Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Get Comfortable with Team Conflict


Mark de Rond, professor at Cambridge's Judge Business School and author of "There Is an I in Team," explains how conflict can drive team performance

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Sticky Note Success: 9 Self-Motivators For The Self-Employed by Scott Ginsberg

There’s no such thing as a motivational speaker.

Not even Tony Robbins, Zig Ziglar, Jim Rohn, Norman Vincent Peale or Napoleon Hill were motivational speakers.

Sure, those were five highly motivated dudes. And sure, those guys definitely spoke about the topic of motivation.

BUT REMEMBER THIS: the only person in the world who can motivate you is yourself.
As an author, speaker an entrepreneur myself, I’ve become skilled at self-motivation. See, I work alone. No boss. No coworkers. No clock-in box.

Just me.

And in my experience, self-motivation works best under three conditions:

1. When it’s visual
2. When it’s daily
3. When it punches you in the face

I’ve found self-questioning to be an extremely effective technique. First of all, it makes you think critically and creatively. Secondly, it keeps you personally accountable. Lastly, questioning is THE most valuable tool in your communication arsenal to gain knowledge and clarity.

NOTE: before I share my list of questions, I need you to stop reading this article for a minute. Would you do something for me? Please go grab a pad of sticky notes and a Sharpie. When you read through the list, write each question on a sticky note and post it on your desk, computer, phone or bulletin board. This is key! It’s the best way to make these questions work to your advantage. You need to be able to see these self-motivators all day.

OK. Go get your supplies…NOW! (Don’t worry; I’ll wait. It’s not like I’m gonna go anywhere. Besides, I don’t even have a boss, remember?)

Cool. Welcome back! Let’s get crankin’ with those questions:

Nice Self-Motivating Questions to Kick Your Own Butt

1. Is what I’m doing today going to bring this customer back tomorrow? There’s no business like repeat business. And even when you say no, you’re still marketing. So be sure your words and actions are unforgettable. In the process, you will turn your customers into ‘fans.’ Cultivate and cherish these people who loyally love your stuff. Enable them to tell everyone about you, and they WILL come back tomorrow.

2. If everyone did exactly what I said, what would their world look like? This is my all-time favorite. Especially for managers and leaders, this question helps you clarify your philosophy, mission and orders. The key is, once you figure out the answer to this question, then ask yourself the following: ‘Is what I’m doing or saying giving my people the tools they need to build that world?’ If not, throw it out.

3. Is what I’m doing right now leading to a sale? Poor time management and lack of focus are dangerous adversaries to all business people. Asking yourself this question keeps the idea of sales at the top of your mind. I first posted this sticky note on my laptop about three years ago. Sales have doubled every year since.

4. Is what I’m doing right now consistent with my #1 goal? This question forces you think critically about your primary objective. Sadly, to few businesspeople actually know what that is! In fact, I bet if you asked ten random people what their #1 goal for 2007 was, only about half of them would have a definitive answer for you. So, what’s yours? Doubling annual revenue? Achieving membership into the 100% club? Securing five new accounts a week? Whatever your #1 goal is; use this sticky note as an accountability measure. If the answer is yes, keep doing what you’re doing. If the answer is no, stop playing online poker and go do something productive!

5. What did you write today? Every time a new friend or client comes to my office, this is the first thing they usually notice. You can’t miss it. I wrote it at the top of my dry erase board last year when I began writing my latest book, Make a Name for Yourself. And since then, it’s worked brilliantly. I have no choice but to stare at it all day! As a result, I haven’t missed a day of writing in years. I suggest this question to everyone. NOTE: you might be saying to yourself, ‘But Scott, I’m not a writer!’ My response to that is, ‘Everyone is a writer.’ Just because you don’t write books or publish a column doesn’t mean you’re not a writer. There’s blogging, publishing newsletters and writing emails. All writing. All valuable. All done daily. Remember, writing is the basis of all wealth.

6. Is everything you know written down somewhere? That which goes unrecorded goes unmemorable. You must write everything down. Everything! Goals, thoughts, lessons learned and especially ideas. For example, how many times have you exclaimed, ‘Damn! I wish I’d thought of that!’ Well, I have some bad news for you: you probably DID think of that. You just didn’t write it down. And that’s why someone else is making money off that idea, not you. Write everything down.

