortunately, many of us also power down and procrastinate until we're in the middle of January. Our motivation for growth dissipates. Instead of cooling down, I want you to heat up your motivation for your business and show your clients/customers what you really can do for them.

Talk To Your Best Clients/Customers

It's that time of the year — bring them a present to show them how much you value their business. Don't send it to them — hand deliver it and tell them what they mean to your success. While you're there, run some new ideas/strategies by them to get their input.

Talk To Your Feeders

You know who they are — those wonderful people who deliver your best clients/customers to you. They are usually natural marketers, who promote services they believe in. Make sure you take them out for lunch and get their input on new ideas you might have.

Talk To Your Competition

You might think I'm crazy — but talking to your competitors is a powerful thing to do for your business. Not only does it test your confidence in your own business, it allows you to see what the other half is doing. In addition, you both might come up with an agreement to share clients when it benefits both parties.

Talk To Your Vendors

Reach out to the people who help you make your company what it is today. They have a major stake in your success and they probably have a few ideas on how to make it even better.

Talk To Your People

You are not an all-knowing, omniscient deity. You're just a human being with faults just like the rest of us. Reach out to your team and see what ideas they might have to grow or change your services. Many of my clients do this on a regular basis and they get gold from their employees. In addition, the employees feel appreciated and part of the process.

Have any other ideas to heat up your motivation? I tried to keep it to five, but there are many more out there. Let me know!

Good Service vs. Bad Service - A Parable.

Once upon a time there was a coach. He woke up every morning at 4:30 AM and worked until 5 PM. Some days he worked at his office in Stamford — some days he worked at his home office.

Some days he coached all day long with wonderful clients — some days he was on the road connecting with old and new friends to build his business.

During these wonderful times, this coach would make a small detour and pick up a few foodstuffs for his family (it's the least he could to to help his ravishingly beautiful and infinitely smarter wife).

This day, he stopped off at a supermarket, let's call it Supermarket 'A'. Everywhere Rich went in Supermarket 'A', if he saw an employee stocking the shelf or walking by, they would greet him with a smile and ask if they could help him find something. Many times, they would comment on an item he was purchasing and offer positive comments on how to use it. The store was clean, well-stocked, and had a homey, comfortable feel about it.

Supermarket 'A' provides a station where one could sample new foods and most of the time, the offerings were incredible where the coach would just have to buy the spotlighted item. And today he would do just that.

The best part of this coach's visit was checking out. First, there were three registers open and one of the employees immediately caught the coach's eye and asked, "Ready to check out? I can take you over here!". As they unloaded his cart and scanned each item, they engaged the coach in conversation about some of the items he was purchasing and how his day was going so far. They profusely thanked the coach for bagging and encouraged him to fill out a ticket (a drawing for a free gift certificate) because the coach brought and used his own bags.

With a hearty good-day from the Supermarket 'A's employee at the register, the coach had an extra spring in his step rolling his carriage to the car.

The next day, the coach had to stop at another supermarket, let's call it Supermarket 'B'. Everywhere Rich went in Supermarket 'B', his aisle was blocked by multiple large, wheeled pallets full of boxes. The employees unpacking the boxes all had a unique air that the coach would describe as 'depressed and angry'. They rarely moved out of the way, grunted when they had to and filled in each aisle making travel a torture course for every shopper. Each aisle was dirty and the lighting resembled the inside of a refrigerator — blinding, florescent white.

When the coach reached the pharmacy to pick up a prescription (no worries - it's an allergy) — he had to wait in line (5 customers deep) and watch the pharmacist work behind the counter, answer phone calls, and ultimately step out and assist the next customer. Where it should have taken the coach 2-3 minutes to complete a simple pick-up transaction, he was in line for approximately 12 minutes. That's a long time to spend standing in line. Honest.

Finally, when it was time to check out, there were only three (out of 15 registers) open and all three had lines 5-6 people deep. The coach chose the self-checkout register, scanned his frequent shopper card to get normal pricing on his items, and began to unload, self-scan, and pack up his items in his bag. Guess what? Three items in, the scanner encountered a problem and required a manager to login, reset, and allow the coach to purchase his five items. Unfortunately, there was no manager to be found, so the coach had to wait until one appeared from their break.

With a hearty FU from Supermarket 'B', the coach had an extra slog in his step and rising, burning anger in his neck rolling his carriage to the car.

All kidding aside, what's going on here?

1. One establishment gets it, one doesn't (or just doesn't care).
2. One has engaged and enthusiastic employees, and one doesn't.
3. One has the layout and logistics of selling food nailed, and one doesn't.
4. One had a comfortable, homey feel and the other a dirty, clinical atmosphere.
5. One had reasonable pricing and great quality, the other high-prices and questionable quality.

Now you might ask, why does the coach shop at Supermarket 'B' and not all the time at Supermarket 'A'? Proximity and convenience. 'A' is far away and takes 30 minutes of drive time. 'B' is five minutes away.

