A "Miracle" Message

Last week our 14 year old daughter who is very active in athletics asked if we had the movie "Miracle" on dvd.  You might remember that "Miracle" stars Curt Russell in his fantastic portrayal of the late, great Herb Brooks.  Of course this is the story of what may have been the greatest upset in modern sports history when a group of American college boys (true amateurs) defeated the greatest hockey team in the world...the Soviet squad.  In our home State of Minnesota, also knows as the State of Hockey, Miracle may be considered the greatest film ever produced.

There is a scene in the movie when Herb Brooks was driving home from the team Christmas party in 1979.  He was listening to then President Carter's address about how the American spirit was broken.  Mortgage rates were about 20%, unemployment was double-digit, Iranian "college students" had overwhelmed our Embassy in Tehran and were holding a large amount of American hostages with no end in sight.  There were lines around the block to purchase gasoline that was being rationed to service stations.  Things were grim and as President Carter said, for the first time in our history, the majority of Americans believed that the next 5 years would be worse than the previous 5.  Carter's speech was an attempt to raise the American spirit because hopes were so low.  It was an empassioned call to action.

Here we are again with high unemployment, a slow housing market with over a quarter of mortgage holders owing less on their homes than they are worth.  For the first time in our history, the debt of the United States Government has been downgraded by Standard & Poors.  Detroit is a ghost town and a mortgage is only something you can get if you can prove that you don't need it.  In 1979, Americans thought that life in America and our economy was a lost cause.  And what happened?  The cycle broke and America started working again.  Interest rates dropped, employment grew, and with tax reforms creating incentives...the economy grew.  The hostages were released and our college boys BEAT those Soviets and America regained her greatness.

Just when things look their worst, there is always hope that we can make them better again.  Believe in the future and believe that free enterprise and capitalism ARE the answer.  The future is bright my friends!

Jim Pascale is a 20+ year veteran of consulting with small business owners and has comprehensive knowledge of small business management and franchising. Contact Jim at jimpascaleminnesota@yahoo.com.

Don't let others Steal Your Sunshine

Recently while running a couple loops around Minneapolis’ Lake Calhoun and enjoying the beautiful sky line and luxury homes that line the lake, my i-Pod was playing to help deliver the adrenaline needed to complete the 6 miles. A pop song from the 90’s called “Steal My Sunshine” by Len was playing when the following lyrics caught my attention and caused me to play the song again. The words were …of course you can't become if you only say what you would have done, so I missed a million miles of fun.”


Those words kept running through my head and I laughed to myself thinking how such a great message was right there… almost hidden in an insignificant pop song. These words speak to a key difference between success and failure. Looking back, my professional successes and failures (and there have been plenty of both) come down to how my time was spent and where my focus was.

 
To ensure that you are getting desired results, ensure that your time Is being spent on items that are important and be sure to schedule and block time for the non-urgent activities like planning, giving feedback, checking performance of key metrics, following up and so on. Human nature will cause us focus on urgent matters at hand which are often other people’s priorities. If something is important, block time for it and refuse to let other matters take priority over it. This little time management pracice will produce real results and allow you to accomplish your goals. This way you will be able to avoid saying “what you would have done and having missed a million miles of fun.” Don’t let others steal YOUR sunshine!

Jim Pascale is a 20+ year veteran of consulting with small business owners and has comprehensive knowledge of small business management and franchising. Contact Jim at jimpascaleminnesota@yahoo.com.

"The Secret to Getting Everything you want in life is...

"The secret to getting everything you want in life is helping enough others get what they want.”


Many of us recognize this Zig Ziglar quote that he’s been saying for 50 years. It was true then, is true today, and will be true 50 years from now.
Earlier in my career I consulted for a Franchise Company and helped identify key strategies for its growth while designing and creating much of the infrastructure for the organization. The business model was sound. Unfortunately, the Founder had his heart and focus in the wrong place. Each month he could tell me exactly which Franchise Operators had paid him on time, yet he could never tell me how much business each of the Franchise Operators had generated for themselves. He was preoccupied with filling his own pockets and genuinely didn’t care about the people that invested their savings (in some cases their life’s savings) and whether or not they were getting a return on their investment. This is the story of the golden goose, except that he had an entire flock that he was ignoring.


