Back in my early printing sales days, I would spend a lot of time on the telephone working with clients regarding their color proofs. I’ve always been a doodler. While on the telephone, I would create cartoon doodles of stick people. One stick person would be pictured playing a prank on another stick person. For instance, the smaller person pulling a chair out when the larger sat down or a bucket of water rigged to a chair dumping on the larger when they sat down. Some of them were nice enough to hang by my desk on the wall…until my boss figured out that he was the larger of the two. I know it was a bit juvenile, but it was my way of coping with being the stick person. So what does this have to do with human resources? Let me explain.

A mentor once told me a story about some campers or some explorers who were traveling through the wilderness with their burros or donkeys (obviously I was paying close attention). They came to a river they had to cross and didn’t have much time before dark. They also knew the burros didn’t care for walking through rushing river waters. They tried pulling the donkeys, but couldn’t get them to budge. They tried pushing, but the donkeys didn’t care. Desperate to cross, they tried to coerce the donkeys by poking them on the backside with a stick. Just at that time an old prospector came along with is donkey and asked them what the problem was. They explained that regardless of how they tried to force the donkeys across the river, the donkeys would not cooperate. The prospector laughed and said “That’s right, you won’t get them to cross with a stick!” The old man let go of his donkey, scratched under it’s chin, whispered in it’s ear, pulled a carrot from his pocket, broke off a piece and gave the donkey a little nibble. Showing the rest of the carrot to the donkey, the prospector walked through the river and the donkey immediately followed and received the rest of his treat on the other side.

Here is the HR angle. There are carrot people and there are stick people. There are also those who need a little of both. I know some people need motivated by the stick and that’s okay for them. As for me; I am not a stick person, but I’ll forge through rushing waters for a carrot! You can’t coach every player the same and you can’t manage that way either. When in doubt, lean toward the carrot.

Celebrities don’t mean diddly-squat to me, because their egos are huge, they think they are more important than the entertainment that they are, but mainly because they never tune in to what I have to say. Recently, I have to admit that I’m lending an ear to a very interesting person making news. In one of his many interviews a reporter accused Charlie Sheen of being bi-polar. His comment was “What does that mean?.. I’m bi-winning!”. Some little voice deep inside me said “Now there’s something I can relate to!”. I’m pretty sure we don’t agree on anything else, but I like the idea of bi-winning.

Bi-winning. What an awesome mental picture. I’m not entirely sure I can wrap my brain around the context it was used, but I sure do like the sound of it. How can you be bi-wining? Here’s my take (in my best Jeff Foxworthy impression).

- If your client comes to you for help on a tight deadline, and you deliver a day ahead of schedule, then you and your client just might be bi-winning.

- If you can bring a new solution to your client that your competitors haven’t thought of, then you and your client might be bi-winning.

- If your client is looking for a specific result but doesn’t know the steps to accomplish the result, and you show them the way, then you and your client just might be bi-winning.

- If you provide multiple solutions for your client rather than pigeon-holing them in to a single option, then you and your client just might be bi-winning.

- If your client comes to you with something they want to do and you give them a better solution and which saves them time, or money, or produces better results, then you and your client just might be bi-winning

- If your client has a challenge with which you don’t have the solution, but you introduce them to someone who does, you might be bi-winning.

- If you are referred by an existing client to a new client and you make it easy and enjoyable to do business with you , then you and your new client just might be bi-winning. OR You and your existing client just might be bi-winning. OR Your existing client and your new client might be bi-winning.

But isn’t that TRI-winning? And isn’t TRI-winning three times the value of bi-winning? Maybe, I like to think, I’m one up on Charlie Sheen.

“Can’t is the cancer of happy.” - Charlie Sheen (Okay, we agree on two things.)

Signing into a social media platform and not contributing is like going to a networking event, sticking your name on your lapel and standing in the corner. You come out of the networking event and say “Well that event stunk.” That doesn’t sound like a good way to make contacts, does it? Well it gets worse. Now imagine going to that event, but you are not standing in the corner. You are walking around and sticking your ear over the shoulder of a group in conversation. Here’s another scenario; somebody walks up to you and introduces themselves but you simply walk away without saying a word. If that’s your way of networking, then stay home, it will save more finger food for me.

If you are getting involved in social media, be sure you are committed to the “social” part. It’s called social media for a reason and that is because you are supposed to socialize; to connect; to introduce; to meet; to learn; to engage. Is it NOT called “Lurking Media” or “Talk to the Hand Media”.

