Keiserism of The Day

Always be yourself, taking on a different persona will always be apparent to those you are trying to reach.

Book Recommendation of the Week

Thick Face Black Heart by Chi-Ning Chu

About the Author

Look UP!!!!

I received this email today, and thought I would share it.

THE BUZZARD:
If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is its habit,it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.

THE BAT:
The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkable nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.

THE BUMBLEBEE:
A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself.

PEOPLE:
In many ways, we are like the buzzard, the bat, and the bumblebee. We struggle about with all our problems and frustrations, never realizing that all we have to do is look up!

Sorrow looks back, Worry looks around, But faith looks up! Live simply, love generously, care deeply, and speak kindly.

Book Recommendation of the Week

Today’s Book recommendation is……..

Little Red Book of Selling by Jeffrey Gitomer

Related Article: Are You Committed To Be A Sales Crusader? by Jeffrey Gitomer

Quote of the week

Today’s Quote is………

“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.”- Henry Ford: was the founder of the Ford Motor Company

Related Article: Why Most People Will Never Reach Their Goals! by Ken Burgess

Keiserism of the Week

Today’s Keiserism is……..

Take the things you learn and blend them into your style. When we copy another’s philosophy, it is the equivalent of wearing someone else’s shoes. They may fit, but you know they aren’t yours and people will start to wonder why you are walking funny.

Related Article: Are You a Cool Kid? Or, Just Trying to Be One?

Are You a Cool Kid? Or, Just Trying to be One?

A common frustration of small or micro business owners is that the larger firms won’t do business with them. “Why won’t they return my calls?” “If they just listen to me, they will know they need my product.” The truth is the larger companies are referring to and giving small/micro businesses a chance. They are returning calls and they are listening to them. So why aren’t they doing business with you? The answer is simple, you don’t want to do business with them. You want their money and they know it.

Something strange happens to the small/micro business owner when they are face to face with their ideal prospect. They suddenly become babbling fools who can’t handle the conversation.

Let’s take a walk down memory lane, remember when you were in school? There were “the cool kids” and “the not so cool kids”. You were either “a cool kid” or trying like hell to become one. The cool kids only accepted or respected those that were cool like they were. Was there a secret handshake that kept most of us out of the group? Yes, it was called confidence. The cool kids didn’t strategize all night on how they were going to be accepted by the popular crowd. They just showed up and assumed they were one of them. They spoke to them as if they belonged.

As business owners we do the same things. Smaller companies are so caught up in wanting to be noticed by the bigger companies that when they finally get their chance to participate in “the cool kid group”, they blow it!

· Try to impress them
· Send a friend over to talk to them first
· Act like a subordinate to show respect
· Trick them
· Assume they want or need whatever you are selling without asking the appropriate questions.
· Treat the prospect like a checkbook or transaction

These maneuvers didn’t work on the playground and they don’t in business.

People want to be treated like people and can sense when there is a perceived agenda. It’s all about the attitude and level of confidence you display that truly gets you in with “the cool kids”. Someone shouldn’t buy from you to give you a chance or because you need the money. Show your customer the value in what you do by becoming a resource. Show your knowledge, ask questions to determine the need. I can read a brochure to find out the features and benefits.

Be sincere! One of the worst mistakes is to pretend to engage in activities, hobbies or interests of the person whose attention you wish to gain. If golf is a common interest, share your experience. Don’t pretend that you enjoy golf if you have never been on a golf course. You will look foolish and the level of trust will diminish. It’s ok to ask about hobbies or interests to find out more. The important thing is to be yourself, and not force the connection. You may discover that there is a common ground, or not.

Listen! It’s about the relationship, not the transaction. By building the relationship you will gain their trust. They will tell you if they are going to buy, and when they plan to do so. If they aren’t going to buy and they trust you, they may refer you to others they may want to buy.
Enter the conversation without any expectations, if you focus on making the sale, chances are you won’t. Even worse, you may discover that a sale was made to someone you never wanted as a customer.

This is a long winded way of saying “You will gain your greatest results by being yourself.” Think about the way you behave in your current relationships (Personal & Business). Why do they like you? Why do they do business with you?

Acting natural and confident is the crucial ingredient to creating long lasting business relationships with the customers you are interested in working with. Relationships/trust can’t be rushed or forced, but can be nurtured and developed.

Michael Keiser Managing Member American Mobile Scan

Michael joined the Army after High School to pursue a career as a helicopter pilot. During his training he got injured and couldn’t continue. He then pursued a career as an X-Ray Technician. Disillusioned when the job became mundane, he sought out something that offered him satisfaction.

In 1997 Michael and 2 doctors began American Mobile Scan. A mobile imaging company that provided Bone Density Testing to post and perimenopausal women.

Why Michael Started American Mobile Scan

Michael developed a desire to be in business for himself, and thought the concept had the potential to become a profitable business. He had a background in medical imaging, and wanted to create something that hadn’t existed before.

Did the business give you joy?

“I knew that the success or failure of the buisness was dependent on my efforts, and the team I created. The everyday challenges had their ups and downs, but there was a lot of fulfillment in the relationships that were created with clients and colleagues. The money was a great reward as well.”

Business Education

Michael started this venture without any formal business training. He learnt from his failures, business books, and other entrepreneurs.

Being in Business day to day

There were many aspects of the business that Michael enjoyed, but there were also things about the business that he didn’t. Due to Michael’s extroverted personality he was natually successful at sales and marketing. However, the business owner soon finds out that once you hang out your shingle you suddenly become a man/woman of many talents, (whether you posses them or not). The administrative details were the aspect of the business he disliked.

Success & Failure

Michael’s greatest success with American Mobile Scan was taking the company from $0.00 to $1.5 million. Unfortunately, his greatest failure was the choice of his 2 business partners who became more of a hindrance, than a help. This resulted in stunting the growth of the business, which led to it’s dissolution.

Advice to other Business Owners

“Gut it out everyday, don’t think it’s going to be easy. Be willing to fight the fight even when you don’t want to. Partners are for dancing, but if you choose to take on business partners, make sure you choose carefully, and have a comprehensive operating agreement.”