Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Lifting the lid on your leadership capabilities

Today's blog post is based on a SendOutCards corporate call, which in turn was based on the book "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership" by John Maxwell. Steve Schulz talks about Law #1 – "The Law of the Lid" on the call (January 29, 2018). So, what is the lid?
leadership ability is the lid that determines a person’s level of effectiveness. The lower an individual’s ability to lead, the lower the lid on his potential. The higher the individual’s ability to lead, the higher the lid on his potential. To give you an example, if your leadership rates an 8, then your effectiveness can never be greater than a 7. If your leadership is only a 4, then your effectiveness will be no higher than a 3. Your leadership ability—for better or for worse—always determines your effectiveness and the potential impact of your organization.

But fortunately, you can lift the lead...that is, you can improve your leadership abilities.

Here are five things that Steve talked about doing to increase your leadership:
  1. Lead Yourself – Be a Great Leader
  2. Add Value to People 
  3. Study Leadership
  4. Practice Leadership 
  5. Intentionally Grow
Here's an excellent article on LinkedIn that talks more in depth about these five things that you can do.

Even though the call is a SendOutCards call, don't let that stop you from learning how to lift your lid.

Interesting days


Today - Backward DayInspire Your Heart With Art Day and Gorilla Suit Day




February 31 - One more day to rest from interesting days

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

How to grow your insurance business

Since Thursday is Car Insurance Day, it seemed like a good time to talk to agents about how they can grow their business in spite of the GEICOs, Progressives and other big insurance companies.

On a Relationship Marketing Weekly video from a few months back, Kody Bateman interviews independent agent/broker Bret Weston, to find out how Bret has been able to maintain a 95% retention rate and a 90% referral business over the past five years.

According to Bret:
We’re really trying to find a way to separate ourselves from the 1-800 call numbers, the Progressives, the GEICOs, all those people and really the one way we’ve done that is to develop the customer experience with that relationship with our clients through different facets and hopefully talk to a few of those, about those today on this chat.
The way that you beat those companies is to build a real relationship with your clients...to add value that the other guys can't. Kody asked Bret about some of the key times that he reaches out to clients:
You’ve already mentioned that creating the relationship, being more one on one with people, more intimate with them, being available by the cell phone or whatever at any time of the day, you mentioned those kinds of things. In our pre-show, you talked a little bit about key times. There are some key times to reach out to a new customer. You mentioned when they come on for the first time, you call it onboarding. So when they come on for the first time, you do some things then. Anniversary dates, you reach out to them and when a claim – this is interesting to me. Anytime a claim is made, you reach out to them in a unique way.
When you screw up – this is what I thought was interesting is when you have errors, when your office has errors, you reach out to them. Can you share with us those key touch points? What are the kinds of things that you do to reach out during those key touch points starting with when you bring on a brand new customer?
Bret talks a little about some of the ways they maintain that personal contact with the clients:
Yeah, exactly. Then moving from there, the interaction of a claim. That’s a huge time for people. It’s where they’re kind of confused. They’re kind of lost. They’re kind of feeling not all alone. But in a sense, kind of disconnected, not knowing what’s going on. So we send them a card reassuring them that we have their back. We send them the one with the lady bent over backwards from SendOutCards which again with some gummy bears. We try to keep it light-hearted, not really serious. Then from there, we follow up with a call with them usually on a weekly basis after that card gets sent out.
Again, my customer service manager, she has full access to SendOutCards and her ability to establish that relationship of hey, we made a mistake. Here’s a little treat or a goodie. We apologize. Please let us know if there’s anything else we can do.
So really just a great way of softening them up for our phone call or our apologies and stuff like that. But then the anniversary card is definitely the most popular. We get comments all the time from people’s spouses of hey, you’re sending my spouse some anniversary card and it’s usually really – again really light-hearted, something like, “Hey, sweetheart. We’re glad we’re still married to you.” It’s the anniversary of when they became a client of ours.
So it’s a very popular card. We usually send brownies or chocolates or caramels or whatever we kind of feel like we want to send out there, so yeah.
But how much does all of this cost? A card, by itself, costs about $1.75 and that includes tax and postage (the actual amount might vary by a few cents depending on your local sales tax rate) plus the card is mailed for you...you never have to worry about filling out the card, addressing the envelope, putting the card in the envelope and getting it to the post office; while a card with a box of brownies will cost about $10.00, again including tax and shipping.

Is it worth a few dollars a year to you to have a 95% retention rate as well as a 90% referral based business? A few dollars a year to GEICO proof your business?

Be sure you watch the video. And try out SendOutCards...the first card is on me.

