BADGES OF HONOR

by Hank Trisler

Most meetings have name badges for the attendees, to allow them to enter dark rooms and hear the "secret stuff." Most of us hate to wear them, as they mark us as tourists to the locals and generally look tatty. Badges can serve several useful purposes, however, and will actually be enjoyed by your attendees, if properly deployed.

Badges must have a LARGE first name. This is what most of us look for. At a recent conference, the badge printing was so small that I couldn't make it out, even with my cheaters on. An old fellow staring at people's chests with reading glasses is an upsetting sight, particularly to members of the opposite sex. The person's company and hometown are also nice to have, but not at the expense of a HUGE first name.

Badges should be worn on the right side, so that they are thrust forward when one shakes hands with another. The natural tendency is to wear them on the left, but people will comply, once they've been told the valid reason.

Conferences often unite people from diverse regions or divisions of a company; people who seldom know one another. To stimulate interaction and camaraderie, try writing another person's name on the back of each badge, preferably from another region or division. Any person finding the person whose name is on the back of their badge gets a small prize. Something you were going to give them anyhow. Find the person whose name is on the back of your badge, get their business card and win a prize. How simple. In order to find that person, you might have to introduce yourself to a couple of dozen other people. Think of all the people you'll meet. Badges can be fun and informative, rather than a necessary evil. Your people will never again say, "I don't got to show you no steenking badges."

How do you feel about badges at your meetings?

IT DON'T COST NUTHIN' TO BE NICE

by Hank Trisler

A good friend just sent this to me and I thought it of sufficient value to re-print it here. Unfortunately, I don't know the name of the original author, but I admire his discernment.

At a Touchdown Club meeting many years before his death, Coach Paul Bear Bryant told the following story:

I had just been named the new head coach at Alabama and was off in my old car down in South Alabama recruiting a prospect who was supposed to have been a pretty good player and I was having trouble finding the place. Getting hungry I spied an old cinder block building with a small sign out front that simply said, Restaurant.

I pull up, go in and every head in the place turns to stare at me. Seems I'm the only white fella in the place. But the food smelled good so I skip a table and go up to a cement bar and sit. A big ole man in a tee shirt and cap comes over and says, What do you need?I told him I needed lunch and what did they have today? He says, You probably won't like it here, today we're having chitlins, collared greens and black eyed peas with cornbread. I'll bet you don't even know what chitlins (small intestines of hogs prepared as food in the deep South) are, do you? I looked him square in the eye and said, I'm from Arkansas , I've probably eaten a mile of them. Sounds like I'm in the right place. They all smiled as he left to serve me up a big plate. When he comes back he says,

You ain't from around here then?

I explain I'm the new football coach up in Tuscaloosa at the University and I'm here to find whatever that boy's name was and he says, yeah I've heard of him, he's supposed to be pretty good. And he gives me directions to the school so I can meet him and his coach.

As I'm paying up to leave, I remember my manners and leave a tip, not too big to be flashy, but a good one and he told me lunch was on him, but I told him for a lunch that good, I felt I should pay.

The big man asked me if I had a photograph or something he could hang up to show I'd been there. I was so new that I didn't have any yet. It really wasn't that big a thing back then to be asked for, but I took a napkin and wrote his name and address on it and told him I'd get him one.

I met the kid I was looking for later that afternoon and I don't remember his name, but do remember I didn't think much of him when I met him. I had wasted a day, or so I thought.

When I got back to Tuscaloosa late that night, I took that napkin from my shirt pocket and put it under my keys so I wouldn't forget it. Back then I was excited that anybody would want a picture of me. The next day we found a picture and I wrote on it, Thanks for the best lunch I've ever had.

Now let's go a whole buncha years down the road. Now we have black players at Alabama and I'm back down in that part of the country scouting an offensive lineman we sure needed. Y'all remember, (and I forget the name, but it's not important to the story), well anyway, he's got two friends going to Auburn and he tells me he's got his heart set on Auburn too, so I leave empty handed and go on see some others while I'm down there.

Two days later, I'm in my office in Tuscaloosa and the phone rings and it's this kid who just turned me down, and he says, Coach, do you still want me at Alabama ? And I said, Yes I sure do. And he says OK, he'll come. And I say, Well son, what changed your mind? And he said, When my grandpa found out that I had a chance to play for you and said no, he pitched a fit and told me I wasn't going nowhere but Alabama, and wasn't playing for nobody but you. He thinks a lot of you and has ever since y'all met. Well, I didn't know his granddad from Adam's housecat so I asked him who his granddaddy was and he said, You probably don't remember him, but you ate in his restaurant your first year at Alabama and you sent him a picture that he's had hung in that place ever since. That picture's his pride and joy and he still tells everybody about the day that Bear Bryant came in and had chitlins with him.