There are a number of lessons to learn here today:

1. Availability and convenience do play a major part in consumer's choice. Time sometimes trumps quality, service, and price.
2. The way you treat your customers, with even the simplest of transactions, impacts their shopping experience. Bad employees do hurt you.
3. Even though people want choice and change, they also like consistency. They don't want to be inundated with 100's of items. Make it easy and simple.
4. Making customers wait should be avoided, not embraced by your organization. Even DisneyWorld makes waiting fun.

What's the moral of the story? The coach should (and will) plan out his shopping each week and endeavor to hit Supermarket 'A' on a regular basis.

Are You Crushing It Every Day?

“Love your family, work super hard, live your passion.” - Gary Vaynerchuk, from Crush It! Great words from Gary in one of my favorite books (I require all of my clients to read). He is spot on with this one.

See how he constructs the quote — Family — Work — Passion. Not the other way around.

Unfortunately, many of the C-Level clients I coach work it the other way and find they're not happy, they have a shitty marriage, they never see their kids or their kids hate them, and their only passion in life is putting in mucho hours on the job. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

Yes — you've got the three M's — Money, Mansion, Mercedes (or Maserati) — but deep down, you're not happy. Something is missing and time is running out.

So here goes — you can have all three — it's just how you look at them AND how you prioritize them. I am currently working with the CEO/Owner of a top engineering firm and we're currently spinning the sequence around to help him enjoy the benefits of his labor. He's built the organization from the ground up and now it's time to enjoy life!

NUMBER ONE RULE — Family Comes First. No exceptions.

I'm not saying to fill up your calendar with family-oriented activities and let work suffer. Within reason, try to start your workweek by making time for your wife/partner, kids, friends, etc. If there is a baseball game, a romantic dinner, a morning run, hiking at the park — make sure it is recorded and blocked off on your calendar FIRST.

Again, within reason — I understand you work for a living. But taking a vacation day once in awhile is fine, even encouraged. Leave work early to catch your son's or daughter's soccer game. Come in late because you took your family to an early breakfast at your favorite diner. You know, the one where you all sit together with no TV, no smartphones and just eat and talk.

ACTION: Get your assistant in your office right now and start blocking off your calendar. TODAY.

NUMBER TWO RULE — Work Super Hard. But work smart.

I know you work hard. That's how you got to your position in the first place. But what got you to the captain's chair probably won't help you stay happy there. You worked hard, put in the thousands of hours of blood, sweat and tears. You made all the right decisions (and a few stinkers). You made the right connections with the right people. YOU HUSTLED.

Now it's time to sit in the captain's chair and start delegating even more. Don't act like Captain Kirk and accompany the away team on every mission, stay on-board the Enterprise and direct your resources in strategic ways. What got you here isn't going to keep you here for very long without compromising your home life, your happiness, and your health. You're not getting any younger either.

ACTION: Look at all your meetings and start culling them down by 10%. Stop reading every email/text that comes in. Have your assistant monitor your information flow and decide what get priority. They're the gatekeeper — ensure they guard the gate.

Cut down on one-on-ones with everyone — start to develop a sharper pyramid reporting structure with very few people touching you (no more than 5-7) Remember the Godfather? He had three direct reports — his Consigliere (who died - morte), and two Capos — Clemenza and Tessio. That's it.

NUMBER THREE RULE — Live Your Passion. But find what your REAL passion is.

Too many C-Level executives hit the big show and start to abuse the passion that got them there. They forget the fun, innovation, excitement and give in to boredom, politics, and hitting the targets for their buddies on the board. The world becomes pedantic and the passion flows out of them.

They try to make safe decisions and safe moves, and impact their business, their organization, and their customers. They prioritize their bonus, their safety, and their reputation over what's really important. I know it's hard, but sometimes you have to sacrifice the temporary pleasures to fully engage with what really matters. It's not all money (and if you believe it is - READ THIS - another mandatory book I recommend to C-Level clients).

ACTION: Sit down and assess what your real passions are right at this moment. What gets your motor running? What gets you excited about life? What motivates you to do GREAT work? You need to re-establish a connection with your passion and make sure you fill up your enthusiasm gas tank every day.

Are you crushing it every day?

"No excuses. Make it happen." - Rich Gee

POST YOUR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BELOW

Are You Feeling Guilty At Work?

I'm feeling guilty today. The funny thing is . . . I shouldn't. Every Tuesday, like clockwork, I attend my networking/sales team meeting with approximately 50 people.

It's called BNI (Business Networking International), a worldwide organization where businesspeople meet to learn about their services and deliver hot referrals (CLIENTS) each week. I find it powerful for my business (it delivers 40-45% of my clients each year) and wouldn't miss it for the world. In fact, if you have a business or a product to sell, BNI is THE place to go to increase your bottom line.

What happened?