Interesting days


Today - Inane Answering Message Day and Croissant Day

Tomorrow - Backward DayInspire Your Heart With Art Day and Gorilla Suit Day

Next Tuesday - Lame Duck Day and Frozen Yogurt Day

February 30 - No February 30th, no interesting days

Monday, January 29, 2018

Tinnitus

What the heck is tinnitus? According to the Mayo Clinic:
Tinnitus (TIN-ih-tus) is the perception of noise or ringing in the ears. A common problem, tinnitus affects about 1 in 5 people. Tinnitus isn't a condition itself — it's a symptom of an underlying condition, such as age-related hearing loss, ear injury or a circulatory system disorder.
OK, you've heard of ringing in the ears, but why am I writing about it? I've had it pretty much non-stop for just over ten years. It's gone away twice but never for more than a day, although sometimes it's not too noticeable. My tinnitus is a constant high pitch squealing in both ears.
The phantom noise may vary in pitch from a low roar to a high squeal, and you may hear it in one or both ears. In some cases, the sound can be so loud it can interfere with your ability to concentrate or hear actual sound. 
That's one of the biggest problems for me...unless you speak louder than the ringing in my ears, I can't really hear you.

Mine started about a week after I completed the Triathlon at Pacific Grove. I wasn't sure what caused it...I thought maybe it was the cold water or exertion since I'd heard that exertion can also cause it. I went to the audiologist when it hadn't gone away after a few months. She said it likely wasn't the water and that I'd just have to learn to live with it. Sigh!

There are ways to reduce the tinnitus, although it might not ever go away:
  • Learn what makes tinnitus worse for you.
  • Kick the habit, if you smoke.
  • Add soothing sounds to silence.
  • Plan time to relax every day.
  • Get enough sleep.
  • Exercise at least three to five times a week.
  • Treat other health problems.
  • Get used to tinnitus.
There are certain foods that tend to make mine worse. It also will get better if I relax. I've also have had problems with ear wax buildup since I was a kid.

So, I guess it's time to start walking again and doing yoga before bed. I'll see if that helps. I also have some drops to clean out my ears...I can try them too. Hopefully, I can follow up with this post and have some good news for you.

Interesting days


Today - Puzzle DayBubble Wrap Appreciation DayFreethinkers Day, Cornchip DayCurmudgeons Day and Blue Monday

Tomorrow - Inane Answering Message Day and Croissant Day

Next Monday - Weatherman’s DayWorld Nutella DayChocolate Fondue Day and Western Monarch Day

February 29 - No Leap Year this year!

Saturday, January 27, 2018

Your weekend guide to interesting days - January 27, 2018

This week


Sunday - International Sweatpants DaySquirrel Appreciation DayHugging Day and Granola Bar Day

Monday - Hot Sauce DayCelebration Of Life Day and Answer Your Cat's Questions Day

Tuesday - Handwriting DayMeasure Your Feet Day and Pie Day

Wednesday - Beer Can Appreciation DayTalk Like A Grizzled Prospector DayBelly Laugh Day and Peanut Butter Day

Thursday - A Room Of One's Own DayOpposite Day and Irish Coffee Day

Yesterday - International Fun At Work DaySpouse’s DayPeanut Brittle Day and Australia Day

Today - Chocolate Cake DaySeed Swap DayVisit Your Local Quilt Shop DayWorld Breast Pumping Day and National Geographic Day

Next week


Tomorrow - Kazoo DayData Privacy Day and Blueberry Pancake Day

Monday - Puzzle DayBubble Wrap Appreciation DayFreethinkers DayCornchip Day,
Curmudgeons Day and Blue Monday

Tuesday - Inane Answering Message Day and Croissant Day

Wednesday - Backward DayInspire Your Heart With Art Day and Gorilla Suit Day



Friday - Hedgehog DayCrepe DayBubblegum DayWorking Naked DayMarmot DayWorld Wetlands DaySled Dog DayLung Leavin’ DayWear Red DayCandlemas Day and Tater Tot Day

Saturday - Carrot Cake DayIce Cream For Breakfast DayYorkshire Pudding DayGolden Retriever DayLace Day and Take Your Child To The Library Day

Next month


February 21 - Sticky Bun Day and International Mother Language Day

February 22 - Single Tasking Day, World Thinking Day, Margarita Day, Digital Learning Day, Walking the Dog Day, Chilli Day, Be Humble Day, World Yoga Day and Cook a Sweet Potato Day

February 23 - Curling Is Cool DayBanana Bread DayInternational Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day and Play Tennis Day

February 24 -  Tortilla Chip Day, World Sword Swallower’s Day, Open That Bottle Night and World Bartender Day

February 25 - Chocolate-Covered Peanuts Day and Clam Chowder Day

February 26 - Tell A Fairy Tale DayPistachio DayFor Pete’s Sake DayPersonal Chef DayPlay More Cards Day and Levi Strauss Day

Friday, January 26, 2018

The Friday Fishwrap - January 26, 2018

All the news that's fit to wrap around a dead fish

The week in review


Monday - "Network marketing tips from Casey Eberhart" Some tips from a network marketing trainer and speaker. "I hope you found Casey's videos as interesting as I did. And be sure to join The Double Your Check Club."