7. On a scale from 1-10, how did I do in my (x) today? Since the day I graduated from college, I’ve been practicing something called ‘Daily Appointments with Myself.’ This 30-60 minute period of morning reflection and relaxation is THE most important part of every day. It resets my attitude, clears my head and prepares me for challenges and opportunities ahead. One of the key components to this appointment is my Success Checklist. I suggest you make one for yourself. Simply write out this question for every major area of your life, both personal and professional. Relationships. Goals. Career. Faith. Health. Whatever you want.

HERE’S THE KEY: give yourself an honest assessment of how well you think you did in each area for the day before. Use these numbers to keep record of your improvements over time.

8. What HVA’s did I practice today? That stands for ‘Highly Valuable Activity.’ Your goal is to accomplish three per day. Now, what you consider to be a HVA is up to you. Examples might include meeting with a prospect, writing an article, going to the gym, reading a new book or attending an association meeting. After a while, those numbers start to add up. 3 per day. That’s 21 per week. 84 per month. 1,018 per year. Wow! With that many Highly Valuable Activities, you’ll be certain to achieve your #1 goal for 2007!

9. What’s next? Back in the day when I used to sell furniture, my boss would post little sticky notes all around the store asking this two word question. According to Pamela, it kept her employees on task. Especially when business was slow. ‘What’s next?’ reminded us that there was always something to do: sweep, rearrange couches, follow up on special orders or study the new product catalogues. What’s more, this question works for small things and big things alike. Asking, ‘What’s next?’ on a big-picture scale is a valuable brainstorming activity to evaluate the growth of your business.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Are you asking yourself the right questions?
© 2012 All Rights Reserved, HELLO, my name is Scott, LLC.

Scott Ginsberg is the World Record Holder of Wearing Nametags. He's the author of thirteen books, a professional speaker, award-winning blogger and the creator of NametagTV.com. His publishing and consulting company specializes in approachability, identity and execution. For more info about books, speaking engagements, customized online training programs or to Rent Scott's Brain for a one-on-one session, email scott@hellomynameisscott.com

Friday, July 27, 2012

Putting a Price on Customer Loyalty


Marco Bertini, assistant professor at London Business School, outlines how to price goods so customers will buy them—and stay an advocate for your brand.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

The Power of Cool By Scott Ginsberg

The word ‘cool’ dates back almost 100 years. According to The Online Etymology Dictionary, tenor saxophonist Lester Young popularized the term in jazz circles in the late 1920’s.
‘Cool tune baby. I dig it,’ he’d say.

And that was that. People knew exaclty what he meant. Because if someone described a song or a person or a bar as ‘cool,’ that was enough information to communicate value.

Little did The King of Cool know that his expression would become an essential element to the success of modern marketing. Because the truth is: customers love, remember and spread the word about companies, ideas and products that are COOL.

So maybe you should ask yourself:

Is your company cool?
Is your product cool?
Is your idea cool?
Are you cool?


As you ponder your answers, let’s look at a few examples that personify The Power of Cool.

Keep It Real
In November of 2005, an NBC station from Washington ran the following story:


‘A new and unique store-front is attracting a lot of attention and stopping people dead in their tracks. All the commotion is over a store choosing to put live models in the window to show off diamond jewelry. The models spend six hours a day posing and prancing to lure customers into Mervis Jewlers.

‘You gotta take a double take. At first, I thought it was a model, a mannequin, and then she starts moving and you think, Oh my God!’ said one of the shocked onlookers. ‘I’m likely to spend the next hour standing here.’’

Wow. That’s cool. Even if it is a bit extreme. But think about it: Do new customers spend unexpected hours at your store? What about on your website? And what if they did? How could that add more value to your business?

COOL CLUE #1: Write down three ways you could you captivate your customers’ attention with something cool.

Take That, Spam!
Every year, Fortune magazine announces its annual List of Cool Companies. In 2004, a San Francisco company called Brightmail caught my attention. Here’s why...


According to the article, Brightmail operates some two million decoy e-mail addresses that it uses to attract spam. Once its Probe Network lures a spammer into its web, it transmits kill-that-address information to its customers.