Today, I'm missing my weekly meeting. I had to double-book a client over my meeting and could not schedule it for any other time this week. They HAD to meet at this time. And I did ALL the right things a BNI member should do:

I notified the leadership team of my absence.

I replace my open spot for the week with a great substitute who will do my commercial.

I let the visitor host team know of my sub so they could list them on our weekly roster.

And I did it all on-time, prior to our meeting.

I still feel guilty. I feel that I'm letting my colleagues down even though I've taken all the steps to ensure my absence is covered this week. Why do I feel guilty?

I feel like I'm letting my BNI colleagues down.

I feel that I'm missing out on something good.

That regular burst of enthusiasm I receive from attending will not be there this week.

Honestly, I shouldn't feel guilty. NOT ONE BIT. Why? Guilt is all about the PAST. And guess what? There's nothing I can do about it. NOTHING. It's in the past.

I've made a decision, I've prepared my absence — I've taken all the steps to ensure I shouldn't feel guilt about missing my meeting. So it's time to confront my guilt and realize I have to live in the present and move on from this 'fake' feeling. Why?

It's holding me back — I'm focusing on something that really doesn't matter.

I'm expending mental and physical energy towards a belief that is not true.

I'm not focusing on the present or planning for the future. This is where I can make serious progress towards my goals.

So the next time you feel GUILTY, remember it's all in the past and there's nothing you can really do about it. Take that guilt and repurpose its energy into the present and future. You will find yourself working faster, better, and with more enthusiasm.

Guilt is a mechanism for us to remember past mistakes so we don't repeat them — don't let it paralyze you.

I'D LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR GUILT AT WORK. LET ME KNOW BELOW.

5 Easy Ways To Give Great Customer Service.

I ordered new running shoes from Zappos the other day. If you've ever ordered from Zappos — you'll know they sometimes don't have the best prices. But they do deliver the best customer service.

When I say "CUSTOMER SERVICE", it isn't specific to business owners. If you work in corporate, CUSTOMER SERVICE is critical — you have CUSTOMERS above you, along side you, and below you. When you work at an organization, it's formal Human Resources name is "interpersonal communication".

To survive, you need to keep your customers engaged, happy, and wanting more of your products and services. So without further ado — here they are:

1. Deliver WOW during the whole process.

From the initial screens, to the multiple angles, to the highly-descriptive videos Zappos makes you feel right at home choosing your merchandise. Everything is clear, and open and they really don't try to hard-sell you. In addition, they promote their core values at the bottom of every page to let the customer know what philosophies are guiding every business interaction.

When I say WOW, I want you to look at everything you do for your boss, customer, or client. At every juncture, how can you do a little bit better? How can you elevate every touchpoint and anticipate their needs? How can you reach out and make every interaction more streamlined and pleasurable?

2. Make the customer feel special by personalizing the process.

Zappos remembers ALL of your purchases. A year after I bought a pair of Merrell Jungle Mocs, I received an email to let me know it's been a year and if I'd like to buy another pair. Although my pair is in good shape and I didn't need another pair just yet — the thought of receiving a card is impressive.

When was the last time you reached out to your current client base to remind them of a service or product? How about a new service or product? How about a simple card appreciating their business? You can do almost anything and make the customer feel special.

3. Be responsive. 4. If something goes wrong, ask questions and listen. 5. If you screwed up, give them a token of appreciation.

I had a slight snafu with one of my orders — I ordered it on the regular Zappos site and not the VIP site (we order a lot of shoes). The end result — shoes I thought were arriving that day were delayed by a few days. On the phone, the Zappos representative was helpful and was able to expedite the shipment. In addition, they sent me an email with a $25 credit to apply to my next purchase. WOW.

If something goes wrong — fix it immediately. Don't wait for it to 'go away'.

First, you need to be instantly accessible to allow your clients to access you. All of my clients have a direct line to me — so they can either call or email me. If it's an emergency, I get back the them ASAP. If it's just a question, 24 hours is fine. But I am there — they don't sit in my inbox for weeks or are relegated to my voicemail for eternity. I get back to them. And they can access me instantly.

Second, if there is something wrong, ask questions and then LISTEN. Most people try to fix the problem without listening to the entire story. Your customer first and foremost want you to empathize with their situation. So your job is to ask questions for clarification and listen to them until they run out of steam. Then empathize with them — "I'm so sorry to hear that happened." or "Let's see what we can do to solve your problem."

Finally, if YOU screwed up — apologize and give them a token of appreciation. A discount, a gift, flowers, take them out to lunch, whatever. A small token of acknowledgement and a gift will not only go the distance, they will be your customer forever.

How To Deliver GREAT Customer Service.

I use shaving soap. Not shaving cream from a can. That's for kids. I'm a serious shaver — I use a shaving brush (Burma-Shave, antique), with a Merkur Model 180 razor, shaving cup with shaving soap.

