How To Make Your Boss & Clients Happy All The Time.

Five simple words. Three if you don't count the hyphens: Under-Promise And Over-Deliver.

But time and time again, what do we do? Over-Promise And Under-Deliver. Which one makes our boss and clients happy?

Why do we do this? Why do we constantly over-promise what we can do, bunch up our priorities, and then disappoint when we deliver late? And why do we do this again, and again, and again?

Here is a scenario to stop this dysfunctional cycle:

• It's Monday. You are given a project/task to do. Your boss or client asks when you can deliver it.
• You know in your heart, you can easily complete it by Wednesday. And if you work extra-special hard, Tuesday night.
• So you say, "I'll have it to you Tuesday night. WRONG! This is where the train derails.
• You should say, "I'll have it to you Friday. Is that okay for you?"

Your boss or client will respond in one of three ways:

1. 80% of the time - "That sounds fine. If you can get it earlier to me that would be great."
2. 15% of the time - " Oh. Can you get it any earlier to me? Say Thursday?"
3. 5% of the time - "That won't do. I need it by Wednesday. Can you do it?"

First, why do I have you buffer the time from Wednesday to Friday? Simply, because stuff happens. Unexpected calls, emergencies, breakdowns, other clients, other projects, home emergencies, etc. You get where I'm going.

Unfortunately, we don't plan for these things to happen. But they do - all the time. So you need to buffer. What happens in this scenario?

1. You deliver on Thursday (comfortably) instead of Friday and your boss/client thinks that you're a genius (and hard worker).
2. You deliver on Thursday (comfortably) and your boss/client thinks that you are a person of their word.
3. You tell you boss/client that Wednesday will be very tight and you might have to move around some projects/tasks. You deliver on Wednesday.

If you begin to do this with all of your projects/tasks, you will find that your time is better used AND your boss/clients will love you.

10 Gifts For You To Succeed In 2011.

As my holiday gift to you, here are my TEN most read & requested posts from 2010:

Set Your 2011 Goals In Two Steps.

It’s December 2011. Many people are scrambling to get their end of the year targets complete. Many are trying to reach out to prospects and recalcitrant clients to make that sale. Some are lining up their teams for that final push. A select few are slowly winding down their work for the eventual hibernation during the last two weeks of the month. How do you guarantee a great 2011?

5 Tips On How To Treat New Employees.

Whew! After a phlanx of interviewees and resumes, late nights, early mornings and lost lunches, you’ve just hired that new team member. Now you can sit back and focus back on work. Not so fast. It’s important as they’re new boss to make this transition period in their life bump- and trouble-free. It will not only behoove you, but will also ensure that your new hire is happy, engaged, enthusiastic, and motivated.

RUN OUT and Get This Book Today.

I LOVE Michael Port. Okay, I’ve never met the guy, but I do love his book. When I run into a good business book (and there are a lot of stinkers out there), I promote it. The man is a genius. He not only develops and publishes the bible on “Book Yourself Solid”, in it, he links to a workbook which is a very powerful way for one to really LEARN his techniques. I use this book everyday.

How You Sabotage Your Success.

I had to FedEx a letter to a prominent executive the other day. Easy? You have to be kidding. I used the same process I coach with my clients everyday. Same template (modified), same process, same delivery. The funny thing is, you wouldn’t believe the myriad of ways the fear, uncertainty, and doubt took over in my mind to stop me from doing this. Just watch my pain.

10 Ways To Have Fun At Work.

You work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, 250 days a year, for approximately 40 years. You can either have fun or turn it into a clock-watching, tedious, and painful nightmare. Your choice.

Is Your Career A Rollercoaster Or Are You Driving It?

This week was chock full of incredible conversations with clients, colleagues, partners and prospects! All had wonderful ideas and goals. Kudos! One of the topics that I discussed with many of them was my theory that our world is changing. Are you driving your career?

What’s Killing Your Career? The Laws of Nature.

Newton’s First Law of Motion: An object at rest tends to stay at rest unless acted upon by a sum of physical forces. This is the typical employee at work today. As long as they have a job, they won’t take any risks, butt any heads, or raise their hand at a meeting. In essence, they are an “object at rest”. And this employee/object will remain at rest (no movement – no raises, no promotions, no new projects, no GROWTH) until “a sum of physical forces” are acted upon it.

I Just Saw An Accident This Morning.