Social media is exactly like a networking event. Here are some tips for being a better networker and getting more from your social media:

• Show up. It sounds silly doesn’t it? But you’d be surprised at how many people want to make new contacts, but never network.
• Introduce yourself, but don’t start your sales pitch. Shoving your business down somebody’s throat is a turnoff. Go stand in the corner with the lurker.
• Before you throw the iron bars of your privacy settings around your profile, remember that this is social media. You don’t have to reveal intimate details, but leave your privacy settings open enough that other can determine if you are somebody they would like to engage. If somebody looks at your profile and finds “Dan only shares his information with his wife and his mom”, then chances are you are going to move along right past Dan to the next person and never give Dan a second thought.
• Ask questions. Be genuinely interested in the person you have just met. Find out about their business, what their challenges are, and why they are there. You may have nothing in common with them, but you also may know somebody who does. The more you are interested in the other person, the more that person will find you interesting. After all, people love to talk about themselves.
• Get involved in topics of discussion or even start a discussion. The more you contribute RELEVANT information, the more you will be seen as the expert on the topic.
• Thank people for engaging in discussion and that you appreciated their input.
• If you really want to make an impact, go out of your way to get back to them with information or a contact that they were looking to make. They will be astonished that you remembered them. They, in turn, will want to go out of their way for you.
• Ask somebody you DO know to introduce you to somebody you would LIKE to know. The person making the introduction is like a bridge over the chasm of unknown-unliked-untrusted.
• Be cordial. If you engage in conversation and you are not comfortable, you don’t have to become their Facebook friend, LinkedIn Contact, or Twitter Follower.
• Be genuine. Successful business people are very intuitive and are able to identify that you are trying to be something you are not.

Finally, and most importantly, each new person you meet will know somewhere around 200 other people. Be careful of whom you are quick to dismiss.

CLIENT:  “How much does it cost?”

ME:  (Eye roll…obviously in my mind, but not detectable to my client).

“It’s not the cost of the unit purchased, it’s the value of the unit used.”

CLIENT: “That’s very good, but seriously: How much does it cost?”

ME:  “Seriously?  Do you want to buy something because it’s cheap or do you want it to buy something because it will work?”

“Do you want to buy cheap, or do you want quality at a reasonable price?”

“Do you want to buy more than you need to get the unit price down, or do you want to buy in order to get results?”

CLIIENT:  “OK, OK it get it! Just tell me the price!”

ME:  “The price is going to be less than it should be, because you will be glad I steered you in this direction.”

Granted, our clients do need to the price. But there shouldn’t be a cost involved. Cost is something for which you get nothing in return. It’s kind of like when my mouth engages before my brain and I throw sarcasm at my wife. That’s going to COST me. But, if I buy her a bouquet of exotic flowers (from my friend at Bloomin’ Genius), I’ve paid a price, but the return on investment is much greater than the price I paid. The value of the unit used is much greater than the cost of the unit purchased.

Now that I’ve taken something romantic and reduced it to a business decision and causing visible eye rolls from you ladies, I hope I’ve also made a clear point. STOP SELLING STUFF BECAUSE NOBODY WANTS TO BUY ANYTHING!” People make a purchase decision because of the potential value realized by using the item they just purchased.  Our job is to bring the value to our clients. I, for example, try to think “Can this product help my client in their business?” or I even ask “Do you think this would help you in your business?”

Approach your client with their needs in mind, your profit will follow. If you’re out there thinking how to make money, you’re not solving any problems. You may have short-term gain, but will be lacking long-term relationships.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to make a call to my Bloomin’ Genius friend to make a deposit on an investment in my marriage…because my wife deserves it; and she just brought me bacon and dippy eggs. I really am a romantic at heart. (OK ladies, you can stop with the eye rolls!)

During a particularly hectic business day, during a stressful business week, during a less-than-profitable business month, an office manager walked out of her office and screamed to the hard-working staff in their maze of assigned cubicles “Will somebody please tell me what is going on?”

At the time, I thought the manager had finally gone off the deep end. But in retrospect, I can’t help but think what a brilliant question; although I’m still convinced she did take that trip off the deep end. Do you know what’s going on in your business? Do you want to find out?

