Morning Motivator - Do It For Your People

"Every great business is built on friendship."
- JC Penney

As leaders and business owners, what is your first thought when you are presented with a new opportunity? Is it "what is in it for me?" Is it "how much will this cost?" Or is it something different..?

What if your first thought was "How does this better my peoples situation or experience?" What if you sole focus was on how to make sure your clients or constituents walked away from any interaction with greater confidence, affection or loyalty based on your actions?

It is the great leaders and businesses that have shifted their mentality from a "me" focus, to a "them" focus...and have done it without question!

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP: My core business, Acadiana Sports Leagues (ASL), is focused on one thing - CREATING FUN EXPERIENCE FOR OUR ATHLETES. Yes, we want to make money and yes, we want to protect our brand. YET, those are the BYPRODUCTS of doing a good job...of creating fun experiences for our athletes.

What do we do different? Well, when we are asked to engage in an event or opportunity, the only question that arises is, "Will this be a fun experience for our athletes?" It may cost $2,000, but if it creates $2,001 of value and loyalty, which generates revenues as a result, then it seems an easy decision.

Business and leadership are challenging when the consideration is always on one self before that of others. Politicians, habitual self interest evaluators, are infamous for their unwillingness to sacrifice their self interest for the betterment and fair representation of those that elected them.

Business owners commonly tell a client why they CANNOT do something be cause of money or inconvenience, rather than ensure that the client has a wonderful experience, even if at a loss, which creates a feeling of mutual respect, generating loyalty.

It is not hard to run a good business with great clients. It is not hard to be a good leader with great constituents. It is not hard...when you do it for your people - the right way.

Cheers,

Zach

*To enjoy past editions of the Morning Motivator go to – http://grow-learn-lead.blogspot.com

The Morning Motivator is a copyrighted publication. The use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.

Morning Motivator - Start Building Your Legacy Today

"Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish."
- Steve Jobs, 1955 - 2011

Yesterday, a great innovator and business mastermind lost his battle to cancer. Mr. Steve Jobs did not change the world, he just made it more interesting and fun by creating simplicity in an industry that revels in complication.

I just recently became an "Apple person" buying an iPad and MacBook Pro. Since then, I get it. What I also get is that no matter how amazing you are in your life, there are a few truths that cannot be undone.

God does not spare those with genius. Often they appear to be given a shorter lifetime or face greater challenges. Money cannot buy health. $1 Billion cannot buy cancers mercy. Legacy is built in relationships. You are remembered for how you bettered the lives of others, rarely for the amount of wealth you have amassed.

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP: What will your legacy be? Where will you stand in life's Top 100 list of people who mattered?

You do not have to be Steve Jobs or Albert Einstein to make the list. I suggest to you that Oprah is not the worlds most influential person, nor is Brett Favre. They are watched by many but are not able to directly influence individuals in a meaningful way, such as you are.

Sometimes being "known and successful", as it is commonly defined, is nothing more than meaningless fame. A credit in a film that no one remembers or the winner of a sales award only 10 people care about.

What if you changed your community? What if you helped people LEARN to do more and be better? What if your legacy was one of meaningful inspiration and effective change?

Some may disagree that Steve Jobs was that...and I would suggest you look at the world around and see how many people design for use and simplicity in a complicated world.

Thank you Steve Jobs. Your technology has not changed the world, but the way you went about it just might.

Cheers,

Zach

*To enjoy past editions of the Morning Motivator go to – http://grow-learn-lead.blogspot.com

The Morning Motivator is a copyrighted publication. The use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.

Morning Motivator - Flip the Script...

"A clear vision, backed by definite plans, gives you a tremendous feeling of confidence and personal power."
- Brian Tracy

What happens you hit the point that you feel you cannot get "that client" to pay attention? You know your product/service is better, yet, they are so ignorantly comfortable, they do not want to consider change. How can you get them to listen after all your efforts to talk to them?

FLIP THE SCRIPT.

Although I am not aware of where this phrase is derived, I do know what it means! It means turn the tables and create a reverse effect from what you were trying prior. Use leverage, in whatever manner you have available, to force them (or at least heavily influence them) to pay attention to what it is you have to say.

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP: Commonly, a client does not want to change because they are "familiar" with what they are into now - like a guy that cannot break up with a girlfriend that he knows is not good for him. The client's pain point is not high enough to consider change.

What if, instead of attacking the pain point, you approached the pleasure point? (sounds dirty)

Maybe your client is looking for a better branding or wants to run a client appreciation event. They do not NEED it, but it sure would be awesome! Instead of explaining to them the 100 ways you are better, cheaper, faster, whatever; you offer to assist them in fulfilling this unneeded, yet very attractive event.

Think they would listen to you then? Maybe NOT right away...but I imagine after the event is a success, you can get whatever you want!

Be mindful of opportunities to flip the script and get a client to chase YOU. While the above is an extreme example, sometimes, just doing a sales training for a struggling staff or bringing in a massage therapist for CPAs during tax season is all that is needed to flip you from a pest to a partner!

Cheers,

Zach

*To enjoy past editions of the Morning Motivator go to – http://grow-learn-lead.blogspot.com

The Morning Motivator is a copyrighted publication. The use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.

Morning Motivator - Monday Funday

"Monday is the key day of the week."
- Gaelic Proverb

What is the worst day of the week? Monday? Ah, what an easy scapegoat Monday can be. It is the break from your fun, from your "real life" and the beginning of being back to what you do not want to be doing. Dang, Monday must feel like an Ogre!

I contest that FRIDAY may be the worst day of the week for most people. What?! Friday?! Zach, we love Friday! (I can hear it already...)

Yes, Friday. Why? Because it is the day you are scrambling to do all the stuff you need to complete for the work week that you have put off until Friday. It is the day of deadlines and measurements. It is the day you should be turning it down, rather, you are scrambling to make that last appointment, finish that document or whatever else you did NOT do on Monday.

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP: On Monday, we RATIONALIZE that we have "all week" to get (blank) done. Alas, we do not...well, most of us do not.

What if you broke down the week into percentages? Seriously. What if you said, I will accomplish 25% of my weekly goal on Monday. Then, jut do it! Tuesday, 25%, Wednesday, 25%, Thursday, 25%, Friday, finish anything that was missed in the first 100% or do whatever the heck I want.

Maybe Monday should become the best day of the week. If you CHOOSE to focus on getting a jump start on the week and generating your success early, you will find Monday to be an easy day to win, plus open the doors to new opportunities later in the week when you are able to better focus on new opportunity, as opposed to cleaning up what you did not do earlier.

Its Monday - do something special! Impress yourself with you efforts

Cheers,

Zach

*To enjoy past editions of the Morning Motivator go to – http://grow-learn-lead.blogspot.com

The Morning Motivator is a copyrighted publication. The use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.