I commute every day on I-95, the most travelled highway in Connecticut. I was in the middle lane, trundling along at 60-65 mph, and the traffic ahead reduced their speed due to congestion. And then it happened.

Stupid Things People Do At The Office – Take Work Home Over The Weekend.

Friday just flew by. And now you packed up your briefcase with folders and ran out the door at 7 PM. You’re planning to do some work this weekend to catch up before Monday rolls around and you’re behind the eight ball. Your first mistake . . .

$14.27 Can Change Your Career. Guaranteed.

Every so often, a person comes along, writes a book, and changes the way people act. Napoleon Hill did it with”Think and Grow Rich”. Dale Carnegie — “How To Win Friends and Influence People”. Peters and Waterman — “In Search of Excellence”. Stephen Covey — “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”. And Keith Ferrazzi — “Never Eat Alone”. Here's the next business bible . . .

Get set for an unbelievable new year! - Rich

3 Ways To Stay Connected.

It's hard to stay connected with friends, colleagues, clients, and key people in your industry. Why? Because most positions force you to focus on production and not development. Get to work and don't worry about new connections. Here's three ways to gently sneak in a little contact to help your career health, grow your business, and ensure your success.

Strategic Lunches — Once a week, ensure that you schedule a lunch with someone outside of your current contact list (growth) or a critical, connected and key player within your contact list (retention). Not five lunches, just one. Also make sure that you keep it to one hour — so you will do it again and not fret about the 'waste of time' it might incur.

Morning Calls — Every day, pick one person from your contact list, and reach out to them via phone in the morning. Make it first thing, make it quick (no more than 5-10 minutes), and keep it enthusiastic. Focus on them - ask about their family, work, life — but the most important this is to get in and get out. Slowly, people will look forward to your call when they see your name appear on their phone. Result: Connect with 200+ people on your list every year.

Dinner Parties — Every three months, host a dinner party at your home. Here are the rules:

• Invite 3-4 couples. They should not know each other, but they do know you.
• Keep it casual. Tell them to dress down.
• Keep the food simple. Serve something where you spend no time in the kitchen once the guests arrive. Like chili.
• Keep the wine flowing. A glass or two always soften the party jitters.
• Use nametags. People forget names and it inhibits conversation. It sounds hokey, but it works.
• Have them bring a fun gift. Like their favorite CD from college. Then you can play it and talk about it (or make fun of it).

I've had more people come to me afterward and comment that these are the best parties they've ever attended. And I get business.

Just try one of these strategies and slowly see your contact circle grow that much more robust. Trust me.

5 Tips On How To Treat New Employees.

Whew! After a phlanx of interviews and resumes, late nights, early mornings and lost lunches, you've just hired that new team member. Now you can sit back and focus back on work. Not so fast. It's important as they're new boss to make this transition period in their life bump- and trouble-free. It will not only behoove you, but will also ensure that your new hire is happy, engaged, enthusiastic, and motivated.

What most managers don't realize is that the new team member has been interviewing and they might still be on the market. Any inclination or occurrence to upset the apple-cart might make them flee quickly. So it is in your best interest to keep them happy.

1. First Impressions — Have someone greet them when they arrive (either you or your assistant) on their first day. Bring them up to their desk, let them get settled, and have a short, 10-15 minute meeting planned first thing in the morning just to temp-check. Also, make sure that everything (and I mean everything) is in place — their desk, supplies, laptop, passwords, systems, software, phone, and paperwork. One thing that gets the new hire to question the efficiency of the company is to drop the ball at this time.
2. Plan Their Day — If your company has an orientation process, great. If not, have an itinerary on their desk with meetings, paperwork to fill out, and time for them to learn the basic communication platforms. Make sure that you schedule a lunch with them to discuss three things — their current responsibilities, what you expect of them in the next week/two weeks/month and get their feedback. After lunch, when you return to the office, send them home at around 2-3 PM. Why? Most people are pent-up with anxiety and nervousness the first day — show them that you care by letting them leave early, regroup, and come back fresh the next day.
3. Plan Their Week — Schedule a series of meetings with their peers, subordinates, and any other superiors. Tell everyone these are introductory meetings — 'getting to know you'. This will give them a better lay of the land, understand what everyone is doing, and how they fit in. It also makes them feel part of the family. And it gives the people a chance to meet 'the new person'.
4. Eliminate Obstacles Quickly — Inform them if anything is in their way (people, processes, things) or if they have any questions, stop by and let you know ASAP. It shows that you care and are willing to work with them. If it's something you can't do, help them get around the obstacle. If they are unreasonable, listen to them. but be firm about their objection. Also, let them know that you encourage mistakes, so they are not hesitant to try something without constantly bothering you.
5. Get Their Feedback — At the end of the week, set aside some time to get their impressions, ideas, and feedback. Having someone who listens is critical at this juncture — the weekend is the decision-point for most executives — whether to stay or flee. So your job is to get them to open up, deal with any objections, and help them acclimate to their new environment.

