The big OE

Edition 83 Monday March 28th  2011

Hi, there is nothing better than getting away for the weekend especially when you go overseas! We headed to the family holiday home on Waiheke Island a mere 45minutes from the grid locked chaos of downtown Auckland. It is so cool to get away from the city for a break, just a couple of days is like a week away.  The decision to take the motorbike had the potential to ruin hair, clothes, holiday and relationship but due to some skillful driving and a lot of luck we stayed together and relatively dry. The visit was long overdue, I had forgotten what a jewel this special place is in Aucklands crown… if you haven’t been for a while or ever, then why not plan a trip there with family or friends soon.

After our recent trip to Taupo we promised to get away more often on the weekends so we programmed this one in and several others going forward. Its good to have something to look forward to and always fun to visit different or favorite places. The Waiheke trip was also another tick on the goal list as I had promised Mum and Dad I would get there before the end of summer. Good feeling when you make a commitment and then actually deliver on that promise…good boy jonesey.

I hope you all managed to stay dry and have a relaxing weekend as well… Cheers Jonesey

Harry the hound was tired & tight muzzled about the state of the house and the party his brother had on Saturday night!

“Trust is the emotional glue that binds suppliers and customers together” Brian Tracy

I am in the middle of a deal at the moment and there are two major competitors chasing the same sale. The point of differentiation I have established is ‘trust’.

I have worked hard to earn the trust of my customer where my competitors have focused on rushing in to present features , benefits and price all the good old traditional sales tools and techniques. My aim has been to get to know my customers business so well that they see me as an integral part of their future. This involves building trust and thinking like a  member of their own team. This has taken time but has been well worth it as I have established a strong bond with the husband and wife owners of the company that has seen me gain the inside running to win their business.

My competitors have started to bad mouth me to the customer and apply closing pressure to them in an attempt to win the sale. This has done nothing but increase my chances of success as their approach has hindered rather than helped their cause. The amazing thing is that both competitors have the experience and the ability to do an excellent job however, instead, their approach to winning the sale has been unprofessional, complacent and aggressive.

Building trust and rapport will win this business for our company, ‘complimenting rather than competing’ is why we are the preferred supplier and why there is daylight between us and the others. This has been a good lesson for me and one I wanted to share with you . My advice to you is to forget going for the jugular and instead spend time listening and earning the trust of your staff and customers and you will find you will be more successful in any situation. Good luck.

“It takes years to build up trust and only seconds to destroy it”  Zig Ziglar

TRI Hard

Edition 82 Monday March 21st  2011

Hi, “Clinton Jones…you are a triathlete!”, yes ladies and gentlemen the mid life crisis career has been officially launched! On Sunday I woke at sparrows and joined hundreds of others at Maraetai in East Auckland as a perfect day for destroying old bodies, reputations and ego’s dawned. The water was crystal clear and flat calm as the hooter heralded the frenzied start of the swim. 500 frantic metres later I emerged like a creature from the deep and then made my way awkwardly like a fish out of water,a tad disoriented, trying desperately to remember where I had racked my bike! Having perfected my wetsuit skin peel last week I was soon cleeted permanently to the bike pedals cranking along trying to remember the expert advice I had about the 20km cycle? It went something like 5km spinning,5km building,5km sprinting,5km spinning and above all stay hydrated. Well I forgot it all but I can confirm my head and both wheels were definitely spinning and I was thirsty! Having disregarded the cycle leg advice led to an amusing transistion from bike to run as I initially fell over and then wobbled along like rubberman unable to feel my legs for most of the 5km run distance!

Apart from the varying degrees of panic I was in from start to finish the day was an adrenaline pumping buzz and I will never forget the feeling of total euphoria at having finished my first event. It was a great experience and one I plan to repeat again at Mission Bay next month once the feeling returns to all my muscle groups! I hope you all had a equally rewarding weekend, Cheers Jonesey!

Harry the hound had a happy time out West running riot with Oscar and Kate staying over!

“My father gave me these hints on speech making: Be sincere…be brief…be seated.”   James Roosevelt

I have always believed that the level of success in our business or private lives can be directly attributable to how effectively we communicate with other people. This might sound obvious but how often do you hear people say the biggest problem at work or home is ‘lack of communication’. This can be between departments, divisions, branches, management and customers at work or between family members at home. So how do we improve our communication skills?...

