When you give people the

benefit of doubt, they’ll take it!

     If it’s leadership  you seek to provide and succeed with, DO NOT give people “the benefit of doubt”! Just don’t! I think that 99 times out of 100, you’ll be sorry! You’re in sales, or you own your own business, or manage a business or major part of a business… all, one in the same; all require you to be selling something all day every day!

     When you give someone  — a customer, a prospect, an employee, a vendor, a referrer, an investor — the benefit of doubt, she or he will take it. And what creek does that leave you up without a paddle? Why set yourself up for reaping non-performance?

     Isn’t it like having someone  with a poor track-record for reliability telling you the check is in the mail? What’s the worst that can happen by you being an assertive non-believer? You end up making a wrong judgment about some one’s behavior? Then apologize and get on with life.

     It happens every day.  Life is too short to wallow in having made a bad judgment call. On the other hand, by calling the other person’s hand (politely of course; nowhere here am I even suggesting a demanding or arrogant or feisty or pushy or aggressive tone; nowhere!), you will simply be jogging a slow responder.

     My best totally non-cynical guess,  by the way, is that slow responder is a term that probably describes a minimum of half the people on the planet. And many of these folks will actually be grateful for the little prod. So stop annoying yourself with thoughts that you may be annoying to others.

     Your job  is to get your job done, right? And hopefully it’s to accomplish that task in the most respectful and considerate manner possible. But maybe it’s time to examine whether you are in fact getting your just reward, getting what you’re entitled to, and getting your due in a timely fashion.

     I’m not just talking about collecting payments here.  Decision-making delays are at least as big, if not bigger, of a culprit to contend with. It doesn’t take long for a sales pro to learn that “maybe” is the worst possible response to get from a prospect or customer. “No” means you can cut the line and let the customer or prospect drift out to see with a smile and wave.

     “Maybe” means now you have to hang on  to making repeated efforts at repeated expense with repeated energy and still only have 50-50 odds of success. People who say “maybe” or tell you to “call back” next week, next month, next year, are, in my opinion, time-wasters 99% of the time!

     They do not deserve the benefit of doubt.

     And if you give it to them,  repeatedly, you may be looking at some pretty miserable odds for ulcers and business failure. I once had a very successful and highly respected sales manager who kept this sign over his desk:

BE NICE. BE FIRM. BE DIRECT. BE UNDERSTANDING.

LISTEN. BUT DON’T GIVE OR TAKE ANY CRAP!

GET (AND VALUE!) A “YES” OR “NO”!  

# # #  

I was down, but now I’m up,

cause the book is out . . .

and the book came in!

     And it’s even better than I imagined.  I couldn’t be more pleased than to be in the company of such warm-hearted and talented authors as are represented in the new Nightengale Press book THE ART OF GRANDPARENTING.

     It’s a terrific collection  of essays and short stories. Included is an engaging short story I’ve written about a Grandpa’s visit from his Granddaughter. You have  been hearing my horn toots for weeks on end, and the book is now officially born. If you’ve ever even thought about grandparenting, this collection will charm the socks off of you.

     If you are a grandparent,  or have a grandparent, or are about to become a grandparent, or are on the cusp of making someone a grandparent (!), get this book. It is  warm, witty, enlightening, laughable and provocative. It is all about grandparenting in today’s life, about not tsk-tsking kids for text messaging, but knowing what “txtmsging” means (along with LOL and W8 and <3 and ;<).

     It’s about the challenging,  undefined, and ever-changing role of providing value systems, camaraderie, spiritual support, encouragement and challenge without overstepping bounds or compromising parental control, without risking parental jealousy or being an annoyance. It’s about walking a thin line of leadership influence and letting your presence (note, not presents!) do the talking.  

     Am I excited about this? Does a baby need a diaper change? Sunday (9/13) is Grandparent’s Day. There couldn’t be a nicer way to express appreciation or honor a grandparent you know —anytime from Sunday, forward— with a copy of this refreshing new book. [Ordering details below]

     We’ll get back to business as usual  (if there is such a thing) tomorrow. Right now, I’m happily signing the first shipment of forty sold copies, while looking forward to sending one your way soon.

# # #  

Consultant: person

from 100 miles away

with a BlackBerry and laptop.