Years ago, at one of my new positions, I contemplated leaving the company at the end of the first week — what they advertised in the position was nowhere near what I encountered. So I met with my boss and let him know. He said, "Rich, I like you and feel that you are perfect for this position. Come back to me with a plan to change your position and we can discuss it." I came back Monday with a new plan and he embraced it immediately. I stayed for six years.

What do you do to make your new hires feel more comfortable during their first week on the job?

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?

Be Bold In Life.

You know when you get so caught up in your career and life you forget things? Well I did. I was going through some papers that take me back to 2001-2002 and I saw this phrase, "Be Bold In Life". That was my original coaching 'theme' that I communicated on my business card, website, and throughout my coaching.

It's time to bring it back. What do I mean by "Be Bold In Life"? If you have to choose between:

• Playing it safe or taking a risk — Take the risk.
• Taking action or waiting for the right opportunity — Take action.
• Staying in your safe, boring job or taking a new, challenging position — Jump ship.
• Sticking with your current low-paying client or going for a higher-paying client that takes you out of your comfort zone — Go with Daddy Warbucks.
• Thinking outside of the box or staying with what you know — Leave the box behind.
• Doing things the 'right' way or trying something new and scary — Go for new.
• Asking for permission or asking for forgiveness — Never ask for permission.
• Being Ordinary or Extraordinary - Get where I'm going?

Now you might say, "Rich, there are times when I can't do this.". That's fine. I'm not saying do it ALL the time.

What I am saying is that you should incrementally introduce boldness in everything you do.

You will be surprised what happens. Be BOLD in Life.

3 Ways To Update Your Career GPS.

It's about time. The recession is over, things are looking up, companies are hiring, executives are coming out from hiding in their offices and cubicles. For all intents and purposes, many of us have held our collective breaths for the past 2 years for this moment. It's now time to take stock of who we currently are, where we are in our career, and where we want to go.

When you take a trip, you have a destination and a general idea of how to get there. Over the past two years, many executives have been fighting a valiant battle just to hold on to territory — fighting in the trenches — and hoping that something will happen to end the madness.

TIP #1 - Are You Happy & Challenged or Frustrated & Bored?

It's time to take stock of your current situation. Do you like your current position, responsibilities, boss, peers, and team? Do you see yourself moving upwards at a regular rate or have you been stuck doing the same old stuff? Do you yearn for new challenges? Do you want to do something completely different?

You need to analyze all of these criteria, and make a decision whether to stay where you are, move to another position, or move to another company. It's that easy.

TIP #2 - Are You Positioned To Make A Move?

Do you have the connections within your organization and/or outside in the marketplace to make a successful move? Who do you know? Who knows you? Is your resume up to date? Your LinkedIn profile? If someone Google's your name, what will they see? What options are their within your organization? A possible lateral move to a higher performing or higher profile department?

Start to make these moves right now — get out and start meeting people, get your papers and web presence in order and begin to keep up on what's happening in your marketplace. People tend to get stale when hibernating for 24 months.

TIP #3 - Are You Mentally Ready To Make A Move?

It's hard to get out of hibernation mode and into full 'action figure' mode. You have to want it. You can't be wishy-washy about your decision. You either want to stay or go — so when you make the decision, it's all systems "GO". I teach my clients there is either 'Yes' or 'No' — no 'Maybe'. Living in limbo is not only a bad situation, it can be mortally wounding your career. Take action now.

Act now or forever hold your peace.

10 Tips For Holiday Party Etiquette.

It's the most wonderful time of the year. And you have to go to your office holiday party. Here are some simple tips to make it much more bearable and hopefully, wildly successful.