I have always liked the sound of my own voice so I joined Toastmasters 20 years ago, what I didn’t realise was that this organisation teaches you to listen twice as much as you speak ( a good skill to have at work and at home don’t you agree?). Toastmasters was foundered in 1924, there are thousands of clubs all over the world including hundreds meeting here in New Zealand every week.

I am on my Toastmasters soap box again because last week our club Central Park in Auckland organised and ran a demonstration meeting to showcase our club to guests and prospective members. The meeting came at the end of an extensive 2 week Toastmasters advertising campaign that generated unprecedented interest nationwide. NOW is a good time to look up your closest local club and find out what the excitement is all about.Take a positive step toward overcoming one of the biggest fears people openly admit to having, the fear of public speaking. Along the way you will improve your communication and leadership skills whilst meeting like minded, motivated people that will be good for your career and private lives, CRIKEY what are you waiting for visit a club this week !

“Communication is to relationships what breathing is to life” Virginia Satir

Caught Napping !!!!

                                                      

Edition 81 Monday March 14th  2011

Hi, I remember my dad used to have afternoon naps on the weekend and I always wondered how he could sleep during the day? Well Ive now figured it out its because he was exhausted and sleep came easily to him, just like it did to me on the weekend as I also napped during the day! It may have had something to do with all the energy I used up getting in and out of my special ‘second skin’ triathlon wetsuit, crikey what a mission, must have looked hilarious on Pt Chev beach doing battle with it !

I love the weekend but have been guilty over the years of not making the most effective use of the those precious two days. By applying some thought to the process you can even afford to have the odd nap or two and still get the most out of the weekly break.My secret is to start the process on Friday by making them exciting build up days where you can infect everyone with happiness by reaching out and touching the weekend it is so close ! Form this habit and an ‘Upbeat’ buzzy Friday effectively becomes part of the weekend!...Then you need to take note of the ‘message to self’ from last week to get away more often and ACT…so we did,and duly booked some more weekends out of town not too far ahead. This is exciting and something we are looking forward to, I wish I could keep a secret because it is quite fun to make them a surprise for partners and family… too exciting for me. Weekends are precious and have taken on a new importance for me,I hope you also treasure these two golden days and always plan to  get the most from them…Cheers Jonesey

Harry the happy hound has perfected the art of the weekend nap morning noon and night!

“Person stand for long time with mouth open before roast duck fly in” Chinese Proverb

In my current role I am often out of the office driving too and from organised meetings and site visits so… last week I decided that each time I would take time to do one cold call each time as well.

I am out of the office approximately twice a day so this would mean at least 10 cold calls per week or nearly 500 calls per annum. If you applied the 10 calls for 1 order theory to this call total it represents 50 new customers per year.Sales is a numbers game and this simple maths proves it …so why do so many sales people struggle to make sales and achieve budgets? The answer is lack of planning and a reluctance to develop a simple plan like the one above and stick to it. The most successful sales people are not rocket scientists, they are organised hard workers who are disciplined and habitually work their plan.

Planning, persistence and perserverence are words we all hear on a regular basis,they are the corner stones of any successful sales career.Customers like to deal with people and companies that are proactive and innovative, not companies that ‘stand for long time with mouths open complacently waiting for the roast duck to fly in’.The reality is sales people cold calling will win ‘ roast duck’.

Back to me…(its all about me afterall!) my basic cold calling plan has had a significant impact on the customers I have called on and has netted me a number of new business opportunities as a result of timing, my good looks and natural charm. One new customer goes out of his way to tell our directors how impressed he was with my original cold call each time we call (cost me a small fortune).

“Fail nine times, stand up ten”. Japenese Proverb

YOU are an IRONMAN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                      

  

Edition 80 Monday March 7th  2011

Hi, 8 hours 39 minutes and 8 seconds unbelievably just another day at the office for Cameron Brown the NZ Triathlon legend as he cruised his way to a record 10^th NZ Ironman title in Taupo on Saturday. No one in the history of Ironman has won the same competition 10 times anywhere in the world ! Just in case you didn’t know the Ironman requires competitors to swim 4km, cycle 180km then run a marathon distance of 42.5km to finish off! The pro’s are tucked up in bed whilst the part timers are still out there over 15 hours later in the dark having also started their swim in darkness early that morning. Hard for us mere mortals to comprehend but amazing how many are out there doing it !

Everyone competing from Cameron throughout the 1500 strong field down to those embarking on their first Ironman had a personal goal to drive them. The atmosphere was electric and inspirational.We are glad we made the effort to get to Taupo to experience this amazing event and as it turns out, history in the making !. I came away determined to also become an Ironman one day. Hard not to want a piece of that action after being there first hand and feeling the emotion, the pain, the determination and the the ultimate satisfaction generated from every competitor. The first step on my the pathway is frighteningly close as March 20 Maraetai looms…..bring it on I say !

