3 Ways To Grow Your Business . . . Today.

I work with a LOT of companies. Solopreneurs. Small Businesses. Large Businesses. Corporations. Across the entire spectrum of the marketplace, I see three standard rules that make companies successful. How they service their clients everyday. How they incrementally grow by making the right decisions and recovering quickly from the wrong ones.

So without further ado, here they are:

1. Delight Your Customer. Not just service them - DELIGHT them. Make them step back and say "Wow". In one of my past posts, I mentioned add 'Pizazz' to everything you do. This is the same thing. When you deliver your service, find one way to go the extra mile and make your customer smile and think "I am so glad I shopped here/worked with you." How can you do it? Nordstrom's excels in customer service and quality. Jet Blue does it with customer service and price (and great seats!). Trader Joe's excels in products, price, and customer service. Get where I'm going?

   Next Step: Look at your pricing, your product, or your customer service and tweak a bit. Give them something they don't expect. Make them say 'Wow". Go the extra mile.

2. Meet New People. Everyday. Get out of your office/store/home and meet people. And not just any people - important people that can HELP you grow your business. That means finding those people who are your customers and touching them or finding connectors that will help you meet your customers. Do lunches, coffee, drinks after work, breakfast, dinner, show up with a pizza . . . whatever. You need to touch people to learn what's happening in the outside world, meet and greet new prospects, and spread the word about your great products.

   Next Step: Make it a point of getting out in the next 24 hours with ANYONE. Take the plunge - do it now.

3. Ask Lots of Questions and Listen. Whoever I meet, I ask key, basic questions to get them going. "How's business?" "How's the family?" "Where did you go for vacation?" "How's that rash healing?" You know - all the small talk questions. Then I add in a follow up question: "Really . . . tell me more." That is the magic question - getting them to delve deeper into their experience while you just SHUT UP and LISTEN. You are listening for openings, for ability to seed your services, to help your fellow person. That is invaluable in today's marketplace when all people do today is TALK.

   Next Step: The next person you meet (for lunch, at the supermarket, etc.) ask them a key probing question, follow up with  "Really . . . tell me more.", and then LISTEN. You will suprise yourself how much info you get out of that person.

By the way — all three of these ways to grow your business are incredibly fun to do. Trust me.

Are You In A Slump At Work? (My WSJ Article)

Interviewed by the Wall Street Journal this morning on dealing with falling into a 'slump' at work:

"Some workers can pull out of a slump by asking for new responsibilities or challenges on the job, or brainstorming new ideas to streamline or improve their work, says Rich Gee, a Stamford, Conn., executive coach. In other cases, people who think they are in a slump realize they have simply grown tired of battling their own weaknesses or lack of interest, Mr. Gee says. In that case, a career change can be the answer."

I also spoke with Sue Shellenbarger at the WSJ about many other strategies about jumping out of a slump (but the kind editors at the WSJ are concise editors . . . so my stuff was trimmed):

How can you tell when you are in a slump?

• SOS - Same Old Stuff - you find yourself doing the same things, day after day, with no change, no challenges.
• Clock Watching - Late to work, long lunches, leave early and watch the clock while you're there.
• You Find You Don't Care - More and more things are obstacles rather than opportunities. You complain more than compliment.

What are some techniques you can use to get out of a slump? Change The Game:

• Stay in your position - Ask for increased responsibilities, brainstorm new ideas and efficiencies. Modify your job!
• Leave your position, same company - Look for lateral positions that better use your talents. New people, new responsibilities.
• Leave your company - You might need fresh air. We/Companies/Positions all change/evolve - what do you want to do now?

Have you worked with clients in slumps? Absolutely!

• Client #1: Bored/Dying at current job - helped them move to running a full-time website/blog on a hot and growing area! Making big bucks now.
• Client #2: In Marketing - didn't like the work or the people - helped them move to Sales in a key account position - they are loving getting out of the cubicle culture and interacting with clients.
• Client #3: C-Level - Tired of the 'soap opera' politics that come with the position, now out doing incredibly creative things with non-profits.