Tuesday - "Life lessons from a 90 year old woman" Fifty awesome lessons to live by. "This list is from Regina Brett. She wrote the original list of 45 on the day before her 45th birthday and added the last 5 items on her 50th birthday, which was about 3 1/2 weeks after my 50th birthday! How is that possible?"

Wednesday - "How to grow your salon business" Part of a series exploring relationship marketing for various industries. "But you don't have to pay $30,000 for her secret...all you have to do is check out the video interview and learn how you can use SendOutCards to grow your business, whether you're an owner, manager or stylist."

Thursday - "Budgeting 101 #TBT" Having trouble putting together a budget? "I started using a new budgeting app at the beginning of the month called You Need a Budget. I really like it so far. It takes a different view of budgeting."

Interesting days



Tomorrow - Chocolate Cake DaySeed Swap DayVisit Your Local Quilt Shop DayWorld Breast Pumping Day and National Geographic Day

Next Friday - Hedgehog DayCrepe DayBubblegum DayWorking Naked DayMarmot DayWorld Wetlands DaySled Dog DayLung Leavin’ DayWear Red DayCandlemas Day and Tater Tot Day

February 26 - Tell A Fairy Tale DayPistachio DayFor Pete’s Sake DayPersonal Chef DayPlay More Cards Day and Levi Strauss Day


Thursday, January 25, 2018

Budgeting 101 #TBT

I started using a new budgeting app at the beginning of the month called You Need a Budget. I really like it so far. It takes a different view of budgeting. I wrote about it recently here. Go over and check out that post too and try out the app for free for 34 days. Today's blog post is from last year.

A friend of mine recently asked me what I know about budgeting, so I did a little research and here's some of what I came up with.

An article in Forbes, called "New To Budgeting? Why You Should Try The 50-20-30 Rule" offers some ideas on how to divide up your income every month.
What is the 50-20-30 Rule?
The 50-20-30 Rule helps you build a budget by using three spending categories:

  • 50% of your income should go to living expenses and essentials. This includes your rent, utilities, and things like groceries and transportation for work.
  • 20% of your income should go to financial goals, meaning your savings, investments, and debt-reduction payments (if you have debt, such as credit card payments).
  • 30% of your income should be used for flexible spending. This is everything you buy that you want but don’t necessarily need (like money spent on movies and travel).
Keep in mind that the percentages for essentials and flexible spending are the maximum you should spend. Falling under those guidelines can leave more money for other financial goals.
Although it may be better to track your actual expenses first and then see what you really spend instead of trying to jam your expenses into unreasonable percentages.

You can keep track of your expenses in several ways, such as pen and paper or via an app. The app I currently use is called Pennies and is available on iOS...I'm not sure about Android. Another app, that was highly rated is called Mint. I actually used Mint several years ago but I stopped using it...I think it might be a good idea to try it again! I just re-downloaded it onto my phone...it's available for iOS and Android...check out the article for links.

Mint does connect to your checking account, as well as other accounts such as your 401k and credit cards; and it will automatically put many of your transactions into the proper categories...such as $7.90 for In-N-Out Burgers is listed under Fast Food, so I would recommend using Mint to start your budgeting endeavors. It's also available online at www.mint.com

And then maybe see if you can move your expenses toward the 50-20-30 Rule.

Interesting days


Today - A Room Of One's Own DayOpposite Day and Irish Coffee Day






Wednesday, January 24, 2018

How to grow your salon business

I'm going to feature a business or industry from time to time and share how they have used relationship marketing to build their businesses. This week I'm going to focus on one of the most dynamic people I know...Darla DiGrandi! Darla owned five high end hair salons in the Palm Springs area and she attributes much of her success in that industry to showing appreciation to her clients.