1. Dress up. Remember, this is a party, so dress up a bit to show off. Wear that snazzy tie or that elegant scarf. Jewelry is a must. This is the time to step out and be noticed — but don't go too overboard. No santa ties, plunging necklines, or revealing dresses. But do dress up.
2. Be On Time. Don't be early or late  — show up 30-45 minutes after the start time. Gauge the parking lot — step in when there is a reasonable amount of people.
3. Two Drinks Max. Don't imbibe the liquor too much — this is ample networking time — you need to reach out, meet and greet new people. Switch to soda or juice to keep the fluids going - you'll be talking a lot.
4. Don't Nosh Too Much. You want to eat, but not too much. Try to stick to the foods that are quickly eaten with a minimum of mess and utensils (no chicken wings). If you can, hit the restroom immediately after to check for any errant bits of spinach between the teeth.
5. Have a Wingman. Either bring a date or someone who will compliment your presence at the party. A person who will keep the conversation flowing but not take over the entire group. The ability to play off of one another only makes the conversation that much more lively.
6. Mingle. Don't spend all your time with your peeps. This is the time to connect with influential people that might help your career. Engage them in conversation that will take them away from work and drift into interests and hobbies.
7. Don't Spend All Your Time Gossiping. Keep the talk light and personal (again, interests, hobbies, kids, etc.). If you have to talk business (taking cues from your boss), talk about what the company accomplished and what could be planned for 2011. Talk future business. If you have some cool ideas, test pitching them — but don't go too far. You should know when to pull back on the rudder.
8. Thank Your Boss. Make sure that you make your way over to the boss and thank them for the shindig. Also thank them for their guidance, assistance, and patience over the past year — this will endear you to them.
9. Leave Before It Ends. Don't be the guest who wouldn't leave. Make sure you do the rounds of management and your team, but leave before the last person walks out the door — preferably 30 minutes before the stated end of the party. Give your regrets and make haste out the door.
10. Have FUN. This is a time to test and hone your connecting, social, and political skills. You need to show people that you can move within social (who you know) and political (who knows you) circles. But most of all, smile and enjoy!

5 Ways To Make Your Commute Bearable.

Commuting sucks. Anywhere you go, if you are on a parkway, highway, or thruway between 7-9 AM, you're probably swearing. You can blame it on anything — accidents, volume, weather — there will always be traffic congestion. You want to go 55, 65, 75 — but you're currently going 5. And the radio is just making it worse by intermixing the 15 minutes of commercials with a traffic helicopter telling you that there is traffic on YOUR route. My average commute (one-way, without traffic) is one hour — so I feel that I have a good handle on what the typical commuter endures every day. By the way, I totally understand about public transportation (I use it too) — but this post focuses solely on car commuting.

Why not work from home? Not every day. You need a few good ideas to help your commute become a bit more bearable. So here goes:

1. Listen to really good music. Most people I know don't plan their ride effectively when it comes to the enjoyment of music. They either just turn the radio on, grin and bear it through the bad music choices/commercials OR they drive around with the same six CD's in their car for the past year.One strategy is to pre-plan your music the night before — either on CD, Smartphone, or iPod — to ensure that you get a freshness and variety to make your ride fun. In addition, try using the shuffle or genius mode on your player to keep the mix of the songs fresh. Finally, if you aren't acquainted with the app Pandora, check it out — it changed my listening habits forever.
2. Read a book. Whoops . . . I meant LISTEN to a book. I find that I 'read' more than I did in college by using downloadable books. Why downloadable? It's soooo much cheaper. Instead of trying to manage 6-10 CD's, the entire book is neatly stored on my Smartphone or iPod.In addition to keeping the exact place where I left off, it allows me to carry it anywhere. And here's the best part — most audiobooks today aren't read by stuffy, upper-crust, gentry — they are now read by the author who adds so much more energy and information to the original book. Check this one out — you'll be surprised.
3. Listen to a podcast. This is my hidden secret of iPods that most users don't know about. There are millions of people and organizations who regularly post incredible podcasts (extended talkshows) on iTunes. They range from music reviews to UFO's, comedy to history — and they're unbelievable.
4. Brainstorm in the car. Go buy a digital tape recorder or use your Smartphone/iPod and begin talking. I find that I do my best brainstorming, strategizing, and thinking in the shower and in the car. Just turn it on and start talking — you'll be surprised what great ideas come out of your rambling. In addition, you can think up to-do lists, or dictate emails that can be electronically transfered once you hit the office.
5. Leave earlier. I know — some of you probably are swearing at this one. You might not be a morning person or your boss wants you to work late. But this is the one that usually cures all ills when it comes to your commute. I leave at 5:30 AM and get to work (95% of the time) at 6:30 AM.If I leave a bit early or on time, I get in 9.5 to 10.5 hours of work each day (I work through lunches). That's between 47-53 hours of work every week — a healthy amount if the boss starts to complain. I might hit a bit of traffic on my way home, but I can deal with it. And if your boss begins to complain about you leaving early, you need to talk to me, I can help you overcome this ridiculous behavior.