My grandpa said that when you left there, he never expected you to remember him or to send him that picture, but you kept your word to him and to Grandpa, that's everything. He said you could teach me more than football and I had to play for a man like you, so I guess I'm going to.

I was floored. But I learned that the lessons my mama taught me were always right. It don't cost nuthin to be nice. It don't cost nuthin to do the right thing most of the time, and it costs a lot to lose your good name by breakin your word to someone.

When I went back to sign that boy, I looked up his Grandpa and he's still running that place, but it looks a lot better now; and he didn't have chitlins that day, but he had some ribs that woulda made Dreamland proud and I made sure I posed for a lot of pictures; and don't think I didn't leave some new ones for him, too, along with a signed football.

I made it clear to all my assistants to keep this story and these lessons in mind when they're out on the road. If you remember anything else from me, remember this. It really doesn't cost anything to be nice, and the rewards can be unimaginable.

~ Coach Paul Bear Bryant ~

Note: Coach Bryant was in the presence of these few gentlemen for only minutes, and he defined himself for life. Regardless of our profession, we do define ourselves by how we treat others, and how we behave in the presence of others, and most of the time, we have only minutes or seconds to leave a lasting impression. We can be rude, crude, arrogant, cantankerous, or we can be nice. Nice is always a better choice. I like what Stephen Grellet, French/American religious leader (1773-1855) said, I expect to pass through the world but once Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness I can show to any creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer it, for I shall not pass this way again

INVICTUS: A SALES MEETING?

by Hank Trisler

Having a problem achieving your sales goals through your splintered team?

Ever experience infighting, back-stabbing or simple bickering among the members of your team?

The competition just whaling the tar out of you while you wallow in a stagnant market?

You need a dose of INVICTUS, the new flick from Clint Eastwood, starring Morgan Freeman (as Nelson Mandela) and Matt Damon (as a guy you never heard of).

Here's the quick and dirty. South Africa is in one hell of a mess, a condition to which I can attest, as I was there shortly before this film occurs. Mandela has just been elected President and isn't really sure what he ought to be doing, as so much needs to be done. The country is bleeding from every pore.

Exemplary of the condition of the country is the national rugby team, the Springboks. They are getting their collective ass kicked by everyone, including the neighborhood dogs. Matt Damon is the captain of this dispirited collection of losers. The governing sports body is so sick of them they have voted to dump the Springbok name and Green and Gold colors.

Mandela sees rugby as a microcosm of his country and feels if he can solve the problems of the team, it will help the country heal.

He applies stirring rhetoric, group song, the creative use of hoopla and equal treatment of everyone, regardless of race, creed, or sexual persuasion. The Springboks win the World Cup, the fiscal stability of South Africa is restored and peace and brotherhood sweep over the land, accompanied by liberal acapella singing.

You find yourself shouting and marching out of the theater.

Here are just a few thought gleaned in an hour and a half:

• There is no substitute for leadership. No news there.

• Hoopla can work magic. The more dispirited the team the more effective the hoopla.
  
  
• Almost everyone will resist change right up to the last possible minute. Only the bull-headed will prevail.
  
  
• If you can generate enough charisma, things will work out pretty well. The trick is generating the charisma.
  

Oh, there was some other stuff, too, but there's the high spots. If you're looking for sales meeting ideas, or sales management suggestions, don't miss this show. It'll beat hell out of most of the seminars you'll attend.

RECiRCULATING THE MEDIOCRITY

by Hank Trisler

Whenever you advertise for an "experienced salesperson," you run the risk of recirculating the mediocrity. The only people who read those ads are those who are looking for a job and those are the LAST people you want in your sales force. If they aren't happy and productive where they are, what makes you think they'll be happy and productive in your store?

Oh, I see. You're a better manager, offer better sales tools and a far more positive sales atmosphere. Of course they'll succeed where heretofore they have failed.

BULL!

If they haven't been making it before, you're not going to materially change them. You're just not that good. None of us are. Good sales critters will produce in any environment and bad sales critters will fail in any environment. Your efforts will affect the ultimate outcome only marginally, in that you can often help a good salesperson become truly excellent, while being unable to make a bad salesperson good.

When I was an automobile sales manager in San Francisco, back when the earth was still cooling, the union salesgrunts would come by and say something like, "I just thought I'd see what you guys have going on." A variation on the theme was the "Three Ds:" "Can I get a Draw? Where's my Demo? When's my Day off?" If you were silly enough to take one of these slugs, they would give you nothing but grief.

Many years ago I determined that I was far better off taking people with good people skills and teaching them how to sell, rather than take retreads from my competition.

The best time to recruit is when you don't need any salespeople. When you have all your desks full, you tend to be fussy and that's terrific. If half your cylinders have no pistons, your discrimination weakens as you're just tired of being alone. Halitosis is better than no breath at all.