Now THAT’S cool. Especially for website owners like myself who get more Viagra spam than Hugh Heffner.

But all kidding aside, this company, Brightmail, is SO cool, that Fortune referenced it in an article. Which brings us to an interesting question: Is your product or company SO cool that it might someday be used as an example in an article? And what if it was? How could that enhance your reputation?

COOL CLUE #2: Read a business magazine and ask yourself, ‘Is my company cool enough to be featured in next month’s issue?’

Dude, No Way!
Since 2000, I’ve told approximately 3-5 inquiring people a day that ‘I wear a nametag 24-7 to make people friendlier and more approachable.’ And in all those years, the most frequent response has been, ‘Dude, no way! That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever heard!’

What’s more, these same people will get back to me days, weeks, months, even years later and say: ‘Hey Scott! I told my friends about your nametag idea and they think it’s the coolest thing they’ve ever heard!’

Wow, thanks! I say.

This is the type of conversation I’ve had hundreds of times since I started my business. And I can attribute I-don’t-know-how-many books sold, speeches booked or new relationships created as a result. So the point is: this is the type of dialogue you must strive to create between your customers. Because ultimately, cool creates two emotions in customers’ minds:

1) It makes your idea UNFORGETTABLE
2) It makes your idea UNCONCEALABLE

Yes, that last word I made up. But stay with me here, because this is how ‘unconcealable’ works:
On the way back from lunch, a potential customer hears something cool about your business. He thinks to himself, ‘Dude, no way!’ When he gets back to the office, he hops on Google, types in a few key words; then arrives at your website. He reads all about you, your business and your idea; all the while nodding his head, smiling and thinking to himself, ‘This is SO cool.’

Then he sends an email to everyone in his office with a subject heading that looks like this: ‘You’ve got to check out this company’s website!’ Finally, that afternoon you get a dozen new orders from people who, prior to getting a random email that day, had no idea who you were.

But now, they do. And now they’re your fans, not just your customers. All because of some guy who thought you were SO cool, that he just HAD to tell everyone.

Unconcealable. Write that one down.

So...WHAT IF your company/idea/product was SO cool that your customers just HAD to tell someone else about it? Would that change your opinion on the value of word of mouth?

COOL CLUE #3: What can you do tomorrow to make one of your customers say, ‘Dude, no way!’?

The Power of Cool
In the past week, you’ve probably uttered the phrase ‘Hey…that’s cool!’ at least five times. And whether you were talking about a TV show, soft drink, health club, website or non-profit organization; there was obviously something that caught your attention.

So, in your quest to become cool (or increase your present coolness), it’s important to do two things. First of all, pay attention to instances in which you or the people around you comment on cool stuff. Listen attentively. Note the commonalities. Keep a Cool Journal if you want! Anything that will give you insight into the properties of coolness.

Secondly, make it your new business objective to do cool stuff more often. I know it sounds silly, but if you seriously consider it, it really does work wonders for your brain and your bottom line. For example, every day before work I affirm to myself, ‘Today I am going to do something cool!’ And every night when I finish up, I think back on the day and ask myself, ‘Ok, now: what cool thing did I do today?’

Give it a shot. Make an effort to harness The Power of Cool. Make Lester Young smile down from The Great Bandstand In The Sky and say, ‘Cool tune baby. I dig it.’

LET ME ASK YA THIS...
Honestly: are you cool? is your company cool? are your ideas cool?

© 2012 All Rights Reserved, HELLO, my name is Scott, LLC.

Scott Ginsberg is the World Record Holder of Wearing Nametags. He's the author of thirteen books, a professional speaker, award-winning blogger and the creator of NametagTV.com. His publishing and consulting company specializes in approachability, identity and execution. For more info about books, speaking engagements, customized online training programs or to Rent Scott's Brain for a one-on-one session. www.hellomynameisscott.com

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Free Networking Event Checklist

The Networking Event Checklist

by Andrea Nierenberg

Get the most out of your next business event with this 5-page checklist by networking specialist Andrea Nierenberg.

A longtime friend of SalesDog, Andrea's been called a "networking success story" by The Wall Street Journal. She shares her secrets in this special giveaway.