Here's the entire article.

Isn't the word 'slump' one of the ugliest words in the English language? I don't want one! Neither do you!

P.S. Sue is one of the nicest and most professional reporters I know. When she asks for help, she delivers. Thank you Sue!

If you want to subscribe to the WSJ - just click here - it's the best resource you can buy to help you with your career!

A Powerful Sunday Message.

"Every time you suppress some part of yourself or allow others to play you small, you are in essence ignoring the owner's manual your creator gave you and destroying your design." - Oprah Winfrey Do you allow others to 'play you small'?

Do you ignore your 'owner's manual'?

Are you 'destroying your design'?

Take an hour today and start making a significant change in your life.

And don't worry about what other people might think.

Are You Throwing Happiness Out The Window?

Lately, a lot of people feel 'stuck' in their life. Why?

• Because of their past decisions leading up to the present.
• Because of the possibility of jumping into another terrible position.
• Because of the economy.

This is what I call "Not Living In The Present". Why? Let's look at the three reasons again:

• PAST GUILT: Past decisions leading up to the present.
• FUTURE FEAR: Possibility of jumping into another terrible position.
• DISPLACED ANGER: The economy.

Past Guilt

Blaming actions in the past that you feel are affecting the present. You are currently not feeling 'adequate' to attempt to jump to a new job because of your past failings, lack of knowledge/experience, or some other situation that might have happened to you.

Solution: You can't do anything about it. Stop frustrating yourself because of things that have happened in the past and start dealing with the qualities, experience, and talents that you currently have. Make a list - you will surprise yourself.

Future Fear

Being scared of the future may be real to you, but in reality, a waste of your time and energy. Why? You are predicting the future . . . if you knew exactly what was going to happen, go buy a lottery ticket. We hold ourselves back because we are insecure of what 'might' happen and we begin to concoct elaborate stories in our head to make them real.

Solution: Deal with your anxiety about the future — start making a plan based on reality and move from fear back into a strong secure place in your head and life. Sit down and map out specific goals you want to accomplish and those activities and tasks that will get you there. Add a timetable and you are done!

Displaced Anger

Blaming other people or forces about your misery is a common practice with many of my clients. Because of the marketplace, the economy, your clients, or a crazy boss, you are eliminating all ability to take control of the situation. There are always other options to any situation, unfortunately, we tend to throw them out the window and begin to blame things we cannot control.

Solution: Uncover, understand, and focus on the things you CAN control. Start breaking down your frustrations with outside forces and other people and begin to see opportunities that were hidden from you. The best way to do this is to state your situation, come up with alternatives, and brainstorm options, no matter how crazy or outlandish they are. You'll find that some of these options quickly turn into opportunities.

Start living in the present. You will be much happier and have abundant energy to change where you are NOW.

The Best Kept Business Secret To Success.

To be successful in business, you need to make CONNECTIONS.It's that simple.

Connections to meet someone new, to make a sale, to find a new position, or to learn about a recent, yet unknown development.

I find that some of my clients, some of my workshop attendees, and for some people I meet, they 'rebel' against this notion.

And in my opinion, to their detriment.

FACT: Every weekday, every lunch, every upscale (and even downscale) restaurant, key executives are connecting. Just look around. There's a reason why lunches are cheaper, smaller, and served faster — for business lunches!

On average, I meet or speak to 2-3 new people a day, have 2000+ names in my address book, and ensure that every lunch I have is either meeting with someone, speaking with someone, or just bumping into someone.

It's like Tom Peters' 20 x 12 = 240 model (see below), you have ample opportunity to connect with A LOT of people.

Why do certain people rebel? Why do they think that it isn't important?

I think these people either don't like to talk to other people, don't find it useful, think they're too busy, or don't prepare for the lunch. They're wrong.