Constantly look for good sales candidates among the people you do business with. People with big smiles, bright eyes and hustle will usually excel wherever they go.

What about your past customers? They're already sold on you and your company and your product. Why not convert them to paid ambassadors? A mother who has just hit the "empty nest" phase of life may be just the ticket for you.

Take a good look at the kids of your friends and the friends of your kids. Yeah, they're just snot-nose punks today, but they'll be blossoming into honest to goodness, full fledged adults before you know it. You needed good people five years ago, you need them today and you'll need them in five more years. Start sowing the seeds of your future sales team today.

How about sharing some of your recruiting secrets and thoughts with our group? Let's focus on new talent, rather than recirculate the mediocrity.

SOCIAL PROOF - THE MOST POWERFUL PERSUASION TACTIC

by Zeke Camusio

Social proof is showing your potential clients that other people think that what you want them to do is smart. When you say something, what you say is obviously biased. But, if someone else is saying it, it's much more credible.

Although this is extremely powerful, very few business owners actually use social proof. My goal here is to show you the different kinds of social proof and how you can use them to skyrocket your sales.

Testimonials

This one is a classic. However, most testimonials out there are really bad. This is my formula for getting killer testimonials every time:

1. Find the most common objections your potential clients have. If you have salespeople, have them write down all the reasons why people don't buy ("too expensive", "what if it doesn't work?", "a friend of mine tried that and his ear came off", whatever)

2. Send your happiest clients guiding questions (not "what do you think about us?" but "how did our customer service handled your complaint? Were they fast? Did they solve your problem? How?")

3. The idea is to tie testimonials to the main objections. If one of the main objections of your prospects is your high price, include a few testimonials from clients that address the issue of why you're more expensive than your competition. Remember the "loaded" questions: "what did you think of our price before making the purchase? How do you feel about hiring us? Were we worth the extra $50?"

A few extra tips on getting killer testimonials:

* Don't ever make them up. Your customers are smarter than you think, you can get in trouble and you won't feel very proud about yourself.

* Consider "third-party testimonials". This is when someone other than the product user gives the testimonial. This works very well in B2C markets. An example: "Since my husband started using StopSnoring Pro I sleep a lot better and he wakes up full of energy."

* Try to get VIDEO testimonials if you can. They're extremely powerful! The second best kind of testimonials is the audio/photo testimonial. Regular "text" testimonials are OK, just make sure they're not signed by "C.M., New York"; include real names and cities/company names/websites.

Celebrity Endorsements

If you're a small business owner, chances are you can't afford to pay a celebrity to endorse your product. So, here's a way you can do it for free: just mention what celebrities do and say. Some examples:

* "Oprah and Larry King talk about the law of attraction and believe in it" (your reader thinks: "I admire Larry and Oprah; if they believe in this, this might be a good thing".

* "This tuxedo is the same style Pierce Brosnan wore to the Oscar Awards last year"

You get the idea, right? The good news is that the celebrities don't need to be talking about YOUR specific product. If Oprah says she eats 4 eggs each morning and you sell eggs, profit from that, even if Oprah doesn't buy the eggs from you.

Expert Reviews

Again, you don't need an expert to review YOUR product. If you sell a weight loss supplement that contains Vitamin X and the Mayo Clinic and WebMD.com said that Vitamin X has been successfully used for years to lose weight, use that in your copy!

Find the authorities in your industry and borrow their credibility by quoting them.

As Seen On...

Once again, if CBS features a news on a special kind of massage technique that you happen to offer, add an "As Seen On" badge to your site. (Note: talk to your lawyer before doing this; make sure you're not breaking any law. Most of the time, if you give credit when credit is due, it'll be fine.)

Case Studies

Case studies are very powerful because you're not just showing what other people are saying; you're showing actual results. Show before and after photos, charts, screenshots or present your evidence in the best way possible.

If you say something, it might be true. If someone else says it, it's likely to be true. If you SHOW EVIDENCE, it IS true.

Read more about Zeke Camusio at:

http://www.TheOutsourcingCompany.com/blog

POWER QUESTIONS THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY

By Jamie Ford, www.foresight.co.nz, Guest Blogger

“There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life: happiness, freedom, and peace of mind; are always attained by giving them to someone else.”
Peyton Conway March

In his book "Awaken the giant within” motivational speaker Anthony Robbins notes that our life experience is based on what we focus on. And what we focus on is often determined by the questions we ask ourselves on a regular basis.

The best questions to ask yourself are what he calls Power Questions. Power questions are designed to cause you to experience more happiness, excitement, pride, gratitude, joy, commitment, and love every day of your life.

Anthony suggests you come up with at least two to three answers to all of these questions.

If you have difficulty coming up with an answer, just add the word "Could". For instance you might want to ask “What could I be most happy about in my life now?”

Here are some Power Questions you can ask yourself first thing in the morning when you wake up:

1: What am I happy about in my life now?
What about that makes me happy?
How does that make me feel?