There is also something great about getting out of town for the weekend, its like having a week away. We re-acquainted ourselves with RotoVegas and loved our day in Taupo at the Ironman…note to self, need to do this more often . I hope you had an equally rewarding weekend with family and friends,… Cheers Jonesey… (PS; thanks for the awesome feedback on last weeks “Upbeat”)

Harry the super fit hound would be a starter for an “Irondog” series if one was organized!

“Amateurs hope. Professionals work” Garson Kanin

My Ironman experience last weekend reinforced the importance of a totally professional mindset. Sure our ‘elite’ triathletes are full time professionals but the Ironman event demonstrated the  amount of training,commitment,focus,time and dedication obviously required to succeed.  Presenting themselves in the best mental and physical condition was clearly paramount.

Made me think about the importance of applying this philosophy to our business and personal lives. This led me to thinking about how little ‘time’ and ‘focus’ most of us seem to ‘dedicate’ to personal ‘training’ to ensure we present ourselves in the best ‘condition’ to perform at work, in the community or at home. Then I had an idea about how I might change that, which got me thinking about a couple of recent and seperate events linked to training opportunities. This in turn created a new business idea that I am now pursuing as a result of connecting a whole lot of previously unrelated dots!

Amazing what you can do when you are inspired by others and apply a professional approach . Also incredible how connected and close we are to a multitude of ideas, support and resource without realising it. Each of us needs to take time to develop a professional mindset that will help us to be the best we can be in our chosen field but to also help identify and create new ideas and opportunities.

“You have to perform at a consistently higher level than others. That's the mark of a true professional.” Joe Paterno ex Penn State Football Coach

Wake up call....time to live.....NOW !!!!

                                                      

Edition 79 Monday February 28th  2011

Hi, there isn’t one of us that wont be affected in one way or other by the recent devastation and tragedy in Christchurch. Some have family, some have friends directly involved whilst others like me are totally blown away by the damage, the suffering, the despair, the courage, the strength and the heroics of the past week.

What a wake up call for us all about life , for me it reinforced and reminded that we don’t have an absolute right to be here. We are here but for the grace of God and we need to be grateful not complacent or arrogant about that.We talk a lot about the importance of family and friends and for making time in our lives for them. We talk a lot about goals and having direction and purpose in our lives.  However it is not until things like the events of the last week do we realize that life is not a rehearsal. It is the real thing, the time clock is ticking and we need to make the most of every minute because sadly you never know which one could be your last or that of a loved one.

Rest homes are full of people with regrets, time to use recent events as a positive influence on you and yours so that you don’t join them one day. This may sound harsh and unfeeling but I believe apart from offering our emotional and financial support to our fellow New Zealanders we also owe it to them to make more of our lives while we can. I plan to use recent events in the South Island to inspire and motivate me to do more of the things I am too fond of just talking about getting round to!

I hope you took time on the weekend to catch up with family and friends and to say a prayer for those battling away to deal with challenge and adversity in the South………Cheers Jonesey

Harry the ace rescue dog is ready for the call up should he be required.

 “When someone says “life is hard” ask them “compared to what?” Cameron Brown(Ironman)

We talk a lot about competition, price, recession and stuff we obsess about and think affects  us in business and selling …..but do we have that much to complain about really???.

When you consider the huge challenges faced by our colleagues in Canterbury I think you will agree our issues pale into insignificance. This says to me that our issues are not that great in the bigger scheme of things and we should all face reality and grab an O.A.R. at our place and start paddling flat out. The acronymn O.A.R. standing of course for us all accepting Ownership, Accountability and Responsibility for our situation and making the best of it rather than lying in our own B.E.D. Blaming others, making Excuses and Denying we are part of the problem. Time to accept we have a major role in working out solutions to our own problems rather than expecting others to do that for us.

Cantabrians have no choice, all those fit and able are grabbing an OAR bending their back in support of each other in this time of crisis. They are a shining light of example to the rest of us, many of whom are like minded but may have become complacent about what is required on an ongoing basis to succeed and continually grow and improve……..wake up call NZ…………keep pushing!

“You don’t get to choose how you’re going to die or when.You can decide how you’re going to live. Now !......... Joan Baez

Dusting off the 9ft 6in wonder board !!!!look out world !!