So if you're waiting for that big, shiny limousine to pull up at your home or office and whisk you off to a better life with more money — keep dreaming.

If you want to win the showcase on The Price Is Right, you at least have to show up and be in the audience. Make it happen!

How To Connect With Key People.

I attended a NSA (National Speakers Association) meeting last night. I know . . . after a full day at work, I spent additional hours in a cramped, hot hotel room looking at slides. I wouldn't change it for the world.

• I met a LOT of great people just like me. People that I can help and who also can help me.
• I experienced a great speaker who gave me a LOT of great information to grow my business exponentially.
• I had fun and it energized me (and my business).

Without further ado, here are some critical tips:

1. Get Out. The hardest thing my clients, colleagues, and friends do is to not get out and meet people. Find events and GO TO THEM. My motto: The more people you meet, the more opportunities you make, the more business you close. Corollary: The less people you meet, the less opportunities you make, the less business you close. It's that simple.
2. Show Enthusiasm & Energy. Don't be manic and scary though. Keep an upbeat focus on everyone you meet. Greet with a broad smile, hearty handshake and have one item/area to personally compliment the attendee. Do what you have to do to bring up your energy, go for a walk before the talk, listen to a power song on your iPod, drink an energy drink - anything. But come with ENERGY.
3. Wear Your Own Nametag. This sounds hokey - but it works. Everyone knows your name and what you do. And . . . you name is clearly visible to everyone you meet. In addition, the speaker could see it from her vantage point and mentioned my name — although I never met her! So it works.
4. Try To Do Something For Everyone You Meet. And then follow up the next day. I know it's hard, but this is how the big boys and girls do it.
5. Do a 360°. Talk to everyone around you when you sit down. During breaks, increase the frequency and solidify the relationship. Follow up the next day (this is critical).
6. Don't Eat. Not only is it difficult to handle a plate, shake hands, eat, and maintain a conversation, chewing and talking just don't go together. Eat beforehand. You look more polished and professional if you don't eat. Did you ever spit food while talking? Not cool.

Finally, two areas that I would like to promote:

• National Speakers Association - www.nsa.org - check them out - great meetings, incredible speakers, they make it happen!
• Rebecca Morgan - this professional clearly knows her stuff on how to "Make Money In Your Jammies" - www.rebeccamorgan.com

Why I'm Not Surprised You Got Fired.

It's funny. So many things happen in life that make us wonder, "Why did they do that?" "Why did they go with the other candidate?" "Why am I not getting that promotion?" "Why did I get laid off?"

It's the balance of factual and emotional and how we also balance them in our head and heart.

Unfortunately, we often tend to skew on the emotional side when it comes to highly personal and influential decisions. As I say to my clients, "You tell yourself stories."

You need to evaluate the FACTUAL side of the equation and you'll probably see why and how they made the decision.

Why do I mean by facts? Follow the money, perception, situation, and influencers. They are probably to blame.

On the other hand - there are situations when the people in charge make emotional decisions and let facts fly in the wind.

Candidly, you don't want to work for them. Trust me.

What Are You Afraid Of . . . Failure Or Success?

At some time in our careers, we self-sabotage. We know we need to do 'A' to move forward, but somehow we find ourselves doing 'B'. And 'B' isn't as good as 'A'. In fact, 'B' might make us take a number of steps backwards. But we do it anyway.

Why? Fear of Failure & Fear of Success.

Fear of Failure is simple - we don't want to attempt something if we feel that it's going to fail in the end — a sales call not attempted, a higher price asked, etc. We retreat to that safe, warm, and fuzzy place in our heads that takes us away from all possible failure scenarios. Unfortunately, you might be wrong — that call or price might be accepted and you suddenly move forward at a blinding speed with your career . . . and that's where fear of success steps in.

Fear of Success is even more insidious and calculating than fear of failure. It hides in the deep recesses of our psyche and when it comes out, we usually don't even notice it. Fear of Success sabotages our ability to make great leaps forward in our career by preying upon our irrational fears.