2: What am I excited about in my life now?
What about that makes me feel excited?
How does that make me feel?

3: What am I proud about in my life right now?
What about that makes me feel proud?
How does that make me feel?

4: What am I grateful about in my life right now?
What about that makes me feel grateful?
How does that make me feel?

5: What am I enjoying most in my life right now?
What about that do I enjoy?
How does that make me feel?

6: What am I committed to in my life right now?
What about that makes me feel committed?
How does that make me feel?

7: Who do I love?
Who loves me?
What about that makes me feel loving?
How does that make me feel?

Action Exercise:
Use some (or all) of these Morning Power Questions every morning for five days and notice how good you end up feeling.

It really is remarkable how much better you will feel when you make these Power Questions a regular part of each day.

What do you think? Are Jamie and Anthony full of caca de toro, or have they hit on something that you can use to improve your life? Please share your thoughts.

A LETTER TO AARP

Guest Bloggers Walt & Cyndy Miller, Miller Farms Equine Transport

This was sent to Mr. Rand who is the Executive Director of AARP

Dear Mr. Rand,

Recently you sent us a letter encouraging us to renew our lapsed membership in AARP by the requested date. I know it is not what you were looking for, but this is the most honest response I can give you. Our gap in coverage is merely a microscopic symptom of the real problem, a deepening lack of faith..

While we have proudly maintained our membership for several years and have long admired the AARP goals and principles, regrettably, we can no longer endorse it's abdication of our values. Your letter specifically stated that we can count on AARP to speak up for our rights, yet the voice we hear is not ours. Your offer of being kept up to date on important issues through DIVIDED WE FAIL presents neither an impartial view nor the one we have come to embrace. We do believe that when two parties agree all the time on everything presented to them, one is probably not necessary. But, when the opinions and long term goals are diametrically opposed, the divorce is imminent. This is the philosophy which spawned our 200 years of government.

Once upon a time, we looked forward to being part of the senior demographic. We also looked to AARP to provide certain benefits and give our voice a power we could not possibly hope to achieve on our own. AARP gave us a sense of belonging which we no longer enjoy. The Socialist politics practiced by the Obama administration and empowered by AARP serves only to raise the blood pressure my medical insurance strives to contain. Clearly a conflict of interest there!

We do not understand the AARP posture, feel greatly betrayed by the guiding forces whom we expected to map out our senior years and leave your ranks with a great sense of regret. We mitigate that disappointment with the relief of knowing that we are not contributing to the problem anymore by renewing our membership. There are numerous other organizations which offer discounts without threatening our way of life or offending our sensibilities.

This Presidential Administration scares the living daylights out of us. Not just for ourselves, but for our proud and bloodstained heritage, but even more importantly for our children and grandchildren. Washington has rendered Soylent Green a prophetic cautionary tale rather than a nonfiction scare tactic. I have never in my life endorsed any militant or radical groups, yet
now I find myself listening to them. I don't have to agree with them to appreciate the fear which birthed their existence. Their borderline insanity presents little more than a balance to the voice of the Socialist mindset in power. Perhaps I became American by a great stroke of luck in some cosmic uterine lottery, but in my adulthood I CHOOSE to embrace it and nurture the freedoms it represents as well as the responsibilities it requires.

Your website generously offers us the opportunity to receive all communication in Spanish. ARE YOU KIDDING??? Someone has broken into our 'house', invaded our home without our invitation or consent. The President has insisted we keep the perpetrator in comfort and learn the perp language so we can communicate our reluctant welcome to them.

I DON'T choose to welcome them.

I DON'T choose to support them..

I DON'T choose to educate them.

I DON'T choose to medicate them, pay for their food or clothing.

American home invaders get arrested.

Please explain to me why foreign lawbreakers can enjoy privileges on American soil that Americans do not get?

Why do some immigrants have to play the game to be welcomed and others only have to break & enter to be welcomed?

We travel for a living. Walt hauls horses all over this great country, averaging over 10,000 miles a month when he is out there. He meets more people than a politician on caffeine overdose. Of all the many good folks he enjoyed on this last 10,000 miles, this trip yielded only ONE supporter of
the current administration. One of us is out of touch with mainstream America . Since our poll is conducted without funding, I have more faith in it than one which is power driven.

We have decided to forward this to everyone on our mailing list, and will encourage them to do the same. With several hundred in my address book, I have every faith that the eventual exponential factor will make a credible statement to you....

I am disappointed as hell.

I am scared as hell.

I am MAD as hell, and I'm NOT gonna take it anymore!

Walt & Cyndy

Excellent letter and here is the link from snopes so y'all don't have to look it up.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/aarp.asp

Well, folks, what do you think? I'm inclined to think she makes a lot of sense and may just drop my AARP membership.

Hank