You better believe it  that clients give more respect to consultants from “out of town.” Besides that the out-of-town guy’s perspective is “totally fresh,” clients love to talk about the fact that they have a consultant who’s “totally hosing” them!

Why?  Who knows? And who cares? How to UN-do this unrealistic, warped mindset is what really matters. The best consultants are those who get the job done on schedule, pleasantly and reasonably.

And, by the way,  EVERY client loves consultants who are willing to work on a partial performance incentive basis! Hey, why not? Prove yourself. If you’re so sure you can solve the problem, you should be willing to bet part of your compensation on it, and of course charge more … especially where sales or savings commissions are possible! You can be fairly certain the out-of-town guy won’t do that.

First of all,  if you’re serious about wanting to do consulting work of any kind — regardless of your expertise — start with and communicate confidence (not cockiness!) by recognizing that you know more about the subject than any client, or your services wouldn’t be required.

Second,  roll up your sleeves and get to work being a consultant before you’re even hired to be a consultant. Show the client how you function be getting right to the heart of things. Take any minor issue raised in a discussion and ask questions. Listen carefully. Analyze and make recommendations. Do it in a relaxed manner.

And stop worrying  about giving away your expertise by solving problems that you’re not asked to solve and that you’re not being paid for yet. If you think you can do it, do it!

Avoid getting tangled up  in contracts, long-term agreements, petty lawyer-style compensation terms (Do you want to pay someone by the quarter hour for reading your email or letter or for listening to your phone call that outlines the basic logistics of what the working arrangements will be?) Like NIKE says, Just Do It!

If repeat business and referrals  are important to you (duh!), then focus on getting the job done, instead of telling how great you are. Track-records don’t produce sales unless you’re a major name athlete. Ongoing demonstrations of knowledge and know-how, and resources, and ability to communicate clearly will land the assignment AND solve the client’s problem.

When I started as a consultant,  I hired a consultant to “sit in” as my “assistant” and then later badger me with devil’s advocate questions to force me to stay tuned in and come to terms with my own problem-solving and communication skills. It was worth every penny! (Uh, you DO remember what a “penny” is?)

Bottom line:  There’s NOTHING can compare to working for yourself! If you’re out of work, have special knowledge and skill, have integrity, communications skills, and confidence … stop making excuses and go for it. You don’t need a BlackBerry and laptop. Just start with a phone, email capability, business cards, and determination!

# # #

It’s your business to keep

healthcare a business!

     Successful businesses  run on management that’s charged with taking responsibility to match authority. Yet we continually empower politicians to assume authority without making them accountable for taking responsibility.

     We elect and empower  people who are not business leaders, and they in turn appoint and empower other people who are not business leaders. And then we sit back and expect business leadership? You know what? We’re just not getting it.

     This whole healthcare fiasco  is proof of the pudding. It is impossible to dictate success because success is in fact determined by exercising the ability to rise above dictatorship.

     Federal Government  mandated healthcare cannot succeed because it will break what little is left of our economy’s backbone. And all of us will pay for that failure with our hard-earned tax dollars! 

     If you think $3-$4 per gallon regular  fuel costs are bad (and it was $2.75 today and rising in Eastern Pennsylvania), and you think healthcare insurance is outrageous, and that there’s a real shortage of good, qualified doctors available to choose from, think again!

     You may indeed  want to reconsider rushing to endorse the proposals our UN-businesslike Federal politicians are trying to ramrod into existence by emptying our wallets!

     If healthcare cannot be promoted  and run as a free enterprise competitive system and administered on a state-by-state basis, it doesn’t stand a chance of surviving… and the government’s feeble attempts to throw tax dollars at the auto industry will pale by comparison because the crash of healthcare will be paid for directly out of our own pockets for decades to come.

     While we’re at it,  by the way, education is the next explosion waiting to happen. Getting government hands off of healthcare will go a long way to getting government hands off of education.

     And if you’ve ever had a dream for yourself and your family, it should be for both of those events to occur. Why?

     Because when all is said and done,  NO one knows your and your family’s healthcare and education needs better than you and your family, and those needs are different in Delaware than they are in California, or Maine or Texas!

[Note: For what it’s worth, besides having seen Pennsylvania’s gas prices myself today (!), I have decades of experience as both an educator and as a healthcare management consultant. What’s offered above is NOT a matter of loose, unfounded opinion; but if you doubt, do your own homework!]