I thought I would try a different company for my shaving soap. Since I like the smell of Bay Rum in the morning, I checked out Ogallala Bay Rum Company out of Nebraska.

I ordered their sampler for $6.25 which included six different shaving soaps — all made with bay rum, they included — Plain Bay Rum, Sandalwood, Sage & Cedar, Limes & Peppercorns, Lemon Grass, and Sweet Orange.

Now their site isn't great — but it gets the job done. Immediately after my order, I received the customary email letting me know that my order has been processed and it's on it's way to me. The next day, I received another email including these lines:

"If we have the pleasure of serving you again in the future, please remind us that you are a returning customer….and you’ll get a little something extra with your shipment! (Actually you will this time as well!)We not only have good old-fashioned products…but good old fashioned service and customer appreciation!" (Additional products for free on my first order!)

"On another note, it is very much appreciated when someone lets us know how they discovered Ogallala Bay Rum. Was it a search for a specific product on EBay or Google… or some other search engine or web site referral? And if so, what product were you searching for? Such information will help us in our marketing efforts and help keep costs down for our customers. Any information you can provide by replying to this email is greatly appreciated!" (It doesn't hurt to ask — and it probably saves them a lot of money and frustration understanding where their customers are coming from).

"We have special sales on our products through our store on occasion and like to let our customers know as soon as they are posted so they can be among the first to get a shot at some great bargains. Please send a blank email to the address below and you will be added to the list to get a "heads up" when such listings are posted.: (A polite way to ask for your email and retain you as a client).

I received the package within a few days (normal) and opened it up. What did I receive?

• The six soaps. Not only were they bigger than expected, they were individually wrapped to keep them dry and fresh. Most soaps aren't wrapped. Remember, these are samples.
• A free bottle of their Bay Rum Air Freshener. Not only did it smell great, it's made of two ingredients - Bay Rum and Water.
• An up-sell postcard — alerting me of their Cream Can Supper products. Not only did it have a specific web address, it had a QR code which I used to learn all about it. (sounds yummy!)
• A small thank-you card hand-signed — thanking me from a person named John. He said he "appreciated my business".

How do you think I feel about Ogallala NOW? 

• I will tell everyone I know about their products and customer service (this post is an example).
• I will buy from them again (guaranteed).
• I will have a good feeling about their company.

Don't you want people reacting like me about YOUR brand? Sit down today and think about how you interact with your prospects and clients:

• Do you communicate frequently to keep them abreast of what's going on, what is happening, and when everything will be delivered and complete? OVER-COMMUNICATE.
• Do you give away free stuff or more service than what the customer expected? START TODAY.
• Do you communicate related offers and products? GET GOING ON THIS.
• Do you send/give them a personalized and handwritten thank you note when the transaction/service is complete? IT'S EASY AND SIMPLE - DO IT.

Maybe you should try.

P.S. By the way, if you felt I was directing this only to entrepreneurs or company owners, you're mistaken. Every corporate worker should also take note — when I say 'customer service', replace it with boss, peers, or team. It still works.

YOUR COMMENTS ARE APPRECIATED — LEAVE THEM BELOW — Rich

13 Simple Tips To Get Highly-Qualified Referrals.

When you run your own business, it's hard to keep the sales funnel healthy and moving with new referrals, prospect and hopefully, clients! Most people forget about REFERRALS. Why? 

• You hate to ask for things from other people.
• You don't want to come off as someone who NEEDS referrals.
• You know it sounds like begging for clients.
• And many, many  others.

Bottom line — to run a successful business, you need constant and regular referrals.

To get those . . . YOU NEED TO ASK FOR REFERRALS.

I've linked to one of my most requested articles: Get Referrals NOW™ — 13 simple steps to start a referral flood to your business.

Each of the 13 steps have a dedicated action item to get you on your way to highly qualified and powerful referrals.

Some of the best steps:

• Review your past referrals.
• Be referable.
• Train your troops.
• Reward your referrers.

This report will radically change your 2013 business.

Check it out HERE.

It's Time We Value People Over Profits.

I'm talking about fairness.I'm talking about focusing on the real engine of our economy, the people. Let me explain:

Most corporations are (consciously or unconsciously) structured this way:

1. TOP -- Investors -- Money -- Products/Customers -- People -- BOTTOM In other words, attract growing investors, they give us money, we then can make good products, get customers, and then pay our people.

I envision another way to run an organization:

2. TOP -- People -- Products/Customers -- Money -- Investors -- BOTTOM Focus on nurturing, growing and motivating your people, who then make great products, attracting an increasing customer base -- which then delivers growing revenue, and ultimately attracts investors.

If you work at a company who focuses totally on targets and pleasing Wall Street rather than delivering great products at a good price, you work for #1. If your executive team is preoccupied with share price, news on the street, and terms like EBITDA, you work for #1. (By the way, the 'targets' they invent every year? It's a GUESS. A shell game. And guess who loses?)