So how do we fix this?

Fear of Failure - Just do it. Most of the time, we are just putting up obstacles to procrastinate and hide of the pain of rejection. But the reality is that you usually have a better chance of acceptance is you just take action. Also - the rejection is not as bad as you think - so just do it.

Fear of Success - Get real. Most of the internal stories we tell ourselves are based upon fantasy. If we lose weight, we'll cheat on our spouse . . . if we get that big promotion, we'll never see our family again . . . and on and on and on. Sit down and list all the irrational ways you fear success, write them on paper. Then take each one and dissect it with a clear head and only use FACTS. You'll find that most of your fears are highly irrational and not based in the real world.

Now go out and face the world without fear!

Accelerate Your Job Search - Sales vs. Replenishment.

Have you ever sold products? Stood in front of a board of directors and pitched an idea? I have. In sales, there are two types of salespeople — salespeople whose goal is to sell some 'stuff' and salespeople who solve the client's problem. Guess who is more successful?

Why is it then, when most unemployed executives network, connect, and interview, they focus on selling 'stuff' and not solving problems? I call this the Sales vs. Replenishment Model. And it works perfectly when looking for a job.

Replenishment is just what it means - you are there to replenish an open position. And you try your hardest to fashion yourself in a cookie-cutter way to fit into that replenishment model. What happens? You usually fail. Most accomplished account executives know that you can only replenish inventory for so long until your client smartens up (or someone else pitches them a better solution) and cuts/eliminates your order.

True Sales is the ability to listen, learn and understand what issues, problems, and opportunities your clients have and then try to help them solve them with one of your inventory. This clearly applies to your job search. You need to do a massive amount of research prior to your meeting, ask a lot of questions during the initial meeting, and then (and only then) do you present possible solutions to your lunch partner's issues. One might say that this is a cookie-cutter approach to — but there is a lot less shoving a square peg into a round hole.

Bottom line — if you try to replenish, you lower yourself to every other salesperson out there hawking their stuff. If you endeavor to solve one of the company's problems or present an alternate way to do things - you will instantly catch their attention and make a major impression.

Your chances to get that job have now risen dramatically.

Three Major Mistakes Many C-Level Executives Make.

Look, your job is hard. Probably one of the hardest in your company. But then again, you are the best and most highly decorated/compensated employee too. But you're human and sometimes it hard to lead and execute perfectly. Over the past 10 years of advising C-Level executives, here are three of the more frequent mistakes made in your day-to-day endeavors running the whole 'lemonade stand':

1. Trying to do everything, not honing in on your talents.

A frequent occurrence since everyone that works for you thinks that you can solve all their problems. Or when issues, obstacles, and opportunities come at you from many directions, it hard not to say no. But you have to say no.

One way to fix this problem is to either say no, or not now. But that's hard to do. The best way to fix this issue is to delegate it to someone below you. You first need to know what key strengths your people exhibit and then you have to apply certain communication/management skills to pass on the task. Then ask them. Most of the time, they are dying to work on more complex/challenging stuff, especially your 'stuff'. Then you can go back and work on things that compliment your talents.

If you don't do this, you'll find that your days are filled with an avalanche of decisions and tasks, many that you're not the best at. And that spells trouble.

2. Less focus on planning, more focus on quick decisions.

When time is short and your to-do list is long, we tend to make more 'shoot-from-the-hip' decisions rather than planning ahead of time. Again, this is a hard thing to do in today's marketplace.

One line of attack is to clearly define key recurring areas that frequently need addressing and to bring your team together to plan for them, rather than waiting for something to blow up. You can segment them into client-based, financial-based, operations-based, marketing-based issues and have key, qualified people responsible to lead the charge. Once areas are planned and options are defined, it's much easier to chart your course in a more educated fashion.

If you don't do this, you'll find that you will spend more time substantiating your decisions with higher-ups, direct reports, and clients and realizing that many unplanned decisions usually aren't the best ones to execute.