                                                      

Edition 78 Monday February 21^st  2011

Hi, ten years ago I moved to the West Coast nor west of Auckland. looking for a lifestyle change and i a good place for Harry the hound to grow up. There was heaps to do with the beach and the Woodhill forest near by. As mentioned in previous issues I was always weary of West Coast beaches so I had resisted the urge to tear off madly into the frothing furious water…until now!

One thing I have always wanted to do was learn to surf so about four years ago I bought a 9ft 6in board from Cash Converters (that well known surf shop). Up until Sunday that board has hung in my shed longing to hit the water. So on Sunday I decided enough was enough and in typical bloke fashion tore off madly into the frothing furious west coast surf only to be dumped back on the beach, board and all with a thud by a rogue wave!. Hmmmm what happened to the lessons?… they(the ones catching all the waves) say lessons can save months of getting sat unceremoniously back on the black sand! The positive for me was getting the board wet ticked off another personal goal… YES !

Lesson one),if you want to do something new ,take time to learn some tips , it will pay off big time. Lesson two)…don’t sit there thinking about it, “just do it” anyway, wish I had sooner, its so worth it.

I hope you had a great weekend with family and friends, have an awesome week ... cheers Jonesey !

Harry the west coast hound still hasn’t stopped laughing about my random attempt to surf!

 “Life consists not in holding good cards, but in playing those you do hold well”

Differentiating ourselves from our competitors is a way of overcoming the focus on price by both buyer and seller. I am personally involved on a daily basis… Here are a few simple things we are  working on that our customers tell us our competitors are ignoring…opportunity knocks.

Personal

·         Sharp appearance, clean shoes, clean clothes, clean car,common courtesy, listen.

·         Pre and post meeting calls to check on and thank customers for time, listen.

·         On time, organised and prepared for meetings (ok ok I said ‘working on’) , listen.

Business

·         Listen to all feedback , willingly make changes to benefit staff and customers.

·         Under promise and over deliver, communicate and work together to perform.

·         Recognise staff and customer performance jointly work as part of each others teams.

These are just a few of many things we can all do to differentiate ourselves without mentioning $$$

“ Golden Rule of selling…Listen to staff and buyers as you would have them listen to you”

Raw talent and belief !!!

                                                      

Edition 77 Monday February 14^th 2011

Hi, I was lucky enough to attend a concert this weekend where some talented young musicians with an obvious passion for their music wowed those of us privileged to attend. The average age of this group was 16-17 years and their performance was amazing, it was impossible not to be inspired by their raw talent, commitment and energy.

It felt good to be supporting an event that recognized this rising talent and all things good about the amazingly gifted young people we are surrounded by. It was obvious these kids were energized by the support, something I am sure gave them a huge buzz and encouragement for the future. In a world where they receive more than their share of negative publicity it was a positive change.

I also had a cool time on the Suzuki rocket ship ticking over the 20,000km mark for weekend freedom blasts. For those of you wondering, Maverick is still hopelessly in love and the Trumpet Daytona is lonely at home in the garage, sad but true!

I hope you had a great weekend with family and friends, have an awesome week ... cheers Jonesey !

Harry is a happy hound having his brother home from Sydney and the lap top incident well buried … although no new evidence has come to light … surprise, surprise grrrrrrr.

“People buy what they want,when they want it more than the money it costs” Zig Ziglar

In todays competitive dog eat dog world the price we sell our products and services for is constantly under pressure and threat from our competitors. Our customers are looking for ways to cut their costs and make better margins themselves so they can compete and stay in business.

In this environment the hardest thing for us to all do is to keep our pricing at a level that ensures our owners and stakeholders get a return on the investment they have made in us and the companies we all work for ….I know I know you have heard it all before I am sure, why , because it is important!

So, how do we ensure there is still a buck in it for us?......by selling the sizzzzzzzzzzle of course instead of dropping prices and losing credibility and customers.  Here are some fundamental rules I regularly use to get around the price issue;

• You must believe in your company and what you are selling with a passion, emotion sells.
• Never match opposition pricing, think of ways to outsmart your competitors
• Establish points of differentiation between you and competitors, what do you do best?
• Don’t be worried about walking away from deals that don’t make you a buck
• Build bigger stronger, closer relationships with your customers

“Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten” Gucci family slogan

Toastmasters.....mad if you dont !!!!!

                                                      

Edition 76 Monday February 7^th 2011

Hi, it would have been easy this weekend to ignore the events scheduled and play west coast hermit after what was a hectic short week. I ignored the urge and made the effort to support the friends and associates that had taken the time to organize events and invite me.