If they are constantly cutting people, salaries, benefits, and other things which drive the engine of a #2 organization, you work for a #1 company.

Your management team is probably compensated with HUGE bonuses if they hit or exceed your Wall Street targets. Salary is one thing, the bonuses are the GRAVY. That's why they LOVE the #1 strategy.

It's easier (for them) to run a company where they can (temporarily) affect the targets, profits, and direction of an organization - and hence - get the payday. It's much harder to marshall the troops, invent and deliver great products, entice the customers, and deliver the money — that's MUCH harder to do. So they pick #1. Again and again.

Startups and smaller companies always have to go with #2. They start with great people, invent great products, attract loyal customers and deliver growing revenue. It's only when organizations get too big, too disjointed and too fat & lazy when those #1 company leaders swoop down and take over.

How do you stop this? It's easy.

Figure out who are those companies who truly value their people over profits.

• Start buying their products.
• Start investing in their stock.
• Start telling other people about them.

It's companies like Zappos (pictured), SAS, Wegmans, Whole Foods, and Costco. And there are MANY others.

Take a hard look at your organization. Stop whining about how shitty work is if you work for a #1 company.

Face it, you will always be at the BOTTOM. Go find a #2 company today.

4 Steps To Dramatically Improve Your Business.

Many business clients ask me how they can review their business and develop a simple marketing plan. There are many great books and gurus out there who will help you do this - unfortunately it takes a lot of time and effort. If things aren't working or you're not getting the same penetration you did a few years ago, you probably need to modify something in your business mix. As I've always said, "The best businesses are the ones who are nimble and flexible. When it's time to change, make that change."

I've developed a simple 4-step exercise to help you get a better handle on your business. So here goes:

1. Look at your PRODUCT.

• What are your best selling products? What are your most profitable products? Why?
• What products are growing? What ones are shrinking? Why?
• What new products can you add? What products can you modify?
• What products can you kill?
• Can you change your product pricing/packaging to reflect market shifts?

Who's buying what, when, where, and why?

2. Survey the MARKETPLACE.

• What's happening out there? Is the market growing? Shrinking? Moving?
• Are there new competitors out there? What are they doing? Offering?
• Are there new opportunities out there to develop partnerships?

If the marketplace has changed, you need to modify your efforts.

3. Analyze your CUSTOMERS.

• Who were they and why did they buy your products? Where did they go?
• Who are they now? Are they in a different area to access?
• Have their lives changed? More money to spend? Less money?
• When was the last time your reached out to your current clients?
• When have you talked to your past clients?
• When have you re-approached the prospects who got away?

You can always plan to retain and extend your clients. And get new ones too.

4. Review your COMMUNICATION.

• Did your access routes (advertising) to your customers change?
• Has your media changed? Newspaper/Magazine/Radio into Web/Groupon/Patch?
• Are you varying your messages? Different packages/price points?
• How do you talk personally with your customers/prospects?

The message is the medium and the medium has changed.

What else do you do to help you review your marketing?

You Can Be A CEO.

That's right. I'm not kidding. Today . . . this minute . . . this second . . . you can be a CEO. In fact, you always have been a CEO and always will be a CEO.

You never realized it.

You are the CEO of YOU, Inc.

And if you don't start regarding yourself that way, you'll never attain the success you deserve.

Here's the skinny — Even if you work in corporate or own your own business, you need to shift your thinking towards a more centric state of mind when it comes to work. If you are the CEO of YOU, Inc.:

• How's your stock doing? Up, down, flat? What are you doing to get it to rise?
• Who knows about your company? Do you frequently market YOU internally and externally to key movers and shakers?
• What's your message? How is it being interpreted? Is there any misinformation out there?
• Who are your competitors? How are you mitigating their threats? What are they saying about you?
• Who are your customers? What are they saying about you?
• Who are your partners? Are you educating them regularly on how they can help your company?
• How is the marketplace for YOU, Inc.? Is there a high demand for your services? Is it waning? Is it dying?
• How can you clone YOU? Delegate non-essential duties to subordinates?

The minute you make a mental shift from dutiful employee/entrepreneur to CEO status, you'll find you will focus on different areas left fallow for months/years beforehand.

And you'll start to see your new company do better and better and better. Try it. I promise you, you'll like it.

This has been another installment in my ongoing series, “Are You A Catalyst?” — today’s focus is how to “Be A CEO”.

Run Out & Buy 'The Thank You Economy'.

Let me state something right off the bat — I LOVE Gary Vaynerchuk. A little secret of mine — when I want to get pumped up for the day or I'm feeling down, I pop in Gary's 'Crush It' audiobook. His enthusiasm, energy, and ideas blow me away every time.

I just finished my publisher's preview copy of The Thank You Economy (due to be released on Tuesday, March 8th). Once again, Gary not only hits a home run — it's a grand slam.