3. Not asking for input from multiple sources.

This is the biggest and most important one — and it also aligns with the previous two mistakes. As you get comfortable in your position, it's really easy to insulate oneself from other learned sources when managing, leading, and running the business.

One way to eliminate this mistake is to actively and frequently reach out to people and ask them their opinion on a strategy, direction, or decision. They could be mentors that you've established, previous colleagues that you've worked with, key direct reports you can trust, and even employees that you never talk to. You'll be surprised with their answers — you might find that their line of thinking is completely different from yours. And it might be better!

If you don't do this, you'll slowly find that many people around you will be able to telegraph your position immediately (since you always make the decision) or they shut down completely since you are asking them for advice. Take a chance — listen to other sources.

Do One Thing Today That Scares You.

Do one thing today you've been procrastinating on that scares you. Anything. Why?

• You get something done (duh . . . Rich).
• It's the only way you grow (okay, I see where you're going).
• You will feel better about yourself (big win here).

Most of the time, we get down on ourselves when we don't get key stuff done. We are also even harder on ourselves when we hold ourselves back on the most important stuff.

And that feeling and those behaviors take a subtle toll on our confidence. Your confidence is one of the major players in your success in business and life. It's what drives you and makes you attractive to others. You do not want to deplete it — you want to nurture and grow it. So you need to do SCARY things.

It's the only way you will grow your confidence level. So how do you do it?

• Call that one person that you are afraid of calling or you've been putting it off because your 'not prepared'. Just call.
• Make an appointment with an influential mover and shaker. Today.
• Start something that really scares you. An exercise program. Dancing. Singing. Speaking. Something.

It's doesn't matter WHAT it is. It's the action of just doing it that builds your confidence level. And that's a good thing.

Are You Sleeping At Work?

The past few posts have been a bit long, so this one will be concise and blunt. I run into many people at my workshops who are unemployed. When I offer a FREE coaching session to help them, a few balk. Why? I think:

• They like unemployment (stay with me here).
• They want someone else to do the thinking and searching for them.
• They are afraid of doing it themselves.
• It's easier to not make a decision/do something rather than making a decision or acting on an opportunity.

Why does this happen? Because they lived on the corporate teat for the last 20-25 years. What do I mean by that?

They got lazy at work. They did the same thing every day — hoping and praying (as the world changed around them) that no one would notice.

Unfortunately, someone did. And they were let go from their job. Now they are desperately looking for a new  job just like their old job. They are looking for a new job just like they worked for their old job — they're telegraphing it in.

I'm not saying that they didn't work hard. They probably did. But they didn't work SMART. They didn't push themselves into KEY initiatives or projects that would change the company. Or developed a process that saved the company a lot of money. Bottom line - did they affect the growth of the business, save a lot of money, or change the game? No. They sucked on the corporate teat.

Let me say that again — are you:

• Affecting the growth of your business? Talking to a new major client? Releasing a new product?
• Saving your company a lot of money? Cost cutting, streamlining, better allocation of resources?
• Changing the game? Orthogonal thinking, coming up with major ideas/solutions that no one has thought of?

What's funny is that these unemployed people are now moving from the corporate to the federal/state/city teat. They can't find a 'safe' job in corporate — so they hope to find a 'safe' job in a public position. Unfortunately, I see that cost-cutting will start to matriculate down into these areas too in the next 5-10 years. So guess what? These 'safe' jobs are not really safe.

So don't sleep at work. Impact the growth of your business. Save your company a lot of money. Change the game. Start TODAY.

Corporations? Dead Or Dying In Five Years.

Corporations are changing all around us — it's just that we don't see it happening. Not until it happens to you. There is a 'perfect storm' of many major influencers affecting the typical corporation of today. Let me go back a little in history . . .

• The first corporation came into existence in 1347 (Stora Kopparberg).
• The first modern corporations started in the early to mid 19th century.
• Corporations as we now know them (glass office buildings, desks, water coolers, etc.) thrived right after WWII and into the 50's/60's.