Ask any five employees with differing responsibilities what your business does. List the answers. Then ask five customers. Then ask five vendors. The fifteen answers now in front of you can reveal a lot about your company. If they are all consistent, then congratulations, you may already know what is going on. But chances are that the people you count on the most are all over the board. Your goal is to get everybody on the same page.

The message you are communicating to the marketplace needs to be concise enough that all employees can work toward accomplishing that message, your customers can tell other customers your message, and your vendors can provide better products and services to better help support that message.

A few months ago, I wrote an article for Dynamic Business (SMC Business Council’s magazine) that has come back to haunt me….IN MY SLEEP!

I wrote about ideas coming from the back of my brain to the front. Well this article came to me about 2:00 a.m. It infuriated me and I never did go back to sleep that night!

I am no economist nor do I care to be. I did, however, stay at a popular hotel chain last night…but I digress.

Before you decide which candidate you are going to vote for, please stop for a few minutes and listen to what they are promising to “GIVE TO YOU” or “DO FOR YOU”. Whatever your favorite issue is, let’s do some simple analysis. Whatever it is you think they are going to “DO FOR YOU”, you better start thinking about what that “DOES TO YOU.” Governmental programs with cozy names that sound like they do something good on the surface are paid for by YOU and ME, not big business and not the rich. Most of these programs also accompany a promise to increase the tax percentage of the highest income earners (the Man) or they require that businesses (again, the Man) provide their employees with Program X. Let’s look at how Program X is funded, shall we?

The Manufacturer who is now required to provide Program X to their employees (Add’l cost I) and their tax burden is increased (Add’l cost II), builds the cost of I and II into the manufacturing cost of PRODUCT. PRODUCT is sold, at a higher cost to the Wholesaler. Wholesaler’s normal markup percentage doesn’t change, but Add’l cost I and II are multiplied by the normal markup which increases the selling cost of PRODUCT. Wholesaler also adds into the cost of Program X into their cost of doing business which means at Wholesaler level there are Manufacturer’s Add’l cost I and II multiplied by their normal markup plus Wholesaler Add’l cost I and II. PRODUCT is then sold to retailer. The same thing happens at Retailer’s level. Add’l cost I and II from Manufacturer (X) normal markup + Add’l cost I and II from Wholesaler (X) normal markup from Retailer + Add’l cost I and II. Then PRODUCT sits on the shelf.

YOU and I walk into our retailer and complain about higher prices! At least we feel better because our favorite politician was elected and is “giving us” what we deserve through Program X. At least they’re sticking it to the Man.

OK, it may not be that simple. Maybe businesses try to keep costs down and run a little leaner. What that means is YOU and I work harder because the extra staff needed is not being hired because what comes along with that extra employee is Program X entitlements. On the other hand, maybe there are a few people who can be trimmed from the payrolls and along with those people go the costs of Program X. That extra person may be YOU or I. Now you’re unemployed but your consolation is the feeling that our favorite politician is sticking it to the Man!

WAKE UP PEOPLE! I’m going back to bed now I got that off my brain.

Nobody is ever going to buy your product unless they believe that what you are offering is actually going to do what you say it will. If you are a service provider, nobody will use your service unless you convince them you are for real. This is called credibility. If you are having trouble gaining new clients, try increasing your credibility factor. One way to accomplish this is to Google along with your name with your company’s name. What do you find? If you find nothing, then do something! Almost anything you do within your industry gets recorded by somebody, somewhere and listed on their website. Potential clients hear your voicemail (because they never take your call), and they MAY try to Google you to see if you are for real. If your Google results are very favorable, challenge them in the voicemail to Google you to find out more information. If you Google your name and you find something, start reading what you find. Maybe you don’t want your clients to know about that “incident” at the tailgate party. If that’s the case, don’t throw that challenge to your clients (but enough about me, let’s get back to the article). Your activity within your industry will also help to reassure your existing clients that you are doing the right things to continue to be the best to serve them better. Don’t count on your clients to find out on their own time. Let them know what you are doing and why you are doing it. While these industry activities do benefit you, remember that the ultimate beneficiary of your hard work and dedication is your client. And that is why you do what you do.

Get out a pad and paper and list the first 4,000 people that come to mind…I’ll wait.

OK, I’ll settle for the first 400…

The reality is that if you take the time you can come up with 200 or more people. Now, what if each of those 200 people was a potential client? That would be cool. What if I told you there is a way to get your message in front of 4,000 people on a weekly basis? That would be WAY cool! It’s called networking, and it’s a great way to have instant credibility with somebody you don’t even know.