Check out this interview with Darla and find out how she was able to charge $500 for a cut and highlight performed by beauty school students. Here's a quote from Darla on the subject:
So we were frying hair every day, doing bad haircuts and making people cry at the most expensive price. But they stayed with us because we always sent them a thank-you card and thanked them for being a part of our growth and for a part of our business always.
How effective was this?
When I retired, I was $100 for a bald man, Kody. If I cut your hair, it was 100 bucks. I’m not lying. I swear. God is my witness. We specialized in highlights. So it was 500 bucks to get your hair colored and highlighted and a cut to be with me. That was the most expensive around.
But we were booked for weeks in advance. Weeks out, you couldn’t get an appointment with us and that was because we knew how to make people feel important and appreciated by constantly thanking them and telling them how much we appreciate them. We even, as our salons grew, put mail rooms in our salons with these big huge printing machines and we would go through boxes of labels like this and print like you wouldn’t believe cards of gratitude and appreciation and haven’t-seen-you and happy birthdays.
If you don't think this is valuable information, listen to what Darla has to say:
Well, let me just say one other thing. It worked so well back then that it turned me into a salon consultant and people used to pay me $30,000 to go into their salons and teach them how to implement this in their system so they could raise their prices, so they could become a high-end salon.
But you don't have to pay $30,000 for her secret...all you have to do is check out the video interview and learn how you can use SendOutCards to grow your business, whether you're an owner, manager or stylist.

Interesting days


Today - Beer Can Appreciation DayTalk Like A Grizzled Prospector DayBelly Laugh Day and Peanut Butter Day

Tomorrow - A Room Of One's Own DayOpposite Day and Irish Coffee Day

Next Wednesday - Backward DayInspire Your Heart With Art Day and Gorilla Suit Day

February 24 -  Tortilla Chip Day, World Sword Swallower’s Day, Open That Bottle Night and World Bartender Day


Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Life lessons from a 90 year old woman

Steve Schulz, the President of Field Operations for SendOutCards, shared this list on last night's (January 22, 2018) Corporate call. Even though this is a SendOutCards call, most of it (after the first 12 minutes) is very generic. Go ahead and listen to it, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

This list is from Regina Brett. She wrote the original list of 45 on the day before her 45th birthday and added the last 5 items on her 50th birthday, which was about 3 1/2 weeks after my 50th birthday!

How is that possible? According to Regina's About page on her website:
The Internet aged me. The day before I turned 45, I wrote a column of the 45 Lessons Life Taught Me. I added five more lessons when I turned 50. My Life Lessons ended up e-mailed around the world. Then someone changed my age on one email to read: "Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old." Another person attached a picture of lovely older woman older. No, that dear senior citizen isn’t me. It’s fashion designer Iris Apfel.
Regina was born on May 31, 1956...25 days after I was born.

Here is her list:
  1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
  2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
  3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
  4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
  5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
  6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
  7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
  8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
  9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
  10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
  11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
  12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
  13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
  14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
  15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
  16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
  17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
  18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
  19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
  20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
  21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
  22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.
  23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
  24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
  25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
  26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"
  27. Always choose life.
  28. Forgive everyone everything.
  29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
  30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
  31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
  32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
  33. Believe in miracles.
  34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
  35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
  36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.
  37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
  38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
  39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
  40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
  41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
  42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
  43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
  44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
  45. The best is yet to come.
  46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
  47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
  48. If you don't ask, you don't get.
  49. Yield.
  50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift..
Steve shared several of these on the call because all of these can be applied to your life and many of these can be applied to your network marketing business, whether you're with SendOutCards or another company.

Interesting days


Today - Handwriting DayMeasure Your Feet Day and Pie Day

Tomorrow - Beer Can Appreciation DayTalk Like A Grizzled Prospector DayBelly Laugh Day and Peanut Butter Day

Next Tuesday - Inane Answering Message Day and Croissant Day

February 23 - Curling Is Cool DayBanana Bread DayInternational Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day and Play Tennis Day

Monday, January 22, 2018

Network marketing tips from Casey Eberhart

My friend, Casey Eberhart, did a series of Facebook Lives from the beaches of Southern California yesterday sharing some of his awesome network marketing tips.

The first video was from Malibu where he shared a simple formula for success..."Simplicity plus enthusiasm equals massive duplication". Most of us want to know everything about our product or service and/or our compensation plan and to share it with our prospects. DON'T DO IT!

Keep it simple, such as "My company has a new 3 1/2 minute video and I'd like your opinion of it. You can view it on my website or you can download the app. On the app go to Account (lower right on an iPhone or upper right on an Android), go to Video Library and watch the first video there. I'm looking forward to hearing what you have to say about it."

The second video was from the Santa Monica Pier where Casey shared how to make every day a payday. Every time you add a customer, or one of your team adds a customer, you're getting an additional income stream. So, you and your team members, should be adding an additional income stream every day. How do you do that? By sharing your product or service every day.

Video #3 was from Long Beach next to the Queen Mary. This video was on teaching someone something you know every day, This is part of the reason I do these blog posts every day, although I'll probably start doing FB Live to share these things also.