You'll learn to reach out, take the initiative, make a positive impression, and capitalize on contacts and connections. Networking will soon become a key part of your career success. Get your copy here.
 
 
This report offer is courtesy of www.salesdog.com

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Monday, July 23, 2012

Upward Trend Announces DeVille Enterprises As Latest Trend Setter Package Client

Upward Trend is pleased to announce that our latest Trend Setter Package of services client is a start up business, DeVille Enterprises, Inc. Deville Enterprises is the new owner of the old Vacaville Theater at 308 Main Street in Downtown Vacaville CA. Their plan is to completely renovate the old theater and remake it anew. It will be called the DeVille Theatre.
 
 
The word deVille is latin for of the town and their intention is to create a new landmark for the City of Vacaville by bringing a wide variety of live entertainment that is mainly focused on music, but will also include plays, comedy and more.
 
In addition to the 600+ capacity venue of the theatre, they also intend to bring larger concerts and well-known acts to Vacaville at other locations. They want to put Vacaville on the map as an entertainment destination and at the same time be a launching point for up and coming musical artists, local and from out of the area. They want it to be a "cool place to go, have fun, and be affordable."
 
With the volume of work ahead of the partners in the DeVille Theatre, it will be many months before it can open, but look for more about this venture and happenings on the Internet via the Trend Setter Package, which includes a website, a separate blog, social media including facebook, twitter and linkedin, a monthly email newsletter, video and a YouTube channel, consulting and more.
 
Below is a bit of history of the old theatre:
 
The Clark Theater opened in 1926. By 1941, it had been renamed Vacaville Theater. It underwent some improvements in 1952, by San Francisco based architect/designer Gale Santocono.

In the early 1960’s, this theater was part of the West Side-Valley Theater chain.
 
At the beginning of 1926, Vacaville had one theater for motion pictures. It was the Strand. During the course of the year, in all likelihood, it became known as the Clark Theatre after having been purchased by W. J. Clark. Two newspaper advertisements for this venue are shown below. The Strand Theatre advertisement dates from January, 1926 and the Clark ad dates from December, 1926.
 
Source: http://sfsilentfilmfestival.blogspot.com/2010/01/learn-about-cyclones-and-then-feast.html

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Upward Trend Welcomes Lisa's Clinical Remedy As Our Latest Trend Setter Package Client



Upward Trend is pleased to announce that Lisa Romero of Lisa's Clinical Remedy in Fairfield CA as our latest Trend Setter Package client. Lisa is a professor and instructor of nursing and teaches students locally and internationally.

We will be building a brand new website (her existing site is at www.lisasclinicalremedy.org), adding a new blog, adding and managing social media including facebook, twitter, and linkedin. In addition the package includes video and a YouTube channel, a monthly email newsletter for following up with existing clients, consulting and SEO optimization. You will be seeing more about Lisa and her business very soon. In the meantime, here is just a bit about Lisa:

Who is Lisa Candice Romero EdD(c), MS, BSN, RN, CLNC
  • Lisa is the Founder, Owner and President of Lisa's Clinical Remedy TM.
  • Lisa has been a nurse for over twenty years.
  • Lisa started her career as an LVN, RN-A.D.N., RN-B.S.N., Master's in Counseling and is currently in her Doctorate Program in Educational Leadership-Higher Education.
  • Lisa has been an educator for over ten years in C.N.A., LVN, A.D.N., B.S.N., Master's of nursing programs, NCLEX preparation and with International Registered Nursing students.
  • Lisa works as a Professor/Instructor of Nursing.
  • Lisa works as the Coordinator of the International Program for International Registered Nurses and has been able to secure Summer programs that meet the Board of Registered Nursing requirements in the Summers of 2009, 2010, 2011 and tentatively for 2012.
I am dedicated to educating one student at a time.

Lisa Romero MS, BSN, RN
Owner, Founder and President of Lisa's Clinical Remedy TM

Friday, July 20, 2012

Upward Trend Welcomes, A Natural Beauty Sunless Tan, As Our Latest Trend Setter Package Client



Upward Trend is pleased to announce that a brand new business, A Natural Beauty Sunless Tan mobile tanning service in the Sacramento area has become the latest Trend Setter Package of services client.