Let me know what ways you use to make your commute more bearable!

5 Ways To Kill Email.

Email sucks. It's a terrible communication platform (no live, two-way communication), messages are sometimes understood the wrong way, they get lost, you turn around and there are 50 new emails in your inbox, and deciding what to do (open, read, file, trash) is a frustrating process. If you're old like me (I'm 48), you probably remember the old Inbox on your desk where you received actual paper memos. Harkening back to those old times, we only received/wrote 2-3 (no more than five) memos a day. Most business was done face to face or over the phone (where real, live, two-way communication happens).

Here are some tips that I use to make my way through 125-150 emails a day:

1. Recognize that email is not your master, it's a piece of software. Too many executives and business owners live and die by every email that drops into their inbox. If you step back and look at your career, major leaps and successes were not built on that one email you sent or read, it was clearly delivered by your actions, presence, management, leadership, and interpersonal skills. And more importantly, not a snarky comment at the end of an email. So here's your first challenge: Stop giving any importance to your inbox. If someone asks you if you read an email that they sent you, say "No". Tell everyone that you are on an "email diet" and if they truly have something important to communicate, pick up the phone or stop by your office. Your fear of missing that important email will slowly go away. Trust me.
2. Turn off your email notifier that lets you know another email has arrived. This is a big one - stop reading it every minute of the day. Unless you are a bookie and have to place bets instantly, you do not have to read that email this moment. Begin by setting in place certain times of the hour or day to read email. Some executives do it during the last 5-10 minute of each hour; some spend 15-30 minutes in the morning, at noon, and before they go home. Pick a process that suits you. Also - stop checking your Blackberry or iPhone every available minute.
3. Prioritize your email. This is my secret that I unveil to many of my clients with time management issues. Go into your email program and setup rules to color your email messages (check in your help center of Outlook or MacMail). Here are the three categories that I manage my email: a. Critical - emails from your boss, other superiors, and clients. These should be colored red and attended to immediately. b. Important - emails where you are on the 'To:' line only (no one else). These are emails that are singularly directed at you. Color them blue. c. Not Important - all other emails - these should be colored gray and only read — if you have the time. You'll find that 80% of your email ends up in the 'Not Important' bucket and 20% is in buckets 'A' and 'B'. You will also find (if the Pareto Rule is in effect — that the most important communication — is found in the 20%, which delivers 80% of the impact of your position. If colors don't work, use folders.
4. Don't respond to emails with an email. How many times have you been pulled into an email 'conversation' or even worse, an email 'confrontation'? Try picking up your phone, doing a 'drive-by' someone's office or cubicle, or hosting a short meeting (if it is truly important or an issue that is beginning to blow up). The more that you take important communication events out of email, the more that you will use and receive useless emails. If you receive it on your phone, call back instead of emailing them.
5. Turn emails into what they really are — memos. Emails should communicate key information, schedules, and history, not management or leadership. As I stated above, they are poor communication vehicles, but they are useful ones when used effectively. When you have the itch to send an email, don't. Most of the time, you can just let sleeping dogs lie and don't respond.

Now I understand there might be vocations that live and thrive on email - so it might be tough doing all my tips. But try just one and see how it affects your input, throughput and output. Even if you get a 5% savings in email time a week, that equals 2 full hours you can apply to more important issues.

But remember, I'm not stating 'Don't read your email', just not the important ones. It will be hard and this will take some practice.

Stick to this plan for one day, review. Then one week, review. Then one month . . . and keep going. You might surprise yourself.

5 Ways To Spread A Little Warmth.

It's a cold world out there. One thing that always works for me is to share a positive, enthusiastic attitude.

Whenever I feel down, or when things aren't going my way, I try to instantly turn that around with a smile, a fun comment, or a positive action. Most of the time it works and as I do it, it becomes infectious, and bounces right back to me. So . . .

• Email - Instead of replying to a snarky email, call the person up and get them to level with you.
• Boss - Come in Monday with more energy and positivity than you've ever brought to work . . . ever. See what happens.
• Clients - See how you can add just a little more pizzazz to every interaction. Call them unexpectedly and get their feedback.
• Colleagues - See how you can help them. Givers gain.
• Subordinates - Give them one of your higher-end projects. At first they might not like the additional work, but when they see the level of the challenge and the exposure to other people, places, and things, they will thank  you.