The fourth video was also from the Queen Mary. This video was on investing time, energy and money in your business. You can't have a ROI (return on investment) if you don't have an investment!

Video #5, again from the Queen Mary, this time with John Logar. What business are you really in? The answer is distribution. Not just selling a product or service, but you're a building distribution network.

The final video was on The Double Your Check Club Facebook group. It's a generic network marketing group and I highly recommend that you join this group!

I hope you found Casey's videos as interesting as I did. And be sure to join The Double Your Check Club.

Interesting days


Today - Hot Sauce DayCelebration Of Life Day and Answer Your Cat's Questions Day

Tomorrow - Handwriting DayMeasure Your Feet Day and Pie Day

Next Monday - Puzzle DayBubble Wrap Appreciation DayFreethinkers DayCornchip Day,
Curmudgeons Day and Blue Monday

February 22 - Single Tasking Day, World Thinking Day, Margarita Day, Digital Learning Day, Walking the Dog Day, Chilli Day, Be Humble Day, World Yoga Day and Cook a Sweet Potato Day Check out the link for a recipe for sweet potato fries. They'll go good with some homemade chili!

Friday, January 19, 2018

The Friday Fishwrap - January 19, 2018

All the news that's fit to wrap around a dead fish

The week in review


Monday - "Dig Your Well Before You're Thirsty" From Harvey Mackay. "If I had to name the single characteristic shared by all the truly successful people I've met over a lifetime, I'd say it is the ability to create and nurture a network of contacts."

Tuesday - "The Eagle has landed" The 3rd new Eagle distributor in 2 months! "I think it's very telling that all of the 3 newest Eagles are women, while most of the previous 3 were men (there was actually one couple, while the other two were men). Even though 80% of the reps in direct sales and network marketing are women, many of the top leaders are male. Why is this?"

Wednesday - "The Power of When - Revisited" Timing is everything. "The basic premises of the two books are very similar...that when we do things can make a huge difference in our results."

Thursday - "The 12 days of follow up - Day 12 #TBT" The final part of the series from last year. "Today's post will be a summary of not only the previous 11 parts of this series, but also of two posts that preceded this series."

 Interesting days


Today - Popcorn Day and Tin Can Day

Tomorrow - Disc Jockey DayCamcorder DayDay of AcceptancePenguin Awareness DayCheese Lovers Day and Buttercrunch Day

Next Friday - International Fun At Work DaySpouse’s DayPeanut Brittle Day and Australia Day

February 19 - Chocolate Mint Day and International Tug-of-War Day

Thursday, January 18, 2018

Your weekend guide to interesting days - January 20, 2018

This week


Sunday - International Kite DayHot Pastrami Sandwich DayOrganize Your Home Day and Dress Up Your Pet Day

Monday - Strawberry Ice Cream Day and Hat Day

Tuesday - Nothing DayAppreciate A Dragon DayInternational Hot and Spicy Food Day and
Religious Freedom Day

Wednesday - Kid Inventors’ DayDitch New Year's Resolutions Day and Cable Car Day

Thursday - Women’s Healthy Weight DayWorld Religion DayWinnie the Pooh Day and Thesaurus Day

Yesterday - Popcorn Day and Tin Can Day

Today - Disc Jockey DayCamcorder DayDay of AcceptancePenguin Awareness DayCheese Lovers Day and Buttercrunch Day

Next week


Tomorrow - International Sweatpants DaySquirrel Appreciation DayHugging Day and Granola Bar Day

Monday - Hot Sauce DayCelebration Of Life Day and Answer Your Cat's Questions Day

Tuesday - Handwriting DayMeasure Your Feet Day and Pie Day

Wednesday - Beer Can Appreciation DayTalk Like A Grizzled Prospector DayBelly Laugh Day and Peanut Butter Day

Thursday - A Room Of One's Own DayOpposite Day and Irish Coffee Day

Friday - International Fun At Work DaySpouse’s DayPeanut Brittle Day and Australia Day

Saturday - Chocolate Cake DaySeed Swap DayVisit Your Local Quilt Shop DayWorld Breast Pumping Day and National Geographic Day

Next month


February 14 - Valentine's Day Ferris Wheel DayDonor DayPet Theft Awareness DayInternational Book Giving Day and Cream-Filled Chocolates Day

February 15 - Hippo DayGumdrop DayIntroduce A Girl To Engineering Day and Singles Awareness Day

February 16 - Innovation DayAlmond DayDo a Grouch a Favor Day and Tim Tam Day

February 17 - Random Acts Of Kindness DayMy Way DayWorld Human Spirit Day and World Pangolin Day

February 18 - Battery DayEat Ice Cream For Breakfast Day, Pluto Day and Drink Wine Day

February 19 - Chocolate Mint Day and International Tug-of-War Day

February 20 - Love Your Pet DayCherry Pie Day and Handcuff Day


The 12 days of follow up - Day 12 #TBT

Here's a convenient wrap-up on the follow-up series from last year:

It's time to wrap up this series. If you've been here for the whole thing, or if you joined us part way into the series, I appreciate you being here. And if this is your first exposure to this series, welcome! The links to the rest of the series are below.

