This 3rd annual incredible event is going to be amazing. (I attended last year and it was unbelievable)

This is a no bullshit, get to the point, get value conference like none I have attended.

If you go to one Small Business Event this year, this is the one.

Learn more about Rockin’ New York - Small Business Summit 2008

We all have the same, all our money won’t buy us more. Sometimes we don’t use what we have wisely, need a reminder, a boost of attention, then check out this clip I purchased some time ago.

I intended to use it within a church fundraising campaign but was never able to. I think the content is powerful and the way it is delivered is clever.

How are you investing your time? 

 

 Online Video [1:21m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

One of the key responsibilities of a CEO is what I call Environmental Scanning, meaning that you must consciously be aware of things external to your business. This scanning can provide insight as to market threats and opportunities.

I ‘Stumbled Upon’ a website recently called 192021.org that provides an overview of the rapid urbanization that is occuring on our planet and what this new organization is doing to provide communication about this trend.

The premise is that 19 cities will have populations over 20 million in the 21st century and this change will change our lives in ways we are unprepared for. As an entrepreneur in change is opportunity.

Give it this Global Urbanization presentation a look.

Like this Article - Subscribe to My RSS Feed

I am working on a project right now where I am implementing a new sales compensation plan that will better align with our new ‘Customer Intimate’ orientation. That being we serve a well defined set of accounts or markets and we bring them solutions, not products, not transactions but complete answers to their problems.

So I want to change the compensation plan from one of reward on margin per transaction to one that rewards revenue and margin for assigned accounts or markets along with a slightly higher base pay. My aim is to keep cost neutral about to about 10% of revenue.

The issue is that a few members of the organization don’t, can’t or won’t believe that a sales professional will work as hard if they are not ‘transaction’ rewarded and I have a problem with that. If that was truly the case then we should put all employees on a transaction reward program and leverage a portion of their pay, just like the sales team.

Side Note: I worked for Digital Equipment Corporation for 17 years and there was never a commission program and the company grew from a couple of hundred million to over $14 B in revenue and the sales teams worked very hard with only ‘base pay.’

I just don’t believe it is true that ’sales’ people are wired any different than the rest of us, at least the kind I think are successful at the sales model we want to use. They/we/I have a work ethic where we work hard and effective at whatever our job may be, minimum wage in a retail store or a CEO.

I want sales professionals whose passion it is to ’serve others’ by listening to client issues and then working with our firms resources and our partners capabilities to craft and implement ‘valuable’ solutions that provide an economic return to all parties, the client, ourselves and our partners.

It is tough to do the above when you need to get a transaction sold in order to put bread on your families table because that is how you make money.

It seems like every year at this time my person to person spirit grows stronger. I generally have a little more spring in our step and a smile on my face.

I also find myself continously reflecting on the past year(s) and doing what I call ‘wisdom development’ meaning that I make conscious some of my lifes lessons and human operating paradigms. (Had to throw in some business lingo) Below are some widom thoughts that ring true with me as written by Andy Rooney.

• I’ve learned…. That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.
• I’ve learned…. That when you’re in love, it shows.
• I’ve learned…. That just one person saying to me, ‘You’ve made my day!’ makes my day.
• I’ve learned…. That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.
• I’ve learned…. That being kind is more important than being right.
• I’ve learned…. That you should never say no to a gift from a child.
• I’ve learned…. That I can always pray for someone when I don’t have the strength to help him in some other way.
• I’ve learned…. That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.
• I’ve learned…. That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.
• I’ve learned…. That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.
• I’ve learned…. That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
• I’ve learned…. That we should be glad God doesn’t give us everything we ask for.
• I’ve learned…. That money doesn’t buy class.
• I’ve learned…. That it’s those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.
• I’ve learned… That under everyone’s hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.
• I’ve learned…. That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.
• I ‘ve learned…. That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.
• I’ve learned…. That love, not time, heals all wounds.
• I’ve learned…. That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
• I’ve learned…. That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.
• I’ve learned…. That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.
• I’ve learned… That life is tough, but I’m tougher.
• I’ve learned…. That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.
• I’ve learned…. That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.
• I’ve learned…. That I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time before she passed away.
• I’ve learned…. That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.
• I’ve learned…. That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
• I’ve learned…. That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fi st, that you’re hooked for life.
• I’ve learned…. That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you’re climbing it.
• I’ve learned…. That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

Blessings….Steve

Many of us middle-aged souls spent a good chunk of time honing our public speaking or simple presentation skills at a Toastmasters meeting, usually over breakfast or lunch.