# # #  

RIP Police Officer Chad Spicer

Tonight’s blog post is dedicated to the family of Georgetown, Delaware, Police Officer Chad Spicer, 29, who was killed by gunfire last night in the line of duty during what was an attempted speeding vehicle stop after an apparent drug deal had gone bad. Officer Spicer leaves a wife and 3 year-old daughter. Another officer was wounded. Two suspects were apprehended; a third is still at large as of this writing. Details and family donation information are available at www.wgmd.com Rehoboth Beach radio.             

     It is a sad day indeed on Delmarva Peninsula.  Once again, we live through the senseless murder of a brave American who gave his life to protect those of his neighbors. One thing’s for sure, he never imagined leaving his family and friends behind like this when he woke up yesterday and reported for duty.

     If the odds for not surviving  another day haven’t crossed your mind lately, let this terrible incident be a reminder. We live lives too short as humans to devote our energy, time and attention to all the business stresses that run through our minds and shudder through our bodies every day.

     We may think that the older we get,  the closer we move to death’s door, but death makes so such exception when the suddenness arrives unannounced. When that moment is here, will we want to have spent our years and months and weeks and minutes being worried about business events that haven’t yet come… and may never?

     Will we want to have spent our time on Earth  dwelling on past business events that are over and done with, and about which we can do nothing to change? Just because we own or manage a business, do we use that responsibility as an excuse for mistreating ourselves and others, or even for wishing ill-thoughts?

     As our businesses go, so go opportunities to grow and help ourselves and others to better appreciate the riches of all that surrounds us every day. It’s easy to bitch and complain, to make excuses and blame. But “easy” is not part of being human. Genuineness is. Love is. Caring is. Hard work is. Service to others is. A sense of humor is.

     Business is our tool.  Let us use it to lead others to cultivate life by thinking and acting positively in all that we do. It may not always be possible, but it’s always possible to try.   

# # #  

Mandated national healthcare

means mandated

national poverty!

There is only one solution  to dealing with U.S. healthcare costs escalating faster than inflation:

Business competition through privatization on a state-by-state basis.

The sooner  the government gets this and takes REAL steps in this direction, the quicker we’re going to see healthcare that’s both meaningful and affordable! 

There’s no longer any doubt  about it. Just listen to the experts. Look into the heart and soul of your own business experience. Small business simply cannot survive the financial crush of a mandated, dictated, universal healthcare plan for all citizens!

If you own or operate a business,  and you are not all-out crusading for healthcare delivery through business competition and privatization on a state-by-state basis, you are living in fantasyland.

Your business will  positively surf into the poorhouse on the next big wave. You and your business have one chance to survive, and only one…

That single chance rests squarely on your shoulders. It may require you to take steps you’ve never taken before.

It requires you to  contact your elected representatives and tell them that you do NOT want dictated, mandated healthcare because it will break what’s left of the economy’s back, bankrupt small businesses everywhere, and lead to exceptionally LOW quality professional care.

After all, do you  really want some know-nothing politician from 2o States away dictating what doctors you can and can’t see for a sick or injured loved one, or for yourself?

Are you ready and willing to put your life decisions  in the hands of someone with no healthcare knowledge, and who doesn’t even understand the business of healthcare, and then –on top of all that– end up with an inferior, low-grade, poorly-trained care provider?

We have decision-makers who lack even basic business knowledge and experience but who are making business decisions about our healthcare that are impacting all of our lives.

We (all of us who own and operate our own businesses) need to barge into this  the same way we would if some unknowledgeable, inexperienced upstart arrived at our doorsteps tomorrow morning and tried to wrest control of our businesses from us.

These are,  after all, the circumstances that are in fact headed for our doorsteps right now.

Will YOU speak up  to protect what you have built and created and what is rightfully yours, or stand aside and let uninformed outsiders rush in to re-set your business stage with fantasy props and the underpinnings of bankruptcy?  Call. Write. Email. Today. 

# # #  

Does “Boardwalk Mentality”

Dominate Your Business?

     In a diner, I might expect it,  but I visited a doctor’s office today where a beautiful, large, flatscreen TV was broadcasting full volume coverage of the funeral of a man with a track-record of highly-questionable morals, who almost single-handedly was responsible for influencing  Federal Government leadership to wreck havoc on the entire US healthcare system.