In the 1990’s the Chicago Bulls won six NBA Championships. Head Coach Phil Jackson was given the reins of the team and was put in charge of the greatest player in the game…Michael Jordan. In Jackson’s book, “Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons from a Hardwood Warrior”, he wrote that the key to getting the Bulls to win their first championship was getting Michael Jordan to trust his teammates. Jordan was reluctant to pass the ball to forward Horace Grant fearing that Grant would turn the ball over. Once Jordan learned to trust and support those around him, they were able to win as a team. Their second Championship series was against the Phoenix Suns. With time winding down in Game 6, Jordan drove down the court with the ball while being double-teamed. The old Jordan would have forced the shot. The new Jordan spotted a wide-open John Paxson outside the 3-point arc. Jordan hit Paxson, Paxson hit the three and the Bulls won Championship number 2.

The story is the same. Once the focus goes to making those around you successful, success will find you.
 
Jim Pascale is a 20+ year veteran of consulting with small business owners and has comprehensive knowledge of small business management and franchising. Contact Jim at jimpascaleminnesota@yahoo.com.

Top 10 Marketing Blunders for Small Businesses

At some level, we all feel like we understand marketing because we "know what works for us." Personal preferences and assuming that what attracts us will attract others are major obstacles for small business operators when they try to implement an effective marketing program.

My top 10 Marketing Blunders for Small Business are:

1. Lack of a plan.

• Many successful business owners I've worked with have a one-page marketing plan that they refer to constantly to ensure that they stay on track. The key is what is behind the plan. They understand their value proposition, the competition, who the target customer is and what their objectives are.

2. Not understanding who the target customer is.

• Technology and demographic data allow for targeting strategies that were unthinkable just a few years ago. Build a profile of who your customer is and focus on getting in front of just them as much as possible. Selling to b2b calls for difference strategies and tools than selling b2c. Take the time to understand and lay out your plan.

3. Failing to understand the difference between frequency and reach.

• The goal of marketing is to reach top of mind awareness. This occurs after trial use and that typically occurs only after multiple exposures to the brand. This is the key to frequency. Reaching the masses may be right for some businesses, but not when the target is specific. It is possible to spend to much reaching the wrong people.

4. Inconsistency in your efforts.

• Business operators get bored with the look and feel of their marketing materials and they assume that the public feels the same. Mixing up colors, logos, images and layouts misses the goal of building a consistent image in the minds of consumers.

5. Expecting money spent to deliver overnight results.

• This circles back to frequency. A retail strip center business operator once told me that his marketing plan was "word of mouth". He said he "tried a direct mail piece once and it didn't work so never again." He was doing 20k a month and the top unit in that system was doing over 100k monthly in a similar space. So sad.

6. Personalizing the business with family photos, personal pictures, commercials featuring the local operator.

• Ma & Pa businesses are known for the family photo in their ads. While this warm and friendly approach has a feel good quality about it, this will KILL your exit strategy if you ever want to sell the business. Promote the brand, sell benefits, not personalities.

7. Trying to communicate too much with advertisements.

• In today's crazy world that is bombarding us with advertising everywhere we look, less truly is more. Simply your message. "Just Do It!"

8. Not getting feedback and not measuring results.

• To maximize returns and minimize wasting dollars, you have to measure the effectiveness of ads. Many marketing companies have automated ways that make this easy. Always find out how your customers heard about you to the very best of your ability.

9. Putting all your eggs in one basket.

• This speaks for itself, but it is important to include the fact that over 70% of purchasing decisions are now being influenced by the internet. There are many tools including search engines, social media and advertisements that drive activity. Diversify your efforts.

10. Doing nothing! (or spending too little)

• 16 years of my career was spent with a company that dominated the market share in the upper Midwest markets we occupied. We did this with aggressive, relentless marketing.  Fear and uncertainty often prevents spending.  The greater fear is failing to generate revenue and this is the fear that must dominate.

The top three reasons businesses fail are poor management, undercapitalization and lack of an effective marketing plan. All of these reasons are directly tied to running a smart marketing plan. Smart businesses are always marketing in every thinkable way. All contacts with your facilities, vehicles, personnel, products and services must be a branded experience. Be bold and implement relentlessly!



Jim Pascale is a 20+ year veteran of consulting with small business owners and has comprehensive knowledge of small business management and franchising. Contact Jim at jimpascaleminnesota@yahoo.com.

Effective Communication in a Fast Moving World

Most people will agree that breakdowns in communication are often the culprit when things go wrong.  The following points are basic "blocking and tackling" reminders for interpersonal communication.  The digital revolution we are living through is changing the way we communicate.  With the speed at which information is now shared and the sheer volume that we encounter each day, communicating effectively is more important than ever.