Today's post will be a summary of not only the previous 11 parts of this series, but also of two posts that preceded this series.

The first post was from December 19th and was called "The 12 days of follow up" and served as an introduction to the series. The next day I posted a blog called "How often do you follow up?" which shared a post from Tom Hopkins.

The series itself started on December 26th, the first of the 12 Days of Christmas, which is where the idea for this series came from. Since December 26th is also "Thank You Note Day", I began the series by talking about thank you cards.

Day 2 was posted on the following day and was about how often and how long to follow up.

Day 3 was posted on Wednesday, the 28th, and was on social media.

There were only 3 of these posts per week, Monday through Wednesday.

Day 4 was on Monday, January 2nd, and was about how it wasn't too late to send out holiday cards.

Day 5 was on inviting your clients or prospects to events that you think may interest them.

Day 6 we covered sending gifts or bringing a gift in person to their office.

The 3rd week started with Day 7 which was about promoting your clients' or prospects' business on social media or via a blog post. And why I post the interesting days every day!

Day 8 was totally different from all of the other posts in this series. It was actually an example of me promoting a friend's business in my blog post.

Day 9 was basically a follow up to the previous day's post.

And in the final week we have:

Day 10 talked about the importance of buying from your clients or prospects.

Day 11, which was yesterday's blog post, was on offering free samples of your product or a free trial of your service.

And today, Day 12, is the summary of all that's gone before.

Please, if you have any questions or comments, post them below or email me.

And if you haven't downloaded the SendOutCards app, go ahead and do so. It's free and if you're not already a SendOutCards customer or distributor the first three cards that you send are on me!

Here are the links to the posts in this series on the 12 days of follow up:

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6 
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
Day 11

Interesting days


Today - Women's Healthy Weight Day, World Religion DayWinnie the Pooh Day and Thesaurus Day

Tomorrow - Popcorn Day and Tin Can Day

Next Thursday - A Room Of One's Own DayOpposite Day and Irish Coffee Day

February 18 - Battery DayEat Ice Cream For Breakfast Day, Pluto Day and Drink Wine Day

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

The Power of When - Revisited

I'm sure you all remember my blog post about the book "The Power of When". If not, you can find it here. The reason I'm bringing it back up is because I stumbled across a podcast on The Art of Manliness on the same topic but by a different author. The book on AoM is "When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing" by Dan Pink.

The basic premises of the two books are very similar...that when we do things can make a huge difference in our results.

One of the main differences (at least what was discussed on the podcast...I haven't read the book yet) is the number of chronotypes. In Dan's book, he talks about morning larks, night owls, and those in between. In The Power of When, Dr. Breus talks about four chronotypes...lions, bears, wolves and dolphins. Lions are similar to larks, wolves are the late night hunters (night owls), bears are in between and dolphins are all messed up (I'm a dolphin)!

Dan talks about the peak-trough-recovery cycle of our days. We should do analytical or precision work during our peak times, probably take a siesta during our trough times, and our creative work during the recovery part of the cycle. For lions and bears, these are the morning, afternoon and evening. While for wolves, it's the opposite...recovery in the morning, trough in the afternoon and peak in the evening. What about dolphins? Who knows? This means that you'll want to avoid scheduling important things, like a surgery, in the afternoon.

Dan also talked about the season in which you were born may also have some effect on your chronotype. According to an article in Sleep Education:
And many factors such as genetics and light exposure affect when you are sleepy and alert. A new study in the journal Sleep examined some other factors.

It involved 5,720 college students at two universities in Spain and Italy. Results show that females went to bed earlier and slept longer than males.

Nationality also had a significant effect on sleep patterns. On average the Spaniards went to bed and woke up later than the Italians.

The study even found a significant but small “season of birth” effect. Subjects born in spring and summer went to bed later than those who were born in fall and winter. A study in 1999 reported similar findings.
I was born in the spring (May) and I tend to like to go to bed later.

There are many other interesting things covered in the podcast. I highly suggest that you head over and check it out!