     It seemed a strange backdrop  for a medical doctor… over-the-top accolades for a leading advocate of virtually dispensing with the entire spectrum of quality physician care. Are you so out of touch, doctor, that you think it just doesn’t matter what impressions you foster in your own waiting room?

     You surely never supported  the fanatical radical ideas that man nurtured, or you wouldn’t even be in practice, yet you choose to promote them to your patients? And don’t make the excuses that your receptionist picked the station. It’s your practice.

__________________________

     As a favor to a friend,  I recently gave a retailer a sample product to consider stocking. This product performed twice as effectively, lasted twice as long, and was twice as efficient, environmentally, as the product he presently sold. Oh, and it was half the price! He refused it.

     Did I mention that this product  also had no shipping costs because it was produced in the next town and that a percentage of the proceeds was kicked back to a community program that the retailer’s wife was engaged with? “No,” he said, “I don’t want it because it lasts too long, and I need repeat sales here so it’s better that the things people buy break down; then they have to come back for more!”

     Are YOU this out of touch?

__________________________

     When I taught business  at Ocean County College, near the famous boardwalks of Point Pleasant, Belmar, Seaside Heights, Asbury Park and Atlantic City, I used to refer to this out-of-touch kind of thinking as having a “Boardwalk Mentality.”

     Boardwalk stand owners  and operators fostered the attitude for years (and some, unfortunately, still do) that it’s okay to rip people off to get their money because –first of all, they’re on vacation and don’t really care how much they spend and –second, because those people will never be back again anyway, and even if they are, they won’t remember getting bilked.

     Obviously this kind of “screw the customer” thinking  doesn’t cut it anymore… neither does the suggestion of support for the antithesis of quality patient-care standards and your professional career, doctor!

# # #  

“Uh, let’s see, Beer Fest?

Chunkin’ Punkin?

Or 5-Mile Run?”

     You can’t even dream up  an event that some business isn’t sponsoring these days! And aren’t we all suckers for the fundraising solicitations of candy-bar-bearing cherubic-smiling Brownie troops, aluminum can-collecting T-ball teams and car-washing high school cheerleaders?

     And of course there’re  the church bake sales, fire department carnivals, VFW clambakes, and all the other terrific events that are the very fabric of small town America.

     How great is the temptation  to get behind everything that comes along? How special it feels to be the stuff that a community-minded business leader is made of? But you know what? Today more than ever, you need to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with your business and face (ta-ta-ta-ta, ta-ta!): reality!

     Sponsoring charities and community events  is a truly wonderful and charitable behavior and experience BUT… do not hesitate to focus whatever time, effort, money, products and services, and attention you contribute on situations that will have some return on your investment! 

     If you’re going to give money away,  make it count for yourself as well as the recipient. You worked hard to earn it. There’s nothing wrong with your business getting some recognition in the process.

     Ack! That’s a terrible thing to suggest,  you may say. But, no. It’s a realistic thing to say, and here’s why:

     If you want to quietly  and anonymously plunk a thousand bucks into a deserving cause that has nothing whatsoever to do with your business or your customers or your employees or your suppliers, or your community you might as well be throwing it out the window!

     If you want to do that  for a cause that does have some business-related value, you might as well be throwing it out the window! And if you throw enough out the window, you put your business in jeopardy.

GIVE FROM YOUR HEART BUT USE YOUR BRAIN TO PICK THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

     The more you contribute  to situations that help enhance your business name and posture, the more loyalty and sales you’ll build so the more you can be in a position to donate more! It’s called “Enlightened Self-Interest”! If you find that each year, more and more groups and organizations seem to be chasing after your support and it’s getting too draining:

     Establish an annual budget  (with a sidecar emergency fund) and stick to it; direct latecomer solicitors to put their dibs in earlier next year because your budget is all appropriated. This doesn’t mean you’re a scrooge.

     It means you’re being smart  about what you choose to support and the amounts that won’t cripple your business so that you can make your contributions be more productive for your business so you can increase your budget next year.

     The other step  that many business owners take is to establish a private non-profit foundation specifically for the purpose of screening and awarding and managing charitable and community contributions. Many of these entities even conduct their own fundraising programs to support needy organization causes and events.              