The first reminder is that communication is a Two-Way street.  Human nature has us far more focused on the outgoing message than what is coming in.  This is exactly the opposite of how we should perceive communication.  The old adage "seek first to understand, then to be understood" rings true here.  The more we know BEFORE we communicate, the more pertinent, concise and effective our message will be.  This will lead to desired results.


Listening


Listening is extremely difficult because your mind is processing information at about 2000 words per minute while those speaking are spitting it out at about 300 to 400 words per minute.  When someone speaks to us our minds jump ahead to finish sentences and thoughts for the speaker.  We begin to formulate an opinion of their point and a response before they have finished speaking.  How many times do you have to repeat yourself because the other party didn't listen to you all the way through.  We have to listen actively and listen well enough to be able to repeat what was just said to us.  As some say, listen empathically so that you truly understand the other person's point of view.


Another factor that works against us is that our favorite sound is our own voice rather than someone else’s  We tend to listen with the intention of responding rather than learning.  Remember, it is the quality of what you say rather than the quantity.  You must listen first in order to deliver quality.
A physiological factor that makes listening difficult is ego.  Face it, we all have a sense of pride.  If we allow someone else’s thoughts change the way we think, we might actually feel like we have lost and they have won.  People are competitive by nature and we must be aware of this tendency.   A great example is like when a person of opposing political beliefs tries to get you to see things their way.  You assume a defensive posture and constantly prepare counter-points to their messages.  Your mind is closed and getting your points across is all you are concerned about. 


How important is listening?  Psychologists say that one of the most basic psychological needs of people is to be understood. People feel understood when you’ve listened to them.  How we can be better listeners?


• Refrain from interrupting—often the tendency when someone brings us a problem…jump right in and start solving.


• If people are talking about their feelings, a response with a solution may back fire. Simply start by  acknowledging that you understand how they feel.


• People really feel understood when you repeat back what they’ve said to you.


• Know you don’t always have to solve their problem (more in personal than business situations) but is very important with angry customers.


• Ask clarifying questions.  This shows interest and that you’re tuned in.


• Use non-verbals, nodding, uh huhs, and so on


• Check for understanding…So what you’re saying is …



Effective Speaking
Non-Verbal 93% of what is communicated is non-verbal.  Be conscious of your tone and even the speak with which you speak.  Matching the tempo of the person you are addressing will actually make them more comfortable and will help them capture your message.  Also, remember the all important action of making eye contact while you speak.  It helps keep the listener engaged and demonstrates integrity of your message.

Additional speaking tips include the following:
• After giving instructions or when teaching especially, ask for a repeat back “To ensure that I said this properly, please tell me the message I conveyed”.  Wording it this way puts the onus of effective communication on you rather than them.  Avoid asking someone "Do you understand what I just said?" or "Do you follow me?" as it will typically elicit a "yes" because the listener will not want to admit that they missed your message.

• Try to speak about others as if you would if they were in the room.  If you speak critically of someone in a way that you would not if they were present, listeners will lose respect for you and lose your message.

• With all of the e-mailing that goes on, remember that most people can speak 8 to 10 times faster than they can type.  Pick up the phone!


• Avoid leaving the voice message “please call me”. Tell people exactly what you are looking for and ask them to leave detail on your voice mail if you don’t pick up when they call you back.  This is a huge time saver and will eliminate most games of phone tag.


• Consider using this voice mail greeting…"I am sorry I missed your call.  Please leave a detailed message, I or the appropriate party will return your call as soon as possible.  Thank you."

Written

Now that e-mail and even text messaging has become so prevalent, consider these tips to increase your effectiveness and professionalism:


• Use spell check.  Your attention to detail reflects upon the quality of the work you do. 

• In e-mail and texts messages, be careful with upper case letters.  Words or sentences with all upper case come across as if you are yelling electronically.

• Only write what you would say face to face.  I've seen some horrible e-mail messages in the work place and most of these would never have been spoken face to face.  If you are angry pick up the phone, schedule a face to face, or simply take some time to cool off before you start typing.

• Less is more.  Edit written messages before sending and eliminate as much as you can while maintaining the key message.  People deal with more messages today than ever before.  Get your point across briefly to ensure that it is comprehended.





Jim Pascale is a 20+ year veteran of consulting with small business owners and has comprehensive knowledge of small business management and franchising. Contact Jim at jimpascaleminnesota@yahoo.com.