Interesting days


Today - Kid Inventors’ DayDitch New Year's Resolutions Day and Cable Car Day

Tomorrow - Women’s Healthy Weight DayWorld Religion DayWinnie the Pooh Day and Thesaurus Day

Next Wednesday - Beer Can Appreciation DayTalk Like A Grizzled Prospector DayBelly Laugh Day and Peanut Butter Day

February 17 - Random Acts Of Kindness DayMy Way DayWorld Human Spirit Day and World Pangolin Day

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

The Eagle has landed

Another Eagle distributor in SendOutCards, that is! Some of you may remember that I posted about this a couple of times recently. Now, Phebe Trotman is the third new Eagle in two months!

I think it's very telling that all of the 3 newest Eagles are women, while most of the previous 3 were men (there was actually one couple, while the other two were men). Even though 80% of the reps in direct sales and network marketing are women, many of the top leaders are male. Why is this?

According to one of my earlier posts, men are often more attracted to the business side, while women, even though they may be looking for money, are often attracted to the social side of the business. But according to an article in Networking Times by Sonia Stringer, there are 3 traits of female leaders:
  1. Successful Women are Masters at Networking
  2. Successful Women Leverage their Natural Skills to Sell and Sponsor 
  3. Successful Women set up Support Systems 
Another key that seems to apply, is the fact that women are often better than men at celebrating the successes of others. And since network marketing is based on teamwork this can be very important.

I don't know much about Diane Walker, but Melissa Barlock and Phebe are both success oriented, for themselves but even more for their teams, and I think this is why they've risen to the top.

I think we're going to see more female leaders in SendOutCards, as well as other companies, as they learn that they can build really successful businesses while still being true to themselves.

Interesting days


Today - Nothing DayAppreciate A Dragon DayInternational Hot and Spicy Food Day and
Religious Freedom Day

Tomorrow - Kid Inventors’ DayDitch New Year's Resolutions Day and Cable Car Day

Next Tuesday - Handwriting DayMeasure Your Feet Day and Pie Day

February 16 - Innovation DayAlmond DayDo a Grouch a Favor Day and Tim Tam Day

Monday, January 15, 2018

Dig Your Well Before You're Thirsty

Here's another post from Harvey Mackay, this one on the importance of networking:

Harvey Mackay University: Weekly Column
 
HMU Banner

Harvey Mackay's weekly nationally syndicated column
 
 
Dig Your Well Before You're Thirsty
 
Rockefeller
 
If I had to name the single characteristic shared by all the truly successful people I've met over a lifetime, I'd say it is the ability to create and nurture a network of contacts.
 
Although I never met David Rockefeller, he certainly would have fit in this category. When he passed away in March 2017 at the age of 101, "Bloomberg News" revealed that he had an "electronic Rolodex" of 150,000 people. "The Wall Street Journal" recently reported it was 200,000. He was a master networker during his 24 years as the head of Chase Manhattan Bank and 60 years of being involved with the Council on Foreign Relations. 
 
In my corporate speeches, I often ask the question: What is one of the most important words in the English language? I add that if all of us understood this word just a little bit better, we'd be way more successful than we already are. That word is "Rolodex," which of course is now referred to as a contact management system.
 
My father, Jack Mackay, who for 35 years headed the Associated Press in St. Paul, Minnesota, shared his secret with me when I was 18. He said, "Harvey, every single person you meet the rest of your life should go in your Rolodex file. Write a little bit about that person on the bottom or the back of the card. And now, here's the key - find a creative way to keep in touch."
 
That's what I've been doing ever since. I now have nearly 20,000 names in my electronic Rolodex file, a far cry from David Rockefeller, but still crucial to my career. The contacts I've made over all these years are why I've been writing this nationally syndicated column for the last 24 years.
 
My Rolodex was instrumental in launching my publishing career. Let me explain. In 1988, there were roughly two million "wannabes," people who wrote manuscripts. Roughly 200,000 books got published. Of those only a small percentage were business books. If you're a first-time, unknown author like me and you write a business book, you want to get it published. All the major publishers will print 10,000 hardcover books. That's it. Tom Peters, "In Search of Excellence," 10,000 copies; Ken Blanchard, "The One-Minute Manager," 7,500 books.
 
This is why it was so tough to get started. There were 5,000 bookstores back in the '80s and '90s, which means an average of only two books per store if they print 10,000 copies.
Swim With Sharks
 
I had written a book titled "Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive." I wanted the publisher to print a lot of books so they would promote it and not run out of books.
 
I scheduled a summit meeting with William Morrow and Company - the CEO, President and VP of National Sales. About 45 minutes into the meeting I asked for the order. I said, "I would like you to seriously consider printing 100,000 hardcover copies of 'Swim With the Sharks.' We were on the 37th floor, and they basically told me to jump. The VP of National Sales closed his notebook and said, "Thank you very much, Mr. Mackay. Obviously, we're not going to get together." Then he basically screamed, "Who are you coming in here asking for 100,000 copies? We only print 10,000 copies for any first-time unknown author." 