    # # #  

“Papa needs a new pair

of shoes!”

Stop rolling the dice  with your business! When your car tires go bad, you somehow afford to get new ones. When your feet start scraping the pavement (hopefully before that!), you figure out a way to get new shoes.

But these are steps you take  (I know, it’s a cute segue, but no pun intended) on your own because you’ve (sorry for this) been around the block with bad tires and shoes (probably when you were in high school?) and you have enough common sense to know when it’s time to get replacements.

Who tells you  when it’s time to replace all or part of your business foundation?  Your accountant? Your customers? Your employees? Your suppliers? Your Mother? Are you open and receptive to their input? Do you make it difficult for others to offer up their opinions about your business?

     Are you  a business hardhead?

     Sometimes,  you know, it just makes sense to be pro-active and get broken stuff fixed before having to face a parkway breakdown at rush hour, before heading into a major meeting with your shoe-bottom flopping, before the competitor down the street puts out a better quality product with better service at a cheaper price (now there’s a nightmare!).

     Hardheads  think the above situations are solved by improvising. So what? they might say, tires go and car breaks down? I’ll just hitch-hike! The shoe deal? Hey, duct tape works wonders, or, okay, Gorilla Glue. And the better/cheaper guy? No problem! A lotta people will pay more for less; you just gotta trick ’em!

     NOPE!  Not only will hardheads lose their shirts, and probably their farms, they simply won’t survive. Period.

     First of all, TRUE entrepreneurs take ONLY reasonable risks.  They don’t roll dice. Very few ever even buy a lottery ticket. BEFORE tires go, shoes wear, or business foundations crumble,  TRUE entrepreneurs take action  –not the Scotch Tape and rubber bands quick-fix variety.  They improvise but they don’t downgrade.  They may find or make a better deal for tires or new shoes, but they won’t de-value the quality.

And guess what? TRUE entrepreneurs ASK others for feedback continually.   They WANT to know what and how to adjust their product and service offerings to better satisfy market demands.

Are you taking the time  to ask those around you, especially customers and employees, what they think about what you sell, and how you sell? It needs to be as much a part of your daily routine as brushing your teeth… or gluing your shoes back together!

# # #  

A Propensity for Cantankerosity

     Not only have hard economic times  wrought hard times for business, they’ve also turned a lot of previously pleasant customers into snot-nosed, demanding, arrogant, cranky brats! In their worrisome preoccupation with getting the most value for their dollar, many customers have become much more demanding and unreasonable.

     The bad, low-trust reputations  of big-business bankers and automakers —underscored by the sea of incompetency that’s home to government administrators and politicians who haven’t a shred of business experience or know-how— have trickled down to a point where beat-up consumers are distrusting even the small, local supermarket and neighborhood newsstand.

     The manager of an upscale hotel,  who is as honest and customer-attentive as anyone who’s ever walked, reports his Guests have been getting increased service and complaining more. Service demands on the hotel’s already high-performance-level staff have no direct bearing on  accommodations, amenities, or services.

• One man created an uproar because he parked under a tree overnight and ended up with sap on his windshield. The staff spent an hour trying to clean off the sap, but their efforts weren’t sufficient or quick enough for the man’s liking. He left in a barrage of complaints and threats.
• A visiting couple made a ruckus over not having enough to do because it rained so much during their stay. Their access to movie selections, spa, fully stocked library and fully-equipped game room, plus endless nearby attractions was apparently not sufficient.

     A local farmer  tells me people are taking thirteen ears of corn and paying for twelve.      

     A retailer  known for offering discounted merchandise, much of it with minimal markup has been besieged lately with customers looking to make price deals below his costs.

     Yes, there are many examples  of the new consumer pushiness, but the bottom line remains unchanged for business owners and managers:

     The Customer Is ALWAYS Right!

     Unless physical harm  is represented, or someone is clearly breaking the law (unfortunately, it’s not worth the phone call to sic the police on someone who’s stolen one ear of corn!), you and your people have to suck it up and cater to the cantankerous.

     Like it or not,  we have to accept that it’s all part of the change of life on this planet that’s surfaced with the bad global economy. There is really only one solution if you expect to stay in business today and tomorrow: “KILL ‘EM WITH KINDNESS!” 

# # #