Gary has delivered another opus of energy, bundled with a myriad of proven business tips on how to interact with our customers. The explosive growth of social media is quickly delivering unprecedented power and breadth to everyone's customer base. No longer can you treat anyone badly — you need to integrate specific inter-personal behaviors into all parts of your company.

But it's just not your customers — it's your employees, your partners, distributors - everyone. I consistently speak and write about the "shark mentality" in business — take no prisoners, no one counts unless it's you, run over everyone to make more money.

Gary's philosophy is at the exact opposite end of the spectrum:

• Caring is the key word here — be self-aware (EQ), commit to change, invest in your employees, be authentic (I've been saying this for years) and empower your people.
• Let your client help you develop, guide, and modify your brand. They are an integral part to the entire process.
• Community is critical — get the conversation going and flowing.
• My favorite — If you're small, play like you're big; if you're big, play like you're small.

It's the humanization of business.

Great words from a 21st century sage. I hope to someday meet or speak with Gary — I think he and I would hit it off quite well. Gary transcends the typical, boring, stale business book (as I've always said, 98% of them suck). His genius integrates great ideas with the energy of the sun — you just want to run out and execute all of his ideas immediately.

So go out — nay . . . run out — and get this book, or kindle download, or audiobook (my favorite). You will thank me.

What are your thoughts about Gary Vee? Do you love him as much as I do?

Why I Love Starbucks.

It's the typical hype cycle.

• A new product or service is introduced.
• It grows exponentially to take over an industry.
• Everyone loves it.
• Accordingly, they all can't stop talking about it.
• It goes viral and the media picks up on it.
• It gets bigger.
• Then people find that it will not solve ALL their problems.
• They begin to talk it down because it's 'in' to talk it down.
• The media picks up on it again, whips around 180° and begins to tear it down.
• Then at some point, it all levels/evens out.

Starbucks is at this point now — they rode the hype roller coaster over the past number of years. But I still love them. Why?

They fit perfectly into my business model. I run a 21st century business:

1. I have a home office where I coach.
2. I have a professional office in Stamford where I meet clients, hold workshops, and coach.
3. I'm regularly on the road to travel, meet new people, network, and bump into friends and colleagues.

Starbucks is perfect for #3. I have a special place to stop off and hook into my email and network (free wi-fi). Their products are consistent from store to store, so I always get my Venti Zen Green Tea (with only one teabag) for $2.07 (a deal). Their staff is always polite, engaging, and sometimes even fun to interact with. I meet clients in-person to go over their strategy for 2011 instead of dragging them down to my office. And I write my daily blog (as I am doing right now).

What does this mean to you? Well . . . Starbucks is a business entity that I love. In 2011, how can you position your business to make your clients LOVE you? Think about it:

• Do you deliver a consistent customer experience where you make your client feel comfortable? Do you develop a 'safe space' where they can grow, relax, expand, and grow their business or career?
• Do you provide a flexibility to allow them to personalize their experience?
• Do you offer various locations (physical and virtual) to allow them to use your products and services?
• Do you try new ideas, new products, new services?
• Do you have a loyalty/membership program to reward and retain your best customers?
• Do you have an upsell area to get your clients to buy more stuff?
• Do you partner with related industries to grow your business?

You might not like Starbucks and that's fine. That's not what this post is about (it's how I love Starbucks). But you can't argue that they have a compelling model that scared market leaders like McDonald's and Dunkin Donuts to mimic a lot of their offerings.

This year, what ideas can you steal from Starbucks and make them your own?

Do You Deliver Good Or Bad Customer Service?

Two things happened to me during the time between Christmas and New Year's Eve that clearly defined what I call Good & Bad Customer Service. I bought a really cool Arc'teryx Winter Jacket for my wife. I was so excited I found the perfect color (she loves Arc'teryx - she has a few of their tops). The service at our local store was helpful and got me in and out ASAP. It's a high-end establishment, most of their prices are top dollar (even the sale items), but I like going there because they always have the best clothing.

Unfortunately, on Christmas morning, when my wife tried on the jacket, it was a bit too big. So we brought it back within a few days of purchase with the receipt. Guess what happened? The clerk immediately said, "We cannot give you a refund because it was a sale item. See the small (size: 5-point) print on the bottom of your receipt?" No I didn't and it wasn't elaborated during the initial sale.

To make matters worse, my wife and I went through the store looking for a suitable replacement, but it was virtually empty due to the holidays. I wanted my money back - I had the receipt, I had the merchandise in perfect condition, and virtually everything in the store was on sale at that time.

So what the store was really saying to me was, "NO! Bad Customer! You must play by our rules!" So I put on my best Rich Gee smile and politely asked for the manager. After 5-10 minutes of terse negotiation and haggling, he finally gave in and refunded my money.

The Result: I will never purchase anything from that store again.

New Year's Eve was a different story. Every year, I take my family out for a hike during the day (even in bad weather) and then we go home, shower, and dress up for a night at a local, but highly rated Indian restaurant (our favorite food). Now you probably know most (if not all) restaurants jack-up their prices for New Year's Eve or have 'special party menus' which are the same items for much higher prices.