When a colleague refers you to a third person, a certain degree of your colleague’s credibility is transferred to you through their existing relationship. In short, I trust Joe and Joe refers Kim to me, then there’s a very good chance I can trust Kim. There are several networking events through local organizations. SMC Business Councils has great networking opportunities you should consider as well as your Chamber of Commerce. There are also some great organizations dedicated solely to networking and referring. I belong to a networking organization (BNI) which meets weekly. I deliver a different message every week to at least 25 of my colleagues. If each of my colleagues knows 200 people, then every week my message can potentially reach 5,000 clients and I have instant credibility with 5,000 people I don’t even know. But there is a catch.

Any time a colleague gives you a referral, you better do everything you can to follow up quickly and professionally. The credibility that was transferred to you through your colleague is now on the table like chips on the blackjack table. Your friend is taking a chance on you and trusting you. You have the power to double his client’s trust in him or losing that same amount of trust. A referral is not to be taken lightly. If you follow through, you not only gain a new client, you now have access to their 200 friends. It doesn’t take long to exponentially increase your circle of influence.

After a big snow, I love it when my kids wake up and say “Dad, it snowed last night. Look at the snowman that moved into our front yard!” Yeah, that doesn’t happen. It’s usually something like “Dad, it snowed last night. Can you help us build a snowman?”

Well, as I explain to my kids, we can try. If the snow is not right, it won’t stick together. If there’s not enough snow, you can’t make a snowball big enough. The conditions have to be right to snow and the consistency of the snow has to be right. Good news; the snow is great for a snowman….let’s get started. First we have to gather a couple hands full of snow and mold that into a rollable, round little ball. Then we take our snowball place it in the ground close to where we want the finished Frosty to stand. We start pushing the ball around and around as it gathers more snow and gets bigger and it becomes easier to push and continues to grow and grow. At a certain point, that snowball gets harder to push and you make a decision. Is that base big enough to support the size of a snowman you want? OR, do we get somebody to help us to push that ball to make an even larger base to support a bigger snowman? Either way, the foundation is in place.

Remembering how we built the first foundation, we can either build on that or start the foundation of another snowman. Maybe we can have our friend work on the first snowman while we start on the foundation of a second snowman.

“DAD! GET TO THE POINT! WE JUST WANT A SNOWMAN! WE’RE GETTING COLD!”

Treat your business like you are building a snowman. A snowman doesn’t build itself just because you proclaim you are building a snowman.  It’s a heck of a lot easier if you do it under the right conditions. You need to be careful to make sure you get it started properly. Once you get the ball rolling, be sure to keep the ball rolling. At some point, you’ve got to make some personnel decisions. But a solid foundation is the key.

“DAD! WE’RE JUST SELLING STUFF FOR SCHOOL!”

OK, let’s go get some hot chocolate and hot coffee. Coffee is also VERY important when starting your business.

When you read the title of this article, you’re probably thinking “Who is letting this idiot write these articles.” Well, you can blame it on my clients…just hear me out.

I just came off one of the busiest months I’ve had this year. Yes it was a good month. It was a very good month. But, when I woke up this morning, I realized there was no emergency to tackle today. No clients needed that last minute project. Ahhhhh some down time. time to relax a little; take the day off; maybe some golf.

NOT SO FAST CHIPPY! Down time is when we need to work ON our business, instead of working IN our business. Working IN our business is what we find ourselves doing (but should avoid) when business is booming. Working ON our business is critical at all times, but should particularly be exploited when we are a little slow.

Marketing plans, goal setting, sales strategies, or even a good business book are all things that need to be addressed at some point at least once a year, if not once per quarter. The more we give these areas the attention they deserve, the more our business will keep us busy. Every business has a series of cycles during the year from high times to low times; peaks and valleys. We need to work ON the business to look at those valleys to find the shortest path to the next peak, keeping valley time to a minimum.

Just as we invest dollars to build our retirement portfolio, we also need to spend time to build our business portfolio. Maybe we could also spend a little of that cash we had budgeted for marketing to help in that effort. What? You cut that out of the budget during the last slow time? Well, that’s a good topic for another article, but in the meantime, shame on you.

So while you have the time, and time is money, at least spend it ON your business. Your handicap may go up, but so will your profit. One more thing; when you’re done, I’m free around 5:30 for a quick nine holes before dark.