The majority of boomers and millennials were brought up with the idea to do well in school, go to college, graduate and get a good job in a corporation. Then very quickly afterward comes marriage, kids, grandkids and social security (hopefully!). The corporation would look after you if you kept your head down, worked hard, stayed late, and never caused trouble (see Linchpin).

In the 1990's something arrived called reengineering. This upended the typical unspoken agreement you had with the corporation. All bets were off. Corporations began review efficiencies EVERYWHERE. And if they found them, the answer was to remove the chaff and redistribute responsibilities to the remaining staff.

Unfortunately, reengineering went away as a process and was wholly subsumed into the functioning practice of the corporation. No longer was there a single great 'vetting' of the chaff, it happened EVERY YEAR. Odds are, every able corporate type has been laid off based on one stupid corporate reason or another. Before this happened, getting fired had an enormous stigma. No longer — everyone has that 'A' on their soul.

Now fasten your seatbelts — here is when it gets fun. Present day . . . seven disparate areas are merging together:

1. Corporations still practicing slash and burn with employees on a regular basis (CFOs have the ear of the CEO and board).
2. Worst recession hits since the great depression (mass firings, low personnel in-house, anemic hiring).
3. Technology accelerates to allow virtual workers (laptops, wi-fi, iphones, ipads)
4. Boomers are retiring - Millennials are taking the stage (more focus on work/life balance, less hours/smarter work).
5. Benefit outlays are rising exponentially (there is a breaking point - workers want them/companies can't afford them).
6. Facilities are really getting expensive (Rent, HVAC, Security, Ergonomics, Networking, Phones, Cafeteria, Gym, Parking, Grounds, etc.).
7. Unintentional entrepreneurs (those fired in the last two years) are becoming consultants, looking for work ANYWHERE.

This begs the question: Why employ permanent workers at all?

Think of it — why not bring together required workers when needed for projects and initiatives and let them go when it is done?

Many departments can be easily outsourced or eliminated - Finance, IT, HR, Marketing, Sales, Events, Customer Service, etc. What does that leave? Management, Operations, Production? And those groups could be culled down significantly to a point where a small group of key executives rally the vision and leverage temporary teams to execute that vision.

It's already being done - think of how a movie is shot. A studio/director has a vision on filming a movie. Over the next 6-12 months, an incredible amount of highly skilled professionals are brought together (from many different areas) to build this film. The production hits an apex and then this huge group is then slowly whittled down to nothing when production is complete. Why can't this model be applied to business?

It's the perfect virtual company. Help is brought on based on experience, knowledge, and aptitude. Not seniority. You might say, "Where's the dedication? Where's the loyalty? Well . . . you're kidding yourself if you think that your company is loyal. And day by day, year by year, employees are becoming more disaffected and disloyal as corporations treat them like chattel. They hate you as much as you cheapen them.

Now you might think this is a bad thing. A negative thing to happen. I disagree - in fact, I think the exact opposite.

In my next blog post, I will present why it should happen and what are the real hidden benefits to all parties.

The First Day of Autumn.

It's the most wonderful time of the year . . . I LOVE FALL! I used to run cross country - I love the smell in the air, the look of the trees, the wood stoves firing up. I get nostalgic for those times. But what is nature really telling us at this time of the year?

• Things die. Leaves are falling to the ground. Tilled my garden under for the winter.
• Things hibernate. Grass is turning light brown for the winter, but will come back in Spring.
• Things turn cold. Left the bedroom windows open last night. We FROZE!
• Time to pack things away. That incredible teal floral hawaiian swimsuit I bought thankfully goes away until next summer.
• Time to get ready for different weather. Having my famous wood stove cleaned as I type - wood is being delivered this week.
• Time for my favorite foods to appear. Macoun apples are MY favorite. By the way - looking for them - some help here would be appreciated.
• Get busy. Squirrels are losing their friggin' minds collecting thousands of acorns that have fallen on the ground.