Not this restaurant. In fact, they had the same pricing they always do, but in addition, they offered free dessert for my whole family — no charge — wishing us a very happy new year. So what the store was really saying to me was, "YES! We love you! We appreciate your business!" Now, how much did those desserts really cost the restaurant? To be honest, with all the food and beverages, I spent almost $200 for our meal (and we had leftovers for the next two days!).

The message I'm trying to illustrate and convey is this:

When you interact with your clients and customers, is there any time during the relationship where you say, "NO"?

And more importantly, do you find yourself setting up opportunities to say, "YES"?

It's sometimes the difference between a very happy and satisfied customer and no customer.

What do you do in your business to deliver delightful customer service?

P.S. Arc'teryx is still a great product, we will just purchase it at a different store.

How To Deliver Unbelievable Customer Service.

I wear Allen Edmonds shoes. They are quite expensive (most run around the $300/pair) — but they are really well made. Also, they are the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn. Why? They're handmade in Wisconsin and they don't use nails — they hand-sew every shoe (check this video out). I've had my pair of wing-tips for the past 15 years.

I had the opportunity to send them back to the factory for their re-crafting service (I wore a hole in each shoe — too many workshops!).

Unfortunately — I ran into a problem when I received my shoes back in the mail. They were a little small (but they did look beautiful - almost brand new). So small that I could barely fit my foot into the shoe. I contacted Beth at customer service and she had me resend the shoes back to her to inspect (for free). Guess what happened?

When she received them, we spoke, and she instantly saw that the re-crafting process did indeed make the shoe smaller.

Surprise #1: She then looked in the shoe for my size to send me a Brand New Pair. No argument. No "well, these are 15 years old."

Surprise #2: She then saw the style I had (Chester) is no longer made. So Beth said, "Pick out any pair from the catalog up to $325 (which covers 98% of the shoes they produce)".

You're probably wondering:

• What shoes will I forever purchase for business? Allen Edmonds.
• What company will I forever speak about with unbridled enthusiasm? Allen Edmonds.
• What company am I now writing about to all of my readers? Allen Edmonds. With videos and links to their sites.

My question to you — what can you do when bad things happen to your customers? How can you give them an Allen Edmonds experience? Where are you falling short? Really . . . how much will it really cost you? And what dividends will ultimately pay off?

5 Ways To Guarantee A Great Job In Sales.

I have a lot of friends, colleagues, and clients who lost their job and quickly took up with an organization as an account executive. Unfortunately, when they were 'trained' and 'graduated', they found that it's a cold and cruel world out there. With the exception of their family and friends, they had to cold call all types of people to hawk their wares. And that's all they got from their company.

Here are the 5 (okay I lied . . . six . . . extra credit) tips that I relate to all of my clients when looking at any sales opportunity:

1. It must have a defined territory or product line. There are a million sales positions out there and most of them are not relegated to any type of territory or product line. The problem is that you will (not might, will) get overlapping salespeople hawking the same service or product to the same person or company. And that's a bad thing. It immediately communicates that the product is not interested in solving the company's problem, it's more interested in pushing its product. Any sales position worth its salt must have some sort of defined territory, client level, or product line.
2. It must have a current client base that is handed off to you to begin covering. This is basic sales management. When you take over a territory, product line, or client level, associated clients are apportioned to you. This gives you the running start that you'll need to maintain and excel at your new position. It also throws you right into the line of fire so you learn your craft and products quickly.
3. It must have past customers or clients that can be called on. Every good sales position has a number of prospects that got away or clients that have defected to the enemy. It's your job to go get them back. Unless it's a new company with new products. Then be wary — have them demonstrate planned success in your territory.
4. It must have an opportunity to cold call new clients. Cold calling is standard in any sales position — but it should never be the ONLY way you get clients. Any company that shoves you out into the blizzard with a bunch of hokey brochures to only cold call . . . BEWARE.
5. It must be with a company that spends big bucks on marketing, advertising and promotion. This is a big one. You will be swinging in the wind if your company spends too little or no portion of their budget on marketing. I've worked with many clients who have wondered why they've struck out selling a company's products when no one knows who they represent. For instance, would you buy an iPad without all of Apple's marketing and management of the media?
6. It must have some type of salary base. Any offered position must be positioned as a win-win for both the employer and employee. When the employer takes no risk whatsoever and pays no base salary, they have nothing to lose. But YOU DO. Get them to take a bit of risk too.

Now one opportunity might have some of these offerings and some might have all. Bottom line — the more offerings you get — the stronger the foundation you will have to build a firm and successful sales presence. This isn't my opinion, it's a fact.

Grow Your Business Tweet by Tweet.