We will be building everything new including a website, blog, social media including facebook, twitter, and linkedin. Our service also includes video and a YouTube channel, along with a monthly email newsletter, SEO optimization and consulting.

No more going to the tanning salon. Now a mobile service comes to you and gives you a great tan without the sun and lamps either.

You will be seeing much more about this new company in the next few weeks.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Upward Trend Welcomes Ramirez Custom Overhead Doors As Our Latest Trend Setter Package Client



Upward Trend is pleased to announce that Ramirez Custom Overhead Doors has just become our latest Trend Setter Package of services client. We will be building a brand new website for them. Their current website is at www.RamirezDoors.com.

Also as part of our monthly services package, we will be creating and posting regularly to a new blog, creating and managing social media sites including two facebook pages, twitter, and linkedin. We will also provide video services including a YouTube channel. To communicate with existing clients we also include a monthly email newsletter. Then to round it off, we do SEO optimization and marketing and business consulting as guidance. Below is a little about this great company. We will be showing much more very soon.

Ramirez Custom Overhead Door was launched in 1987 with the goal of providing quality garage door and operating systems at a reasonable price and providing superior customer service.

The company was founded by Rudy Ramirez. Rudy is a licensed contractor and an experienced garage door installer and has been installing doors over 20 years. He understands the problems of installing and servicing all types of garage doors and operators. He is also a resident of Solano county and has lived in the area for over 40 years.

Ramirez Doors is licensed, bonded, and insured. They purchase the highest quality products available, direct from the manufacturer and their own trained installers do all the work. The company has attracted many excellent employees bringing a wealth of experience in the garage door industry to the Ramirez Doors team.

The Ramirez Doors showroom is located at 615 Merchant Street in Vacaville. You can reach them at 707-451-2700.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

An Entrepreneur's Life: Gary Vaynerchuk


Social media expert Gary Vaynerchuk talks about his life and dreams as an entrepreneur.

This is a wonderful video and very inspiring. Check it out.

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Monte Hoover - Gillespie's Abbey Carpet & Floor - 35 Year Member of the Vacaville Chamber of Commerce


We just renewed our membership with the Vacaville Chamber of Commerce and we have to agree wholeheartedly with Monte Hoover that it is worth the investment and that when time is spent to attend mixers and get to know the other business members in the area. Monte says that his company has been a member for 35 years. Wow. That's awesome.

Terry and Ryan of Upward Trend would also like to give a shout out to Monte Hoover. He is a steady force for Gillespie's Abbey Carpet and is an active participant in the community and one of the nicest and most helpful people you would ever like to meet. It is a real pleasure that we know Monte and it is an honor to be associated in any way with him. Plus, he just referred us some business and he is kind and generous in doing this for many businesses and individuals. Thank you, Monte!

Friday, July 13, 2012

Disrupt Yourself


Whitney Johnson, president and cofounder of Rose Park Advisors, applies Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen's concept of disruptive innovation to a creative career path.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

The Apple Experience by Carmine Gallo Is A Helpful Tool For Your Business Toolbox


The Apple Experience by Carmine Gallo offers some great insights and useful tips to help any business to create better experiences for customers and employees.

Monday, July 9, 2012

Collaboration by Difference


Cathy Davidson, Duke University professor and HASTAC cofounder, shares new ways to collaborate, share, and learn, which make teams more productive.

Saturday, July 7, 2012

A Brief History of Doing Well by Doing Good


Nancy Koehn, Harvard Business School professor and historian, explains how socially responsible business dates back to modern capitalism's founding era.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

How Starbucks Trains Customers to Behave


Anne Morriss, managing director of the Concire Leadership Institute, explains how the coffee giant increased efficiency and satisfaction by treating customers like employees.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

6 Time Management Tips to Increase Productivity


Click here http://www.briantracy.com/noexcuse for a FREE chapter of my book No Excuses! The Power of Self-Discipline.

Here are six time management tips that you can use to improve your organizational skills and increase productivity. The more of these tools you learn to use, the more that you will get done each day.

Sunday, July 1, 2012

All Size Flooring Center Tour


Here is a tour of our showroom and warehouse. All Size Flooring Center and Carpet Cleaning is located at 501 Mason St, Vacaville, CA 95688. 707-448-3300