I'd brought in two humongous brief cases and took them out. Inside were two huge Rolodex files, 6,500 names at the time. I started to go through them:  "Pillsbury, 18,000 employees. We do business with them. Maybe they'll read the book and pass it along. General Mills, 23,000 employees; Cargill; 3M; here's American Express." I went to the second Rolodex file. "We do business in six countries, France, Germany, Spain ... maybe it'll be an international bestseller."

Three weeks and three meetings later, they published 100,000 hardcover copies of "Swim With the Sharks." And it became a New York Times #1 bestseller.Did I know when I was 18 where my contacts were going to come from? Do any of you know where your contacts will come from five, 10 or 15 years from now?

Our lives basically change in two ways - the people we meet and the books we read. Trust me; the people you meet every day are extremely important in building your network.

In my entire career I have never once heard a successful person say he or she regretted putting time and energy into keeping their Rolodex file.

Mackay's Moral: You don't have to "die" like Misawa to bring your dreams to life.
 
Interesting Image
 
Harvey Mackay, Founder
"The biggest room in the world is
the room for improvement."
 
HMU logo
Copyright © 2016 Harvey Mackay University. All rights reserved.
 
 
Harvey Mackay University 4022 E. Greenway Road Suite 11 #143 Phoenix, Arizona 85032 United States
If you no longer wish to receive our emails, click the link below:
Unsubscribe


If you read my post from last week, then you would know that Harvey forgot to change his Mackay's Moral!

Interesting days


Today - Strawberry Ice Cream Day and Hat Day

Tomorrow - Nothing DayAppreciate A Dragon DayInternational Hot and Spicy Food Day and
Religious Freedom Day

Next Monday - Hot Sauce DayCelebration Of Life Day and Answer Your Cat's Questions Day

February 15 - Hippo DayGumdrop DayIntroduce A Girl To Engineering Day and Singles Awareness Day

Saturday, January 13, 2018

Your weekend guide to interesting days - January 13, 2018

This week


Sunday - Bobblehead DayTempura DayOld Rock DayHarlem Globetrotter's Day and I'm Not Going To Take It Anymore Day

Monday - Earth's Rotation DayArgyle DayJoy Germ DayShow & Tell At Work DayClean Off Your Desk Day and Bubble Bath Day

Tuesday - Apricot DayStatic Electricity DayPoetry At Work DayPlay God Day and Balloon Ascension Day

Wednesday - Peculiar People DayCut Your Energy Costs DayHouseplant Appreciation Day and Bittersweet Chocolate Day

Thursday -  Step In A Puddle And Splash Your Friends DayMilk Day and Learn Your Name In Morse Code Day

Yesterday - Kiss A Ginger DayPharmacist Day and Marzipan Day

Today - Make Your Dream Come True DayPeach Melba DayRubber Duckie DayPublic Radio Broadcasting DaySkeptics Day and Sticker Day

Next week


Tomorrow - International Kite DayHot Pastrami Sandwich DayOrganize Your Home Day and Dress Up Your Pet Day

Monday - Strawberry Ice Cream Day and Hat Day

Tuesday - Nothing DayAppreciate A Dragon DayInternational Hot and Spicy Food Day and
Religious Freedom Day

Wednesday - Kid Inventors’ DayDitch New Year's Resolutions Day and Cable Car Day

Thursday - Women’s Healthy Weight Day, World Religion DayWinnie the Pooh Day and Thesaurus Day

Friday - Popcorn Day and Tin Can Day 

Saturday - Disc Jockey DayCamcorder DayDay of AcceptancePenguin Awareness DayCheese Lovers Day and Buttercrunch Day

Next month


February 7 - Ballet DaySend a Card to a Friend Day and Wave All Your Fingers At Your Neighbors Day

February 8 - Kite Flying DayLaugh And Get Rich DayOpera Day and Molasses Bar Day

February 9 - Read In The Bathtub Day, Toothache Day, Safer Internet Day and Pizza Day

February 10 -  Umbrella Day, Cream Cheese Brownie Day and Plimsoll Day

February 11 - Pro Sports Wives Day, Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk Day, Get Out Your Guitar Day, White Shirt Day, Make a Friend Day, Peppermint Patty Day, Satisfied Staying Single Day and World Marriage Day

February 12 - Darwin DayClean Out Your Computer DayPlum Pudding Day and Lost Penny Day

February 13 - Radio DayExtraterrestrial Culture DayGet A Different Name DayEmployee Legal Awareness DayMadly In Love With Me Day and Tortellini Day