How does this align with business? You career? Your life?

• Things die. Mourn their loss (a project, a system, a job) and MOVE ON. Right Now. It's never coming back.
• Things hibernate. A stream of business has gone away - look for others - don't fret! Take Action.
• Things turn cold. That's life - sometimes people or businesses give you the cold shoulder - find where the warmth lives.
• Time to pack things away. Things that haven't been working now might need to be put away for awhile. Work on new and interesting stuff.
• Time to get ready for different weather. Change your game - start targeting people instead of waiting for them to come to you.
• Time for my favorite foods to appear. New things appear on a regular timetable - what happens in your industry at this time? Take advantage of it - be prepared.

And finally . . .

GET BUSY! Stand up, get out, and start collecting the thousands of acorns that have fallen on the ground.

Just one might change your life.

Buffett Predicts Bright Economic Future.

Famed investor Warren Buffett declared that the country and world will not fall back into the grips of the recession. "I am a huge bull on this country. We are not going to have a double-dip recession at all," said Buffett, chairman of Omaha, Neb.-based Berkshire Hathaway Inc. "I see our businesses coming back across the board."

Buffett said the same things that worked for the country through a century of two world wars, a depression and more – all while increasing the standard of living – will work again. He said banks are lending money again, businesses are hiring employees and he expects the economy to come back stronger than ever.

"This country works," Buffett said during a question-and-answer session via video at the Montana Economic Development Summit. "The best is yet to come."

By Matt Gouras at The Huffington Post

I Miss Kinko's and Mailboxes Etc.

This happens all the time. Larger companies catch, chew, and swallow smaller companies. It's the 'circle of life'. But there have been two not-so recent purchases/migrations of companies that are slowly building a slow burn in the back of my neck lately. Who are they you might ask? FedEx Office and The UPS Store*.

First off - the real haven for any small business was Kinkos and Mailboxes Etc. Why?

• Service. Kinkos had a familial atmosphere where all employees had fun. Mailboxes Etc. was a franchise and usually run by people who were using it as their retirement nest egg. They were having fun.
• Convienence. Both were close to my Stamford and home offices. If I needed something duplicated, bound or sent, it happened immediately. They also had incredible hours, where I could access their services when I needed them.
• Products. They delivered what they promised. All with a real smile.

Over the past few years, both companies were subjugated by the competition and turned into zombie clones of their former self (okay . . . a bit harsh). Let me explain:

• No Service. Where Kinko's had between 5-8 people on staff at any one time cheerfully helping myriads of small business people just like me with their office issues, Fed-Ex Office has no more than 2 people on the floor at any one time (and one squirrelly manager skittering in the background running back to their office as soon as a long line forms of customers). The worker at UPS Office is on a potent mix of prescription drugs and the cheapest liquor one can purchase, all fueled by a steady stream of Hot Pockets. He cannot pay attention and loses his train of thought frequently (this is a local occurrence, but has happened to me at other UPS locations).
• No Convenience. Store hours have been truncated severely. Most FedEx Office locations are no longer 24 hours (a real problem when you need business documents for a morning meeting). Even the UPS Store has cut their available hours over the weekend.
• No Products. FedEx Office eliminated many of their offerings and every location looks like a mere shadow of what it used to be. There is an increased focus on shipping and not on duplication/printing. The UPS Store still has most services, but its mailing and office supplies have been cut to the bone.

Finally - I really feel for the employees at these locations. They walk around like zombies with no apparent smile or enthusiasm. This is a clear example of poor management coupled with a very oppressive 'corporate-mandate' rule structure (you must do this, don't do that - no ability to make your own decisions).

I love when I find perfectly run, service-oriented tools that I can use for my business. It's sad when I see corporate greed snatch up these same icons of good service and turn them into awful places to work and shop.

I'd love your comments, viewpoint, and experiences on this topic!