As I stated from the start, the world is a cold place, so these tips might not work. So here's some advice — try one (or more) of them, if they don't work, you've probably run into one of three types of individuals:

• Temporarily Bitter - Something has got them down. If your first attempts at changing their perspective fail, ask what is really keeping them down. Most of the time they will open up (which in and of itself helps) and allows you to spread some real warmth. This is your 'warmth' sweet spot.
• Situationally Bitter - They hate a certain situation (their boss, their job, money, their clients, their life, their spouse/partner, their family, etc.). Attempt to help them, but you're treading in a minefield. Your warmth might be received as a shallow ploy to get something out of them. But it doesn't hurt to try.
• Permanently Bitter - As I learned as a small child from the man who works on power lines: "Stay away, Stay alive." These are people that go through life spreading their angst, annoyance, and turbulent attitude to everyone they meet — they act like Ebenezer Scrooge without the epiphany. Unfortunately, these people need a lot of work and you have to decide whether you want to spend an inordinate amount of time investing in their transformation — and it usually doesn't work. Unless they are really close to you, it's better to find more appealing surroundings.

I find the more that you add warmth to every interpersonal interaction, the more you make the world a better place and enhance your reputation. Try it.

By the way, if you are really interested in being more positive, check out this book. It was given to me by my good friend and fellow coach, Steve Cary.

What's Missing From Your Thanksgiving Table This Year?

Sweet Potatoes? Peas? Squash? Corn? No. Is it a loved one who passed away this year? Is it a family member who is serving our country overseas?

Let's all take a moment and express our love and gratitude for all the people in our lives.

But today, I would like to go a little deeper — what's missing from your INNER Thanksgiving table this year?

Have you lost your job? Have you lost confidence in yourself? Have you lost your clients? Have you lost your focus?

2010 has been both problematic and revelatory for many of my clients, colleagues, and friends. Some are up, some are down.

But the one thing we all need to remember, is that we have the ability to change. To take action. To slowly (or quickly) start turning our fortunes around to where we want them to go.

Only YOU have the ability to change where you are.

Only YOU can make the decision to begin charting a new course.

Everyone else can only be a tool to help YOU accomplish your goals. We can show you how to swing the club, YOU are the only person who must swing and hit the ball.

So at this time of the year, let's all be thankful that we have the ability to take action. The ability to change course.

And the gratitude to realize that Friday is also a holiday — spend some time that day to start taking action.

P.S. Here's a Thanksgiving gift for you to download and enjoy.

Never, Never, Never Give Up.

This is a quote from the great Winston Churchill. It was given to me many years ago by my oldest brother BIll, when I started my business. It hangs in my office.

What does it mean to me?

• Be consistent. If you have an idea, check it, and follow through on it.
• Be persistent. If you've reached out to a prospect or colleague and they haven't returned your call, keep calling them.
• Be provocative. Stand out from the crowd so you're noticed. It gets harder and harder every year since there are more of us to wade through.
• Be magnanimous. Never give up on a relationship or friendship. Be the one who wears their heart on their sleeve and makes the first move.
• Be intrusive. As I say to my clients, "Be a wood tick — burrow down to get that client, to sell that idea."
• Be true to your philosophy. Just because someone else pooh-poohs your beliefs, doesn't mean your wrong. They probably are.
• Be faithful. Stand behind your friends, colleagues and clients — if they need help or a good word, you should be there for them.
• And finally . . .

Be thankful. You are a wonderful human being. Take pride in what you've accomplished. Look at your mistakes and failures as learning opportunities and grow from them. Focus on your strengths and see how far you can take them. Just a small push can work wonders.

"Never, Never, Never, Never Give Up."

If you have any other additions, let us know! I would love to hear how you feel about this quote.

Slow Down. You Move Too Fast.

Washington DC Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approximately 2000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

After three minutes a middle-aged man noticed that was a musician playing, he slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

4 Minutes Later: The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and without stopping, continued to walk.

6 Minutes Later: A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

10 Minutes Later: A 3-year-old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.

45 Minutes: The musician played continuously. Only six people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money, but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

One Hour: He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.

Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

Joshua Bell playing incognito in the Metro Station was organized by the Washington Post as a part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.

The questions raised: in a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made . . .

How many other things are we missing?