Toastmasters is an organization designed to help individuals improve their speaking skills. One of the things I remember most vividly learning was the need to eliminate fillers in our speaking, sounds such as “Um, uh, you know, like” and so on. I specifically remember this because, one it is important but second our club had a fine for every filler used of 5 cents and someone was always the “uh” counter and at the end of the meeting would report out on the count and collect the fines.

In listening to Hillary Clinton doing some recent ad-hoc, impromptu interviews and question sessions it is clear she did NOT attend Toastmasters. She would go broke at our club with all of the fines from the speech fillers she uses.

We learned that fillers are a device used by us to allow us time to think of our response, behind every filler is a forced pause to our allow our brains to formulate supposedly coherent words. We also learned that the best filler is silence, it is ok to pause quietly while thinking, it is much less distracting to the listener.

Maybe Hillary has so many fillers because she has to think really hard about her answers, I would hope that by now she has been asked everything at least once and her answers would come more naturally. Maybe she could hire someone from Toastmasters to travel along with her and help her in this regard.

Anyway, if you need help to improve your ability to speak effectively then you might check out Toastmasters, I am sure there is probably a local chapter near you.

Like this Article - Subscribe to My RSS Feed

I love learning about interesting factoids they help me learn about the world and plan for change. Below are some interesting ones from Chief Executive Magazine.

• Price of a Venti Mocha in Moscow: $8.98, price in New York City: $4.71
• Percentage of Japanese women in their 20’s who own an Louis Vitton item, 94.3%
• Average age of US Senators: 60, the oldest average in history
• Difference in the number of days in session between the 110th Congress and the 100th, 150 days
• Price per month that Japanese consumers pay for one megabyte per second of Internet Service: 27 cents
• Factor by which American internet consumers pay more for the same service: 12 times
• Frequent flier miles awarded by US Airlines over the last 25 years: 19 Trillion
• Budget for the University of Florida Athletic Department: $69 Million
• Budget for the University of Florida English Department: $6.3 Million
• Ratio of US adults who did not read a single book last year: 25%

Are you looking to dive-in to the social networking world for your business but you want to find a service that is ALL business?

Then you should check out Fastpitch. I have been a member for awhile now and am continually impressed with the continous stream of new features, functions and services they are bringingto members.

Exposure to thousands of other businesses, forums, websites, blogs and more are just some of the features you  get with your membership. Membership is tiered nicely so you can start slow, evaluate and grow as you see results and learn to operate the service.

Learn more about FastPitch Social Networking for Business.

No kidding, duh. We all know that trust is key to effective relationships, selling, leading a business, marriage, friendships all are anchored on trust. It may not be conscious to us but it is true.

How do you get to a trusted relationship? How do you get it on the table with those you want a relationship with? How do you get them to tell you how and what you have to do to be trusted?

Unfortunately, in my humble  opinion, trust is not a one time transaction. Creating trust in others comes from something deep inside of us, what I like to call a ’service’ orientation. Meaning we are deeply driven by the desire to ’serve’ others and when we are driven in that way we consciously and unconsciously do things that exhibit to others that ’service’ orientation.

I like to believe I have such an orientation but I can also be selfish, egotistical, distracted and disinterested, none of which let my ’service’ orientation shine through. Such non-service oriented behaviors actually destroy and distract trust.

If you agree with the tenets above then the question is still, ‘How do I better practice my service orientation, how do I keep my ego in check?”

• First, accept the fact that service orientation leads to trust 
• Second, be aware you have an ego and that it can get in the way of building trust
• Third, develop reminders, icons, checkpoints that will help you remember your service orientation

I like to use visual images that speak to service for me, or sometimes quotes that remind me. I also have ’service’ mentors and models, people that I think live the ’service’ orientation every day and serve as beacons for me.

Final Caution: Sometimes a service orientation can be taken advantage of by someone whose ego is driving them to get what they want or need. Don’t despair, invest in the relationship as you are motivated to do so. Sometimes when you feel trust is the farthest away is when you are the closest to a new relationship breakthrough. Be true to your service orientation, perservere.

Like this Article - Subscribe to My RSS Feed

At my office I am in the middle of a compensation plan change for the sales team. Unfortunately I did not anticipate the amount of “static energy” that would be generated amongst the team as a result of my authentic and early communication around the changes.

I have outlined the purpose for the change (based on my full year observations at the company) and how it will actually help us have a plan that is understandable, derived from the bottom up and enable everyone to make more money.

I don’t think people are not supportive it is just there has to be a reaction to any change (granted pay is pretty important) and this is no different. Maybe I am just having a reaction to their reaction, I knew all along there would be a ‘change’ reaction but am still surprised at the mental cycles it is eating up for everyone.

If you have suggestions on how to best implement or communicate a compensation plan change or any change for that matter leave me a comment, I would appreciate your thoughts.