*There are still a minimal amount of locations for Mailboxes Etc. - but for all intents and purposes, they are The UPS Store to me.

Push Yourself Just A Little Bit & You'll See Incredible Results.

A great business story presented by my BNI sales team: What's the boiling point of water? 212° Fahrenheit.

What do you get when water boils at 212°? Steam.

What does steam do? It moves huge locomotives. It turns powerful turbines. It heats millions of homes.

What is water at 211° Fahrenheit? Warm water. (okay . . . very warm water)

But not STEAM.

How many times do you stop at 211° in your life? In your career? In your business?

All you have to do is to just push yourself a little bit and you will produce STEAM in your life, career and business. What could you accomplish with increased energy, ideas, contacts, opportunities or prospects in your life?

Make the choice: Warm Water or Steam?

How To Get Clients.

I've been busy the last few weeks. In addition to coaching a full practice of clients, my action team meetings started this week (say goodbye to Monday nights). So the production end of my business is 'full-steam ahead'.

But I also got up early every morning over the past two weeks (4:30 AM) to attend various networking/sales meetings to spread the word of the Rich Gee Group.

And I gave a major presentation Thursday to a business group (50+ executives) about how to market themselves. It was a big hit for me - most attendees gave me a 4 to 5 rating (on a scale of 1-5).

So the 'development' end of my business was in full gear too. What did it deliver? I received an avalanche of interest in my coaching and my phone has been off the hook. In addition, my site numbers are through the roof and I have a pack of new business cards that can choke a horse (all to enter today into my contact list for eBlasts).

Why am I telling you all this? Not to brag (even though it is bragging . . . ). But to illustrate HOW TO GET CLIENTS.

Get out there and SHAKE HANDS. Get out there and be visible. Get out there and BE A BILLBOARD.

You are the product - get others to meet you, talk with you, experience you. "Take you out for a test drive" as I call it.

Don't hover over your laptop all day. Get OUT and MEET people. It's that easy.

Events To Catch Rich Speaking . . .

This year, the fourth quarter has come fast and furious to the Rich Gee Group. Here is a cross-section of all the events and meetings where Rich will keynote or present: Fairchester Business Group - Complete (we had a BALL!) "Market Yourself to Success: Toot Your Own Horn Without Blowing It" Thursday, August 19 - 7:30 to 9:30 AM http://www.fairchesterbusinessresource.org/

American Marketing Association - Complete (knocked it out of the park!) "Brand Yourself In Today's Job Market - Toot Your Own Horn Without Blowing It" Wednesday, September 8 - 6 to 8 PM http://www.americantowns.com/ct/norwalk/news/ama-fairfield-county-chapter-proudly-presents-toot-your-own-horn-911810

Westport Library - Complete (a packed house of energized jobseekers!) October 5 - 8 AM "Jobseeker Special: Take Action!" http://www.westportlibrary.org/events/2010/10/jobseeker_special_jobseeker_sp.html

Wilton Public Library - Complete (capacity crowd of businesspeople who want to learn!) "The Message is the Medium - New Ways to Connect with Customers: LinkedIn" Tuesday, November 9 - 8 to 9:30 AM http://www.wiltonlibrary.org/

International Coaching Federation - Connecticut Chapter "Market Yourself To Success: Toot Your Own Horn Without Blowing It" Friday, November 12 Doubletree Inn - Norwalk

Bethel Public Library "Get Tough: The Best Jobs Are Never Advertised" with Margo Meeker! Tuesday, November 16  - 7 to 9:00 PM http://www.bethellibrary.org/

Wilton Public Libraray "The Message is the Medium - New Ways to Connect with Customers: Wordpress Blogs" Tuesday, November 23 - 8 to 9:30 AM http://www.wiltonlibrary.org/

How To Be The BEST At What You Do.

All you have to do is watch this video:

What can you do RIGHT NOW to add this kind of focus and customer service to what you do?

Make It Happen. NOW.