10 Ways To Guarantee Clients.

Okay — let's get down and dirty with this post. You want clients, you know they're out there, and it's just a matter of getting them to see you and closing them effectively. Here are 10 ways you can get A LOT closer to some of your best clients, pull them in, and make them YOURS:

1. Develop Value & Status It's simple: The more expensive a product is, the more the prospect infers better quality. The more it makes them successful, more hip or more accepted by their peers the more they value it. How can you build in value and status into your product offering - from the minute they hear of you to the final closing sale statement?
2. Be Prepared Know who your best prospects are, where they are located, where they go, what they do, when you can approach them, how you can approach them, and the most important — why they need you. If you have these answered (I've taken many of my clients through this in about an hour), your success rate will double.
3. Look Professional You are in business. The more that you define 'business' and the less you define 'hobby', the more successful you will be. Bottom line — you have to spend money to make money. Look the part, dress professionally, carry professionally designed and printed cards, have a professionally produced web site — play the part.
4. Act Confident & Composed First impressions are key — you need to have the right attitude and appearance. Smile, approach the prospect, be the first one to speak, welcome them, smile, look into their eyes, be interested in them, stand straight and tall, stand up/no sitting when meeting, don't carry a lot of bags and SMILE. You know your business cold — act like it.
5. Take Action . . . Frequently So many people get themselves all ready to go out and conquer the marketplace, but are afraid of taking the next step by actually doing it. Get out there and touch your prospects. Make that phone call RIGHT NOW. Send that letter TODAY.
6. Ask Lots of Questions & Listen Make this meeting about THEM, not you. Learn all about their day, their business, their goals, their obstacles, their business interactions, their vendors, their family, and even their shoes. The more that you learn about them, the easier it is for you to position and inculcate your products and services into their life.
7. Deliver Solutions Selectively When I sell a prospect, I don't barrage them with a myriad of offerings and services. I ask questions, listen, and pitch a single solution. If they bite, great. If not, I ask them what's holding them back, and then I either modify my current offering or pitch an alternate solution. Too many people try to show the whole store in one sitting — that's a mistake.
8. Go For The Close Too many people out there don't know how to close. Here are a few simple close phrases that you can use. Remember, once you say it to a potential client, shut up. Let them respond. Too many people blabber on and lose all the power of a perfect sales close. (many of these come from my friends on the LinkedIn Group, Sales Playbook!): - "How does that sound to you?" - "Does that sound fair?" - "When would you like for us to get started?" - "If everything looks good, why don't you go ahead and approve this and I will take care of all the details." - "So, let's do this. I will be here every step of the way to make sure everything goes exactly as we discussed." And my favorite: "Sounds like you want to go ahead with this."
9. Go Above & Beyond Once you get them as a client, don't sit back and catch your breath. This is the most important time to quickly manage their expectations and serve them. Follow up and send them a thank you email and mail a personalized, hand-written card. Endeavor to deliver the first step of what you agreed upon ASAP, exceed their expectations. This one little action will define your relationship for a long time.
10. Be Persistent If they need to think about it, give them space, but ensure that you have a solid follow up date and time to get back to them. If you can, make it an in-person meeting and try to bring additional information or answers they might need to that meeting. If they turn you down, it's usually about fear of spending money or lack of information about your product/service. These are two areas that you can remedy pretty quickly with some basic follow-up sales questions.

3 Ways To Step Back & Look At The Big Picture.

We all get caught in the minutiae. And it's not our fault. Our job, our life, even our world makes us focus on the small things. That's how we get things done. But sometimes, even if it's once a year, you need to step back, pick up your head, and see the entire picture. But for many of us, that's hard to do. Why?

• We don't have the time.
• We are afraid of what we will see.
• We don't know how to do it.

So here are three simple ways to step back and see the BIG picture:

1. Take a day off from work. Look, it's mid-November. If you're like me, you have LOTS of vacation days just sitting there waiting to be used for something important. Let your boss know that you need to take a day off, don't tell your family, and go somewhere quiet (your local library is perfect — resources, tables and free wi-fi) to THINK.
2. Ask a friend for help. It could be your spouse, partner, colleague — anyone. If you've been having trouble actually setting aside time to do some strategic thinking, leaning on another person will ensure you will make the time. In addition, they will be an incredible sounding board to really think big. You can also help them with their big picture thinking too!
3. Break it up. Instead of a 'big bang' full day of strategic thinking, segment it into one-hour increments over two weeks. Get into work early (like I am doing right now - I'm sitting in a Starbucks at 5:45 AM), and start thinking BIG.