Entrepreneurs are finding the fast-rising microblogging site to be a useful tool for reaching out to customers. By Jeremy Quittner at Newsweek

Here's what happened when Chris Savage, the chief executive of Wistia.com, searched for the phrase "private video sharing" on Twitter, a social networking site. One post he found read, "A teacher requested a private 'video sharing' Web site so that specialists can observe student behavior—can anyone refer one?"

That got Savage's attention. He e-mailed back: "Still looking for a private video sharing site?"

Minutes later came the reply: "YES! It's the first request for one—thought I'd hit up my tweets before [I] go digging."

Savage: "Cool. You may want to check out Wistia.com. Full disclosure, I'm the CEO; -)"

While this exchange may seem a bit cryptic, Savage is one of a growing number of business owners to whom it makes an awful lot of sense. Savage frequently trolls Twitter looking for sales leads for his five-person, $1 million company, which makes software that facilitates video sharing through a private network. Although Savage has been using Twitter for only a year, it's already helped him find 12 new clients for his Lexington (Mass.) company. "This is a no-cost way of marketing," he says. Because Twitter provides a public forum, each post becomes a form of promotion as other users follow Savage's posts. "You are building a reputation; people can go back and look at your Web site and the quality of your content, and you are becoming part of the community," Savage says. Other business owners are using Twitter for market research and to keep an eye on customer service issues. BREVITY'S BRAWN Twitter distinguishes itself from MySpace (NWS) and Facebook by relying less on picture-laden profiles and more on posts of fewer than 140 characters, referred to as "tweets" or "microblogs." Twitter's simplicity is paired with a powerful search function that allows users to mine others' updates in real time for useful nuggets. "Twitter lets you stay on top of what is happening within your client base," says Chip Lambert, owner of Network2Networth, a business development consultancy in Phoenix. "You can look at conversations and reposition yourself, your products, and your services in a way that appeals to the market you are reaching out to."

An estimated 5 million people use Twitter, according to Cambridge-based Forrester Research. Twitter co-founder Biz Stone says businesses "that are not quite big enough to make an impact on the Web, or to spend resources there," have been some of the earliest users of the site. He says some San Francisco-based coffee shops and bakeries have sent tweets to tell their customers about specials or products they may be out of that day. One Los Angeles taco truck uses Twitter to tell customers where it will be that day. "Businesses use this as a hybrid between marketing and customer service," says Stone. "They use the Twitter Search to track mentions of their products and services and as a way to begin a conversation."

Like any online forum, Twitter may not be for everyone. Its immediacy and conversational nature make it a boon to those whose products and services may take a bit more explaining or back-and-forth. And it can be a time suck. "One of the major drawbacks is that [Twitter] is very addictive," says Savage, who has 800 followers and in turn follows just as many. He uses a popular add-on called Tweet Deck, which lets members organize messages by category.

GETTING STARTED Joining Twitter is easy and free. You create a user name and password, then log onto the site. (You can also sign up to have tweets delivered to your mobile phone.) Once inside, there's a big box at the top labeled "What are you doing?" While you could start by typing something as mundane as "I am drinking my coffee and checking out Twitter," you'll see tabs on the right that say "following," "followers," and "updates," enabling you to follow others whose posts you find interesting. Once you've been posting for a while, people follow you too. A certain viral element takes over, and soon you may wind up in the middle of a Twitter community with common interests.

You'll also find thousands of irrelevant posts. "It is easy to get lost and sidetracked," says Lambert, who suggests entrepreneurs think strategically about how they might use Twitter. A mortgage broker, for example, could follow discussions people are having about new tax credits, learn what advice they're getting and which sites they're linking to, and then compose a suitable message to address them.

The viral component of Twitter has helped Andra Watkins, founder of Positus, a consulting firm based in Charleston, S.C. She joined Twitter about six months ago, and at first found it a bit daunting. "I did not grow up using these tools and it has taken me time to develop the voice and approach," she says. Still, she has built a following of 600 Twitterers—friends, colleagues, bloggers, and potential customers. She in turn follows about 600 other people, including a group from her home state of South Carolina—85% of whom she figures could help bring in business. She also follows influential bloggers and those with large Twitter followings, in hopes of establishing a dialogue with them, and keeps tabs on her competitors. Watkins sometimes sends out tweets that have nothing to do with her business, such as a few complaining about exercise. "It makes me more approachable," Watkins says. In the past six months, she's found 10 new paying clients through Twitter.

Other business owners, like Michael Coffey, chief executive of BlueCotton in Bowling Green, Ky., are using Twitter to enhance customer service. The 25-employee, $4 million company lets customers design their own shirts online. For the past two months, two of Coffey's factory workers have used iPhones to snap pictures of completed shirts, and then to send photo tweets to customers right before shipping. "Customers have some anxiety when they purchase shirts online," Coffey says. The tweets help alleviate those concerns—and have won new customers who spot the designs on Twitter. "Having people follow BlueCotton is a feather in our cap," Coffey says. "It helps create real fans of the company."