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.

5 Ways To Be Happy.

“Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.” - Unknown Too bad we'll never know who originally said this great quote. A little secret . . . this is one of my mantras in life. Let's think about it:

1. Stop complaining about your job. Start doing something about it. Take steps to make it more challenging, more interesting, more fun. Step out of your comfort zone and ask your boss for more work. Try to stretch yourself and speak about a new, strategic idea that might impact the company. Do something that changes your work dynamic — and see if that makes a difference.
2. Stop complaining about the economy. Many people today are making big bucks again. Go find them and see what they are doing. Copy them. Doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome is crazy — start benchmarking other successful behaviors and you'll slowly become successful. In the process, you might run across a person that you might want to hook up with that will demonstrably change your perspective.
3. Stop complaining about your marriage. At one time, you loved your spouse or partner. Find out why and focus in on those elements. You both have changed but take the time to fall in love AGAIN. Spend more time together, take little walks, go to dinner, get to know one another again. You might surprise yourself. Just open your heart to your spouse - that's the secret. Again, take the time to fall in love again.
4. Stop complaining about money. You have two choices, make due with what you currently have or change the game and make more. If you have to make due, go visit this site (http://almostfrugal.com/) or this site (http://zenhabits.net/the-cheapskate-guide-50-tips-for-frugal-living/)- they're the best. If you need to make more money, investigate if you have the ability for a raise at your current level. If not, you need to change the game and move laterally, up, or leave your job altogether. Another suggestion is to start doing something on the side that will make extra cash. I still remember meeting an older couple at a bed & breakfast who told my wife and I (we were newlyweds) to always have a side job that brought in extra income. They took old grape vines, twisted them into wreaths and sold them at craft shows - it paid for a very comfortable retirement.
5. Stop complaining about life. Life is made up of options and choices. Most of the time, people who are disappointed about life have limited their options and sometimes make the wrong choices. So, to make your life a little bit better, figure out how to expand your options and make more educated and informed decisions. Unless you're in prison, you always have options and choices — just broaden your perspective.

Get the pattern? Stop complaining about something in your life and start doing . . . take action and change it!

The International Coaching Federation Welcomes Rich Gee.

Incredible. I had a great time Friday morning presenting to a packed crowd at the Connecticut Chapter of the International Coaching Federation. I was blown away with the attendance of so many powerful peers in the industry, all looking to collaborate and learn how to leverage our craft more effectively in this changing marketplace — it's nice to present to a group I know I can help.

Based on the feedback I received via my evaluation forms, everyone had a powerful experience.

First off, a big 'thank you' to the entire ICF committee. I run workshops all across the country in many venues — they were the perfect hosts (they covered ALL the bases), the location was smashing (I love the Doubletree Hotel - it was just renovated), the room was perfect, the food scrumptious, and any request was met with a smile. Kudos!

As promised, here are the links to access the full presentation and the sites I mentioned:

1. Market Yourself To Success — Full Presentation (13mb - might take a bit to download)
2. Business Cards - Moo.com or 4by6.com (tell them Rich Gee sent you)
3. Virtual Office - Regus.com
4. Website Company Who Built My Wordpress Site - Nurenu.com (tell BJ Flagg you were sent by Rich Gee)
5. Wordpress - www.wordpress.com
6. Template for my Wordpress Site - Thesis
7. PR Professional - Ron Magas at Magas Media Consultants, LLC - www.magasmedia.com (tell Ron you were sent by Rich Gee)
8. BNI - CT Chapter - www.bnict.com
9. Credit Card Payments - www.paypal.com (look for Virtual Terminal)
10. Professional Voice Mail Recordings - www.provoicegreetings.com
11. Matt Harding Video (big hit!) - Click Here
12. My Current Workshop Schedule - Click Here

Enjoy the rest of November and hope to see you again! - Rich

P.S. Books That I Recommend to businesses nationwide:

• Never Eat Alone
• Linchpin
• The Little Gold Book of Yes Attitude
• The Little Black Book of Connections
• Brag - The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It
• Strengthsfinder 2.0

Are You Ready For Success?

Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be." - George Sheehan Most of the time it's not the place, the time, the people, or the circumstances. It's YOU.

It's not the obstacles or lack of opportunity. It's YOU.

Successful people blast through obstacles and make their own opportunity.

It's that simple. So start today by looking inside and be the person you believe you were meant to be.