I was so glad I did as things worked out perfectly in the end and I felt great about supporting people important to me and enjoyed their subsequent positive reaction. I know the easy thing to do would have been to flag it but its often the simple little things we do that make the biggest difference to us and others in our lives … good lesson and reminder for me about time investment.

I was helping a good friend shift some furniture during the week and had my lap top stolen from the car in a busy inner city street while we were bringing a couch down from an upper apartment floor. I had left Harry the super hound in the car with the window down for him thinking surely no one would steal anything while this big black menacing looking dog was there … wrong. It would be fair to say we are only just on speaking terms and after hours of dog  interrogation I am no closer to finding the perpetrator ! (he probably licked the bandits hand and face while I was being robbed blind !!).

I hope you had a great weekend plus looking forward to another huge week, cheers Jonesey !

Harry the waste of space watch dog reckons he cant be blamed for an obvious lack of judgement call by the self proclaimed Jones family alpha male !!! (gggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrr)

“Communication is to relationships what breathing is to life” Ralph Smedley

Our success in life can be directly attributable to how effectively we communicate with other people. This adage applies equally to both our business and personal lives. The opening quote is by Ralph Smedley who founded the Toastmasters Organisation way back in 1924!

I spent time presenting on the weekend to a Toastmasters training seminar. It was a huge buzz for me to be invited to participate and a thrill to have the opportunity to make a difference to other like minded people.

I have been a Toastmaster for nearly 20 years, I joined the organisation because I wanted to develop my communication skills in order to be a better sales person, manager, parent, and partner. To be perfectly honest I also joined because I love the sound of my own voice quite a bit too (you always suspected but now you know !!).

Communication skills are learned and developed through the “use it or lose it” method, the more we prepare and present the better we get. Toastmasters provides a warm and supportive learning environment and equips members with the skill and confidence to succeed personally and in the business world. March 1-15^th is Toastmasters fortnight in New Zealand, why not get along to your local club and see what all the fuss is about http://www.toastmasters.org.nz/ ,feel the fear and do it anyway!

“We all have butterflies in our stomach, toastmasters gets them flying in formation”

M.A.D. Triathlete !!!

Edition 75 Tuesday February 1st  2011

Hi,  I always remember being a large (wide) kid (some who could run faster would say fat !) I prefer to say I was a chunky, solid sporty sort who was very fond of food and beveridge. This didn’t really change over time so I naturally had a constant battle with the scales…………………until now!!!.

The new Triathalon training me went shopping last weekend and without really noticing too much (yeah right!) was pleasantly surprised to have reduced both trouser and shirt sizes!!.…YES , you will have to be quick to keep up with this Jones boy !!(that’s what I am hoping anyway). Many years ago I had a goal weight I used to aim to get down to , it would be fair to say that weight was never seriously under threat however has now been reached. Wow what a great feeling. If you are in the same boat no matter what your goal might be, stick with it, there is no bigger buzz than reaching a goal that you have worked long and hard to achieve.

Got to love long weekends !, I hope you got busy doing some serious relaxing either in the sun or maybe hunkering down during the storm !.....weekends rock so  make the most….cheers Jonesey

Harry the cool canine got his second # 1 shave for strutting the black sand…….way cool dude !

 

“Selling has to be the most exciting thing you can do with your clothes on” John Fenton

Firstly, thanks for your feedback on last weeks sizzling advice about going M.A.D., glad you had some fun with it.

Speaking of fun I hope you are having some in your job?, are you excited about what you do?....does it spin your wheels, rock your world? Do you get up and feel like you cant wait to get to work? We spend a lot of our week at work (30-40%)  so it is  important to be happy and stimulated there. If you answered no to these questions…then what are you doing about it? Easy to say I guess in a tight labour market but is it that tight out there for good people?How much good are you doing yourself or your employer if you are not having fun?. Happy employees = sales, profit, job satisfaction, recognition and happy customers.

If you are loving your job then make the most of it and use that high to maximise every opportunity, avoid the temptation to coast.  If you are hating your job then maybe it is time to reassess what you want to do and either change direction or find a company that  provides an environment which encourages you to have fun while succeeding. Life is too short to drink bad coffee, bad wine or dread work….time to appreciate your current role or look for another one!

“Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life” Confucius

Fitzy and Zinny....the rescue mission !!!

Edition 74 Monday January 24th  2011

Hi,  there is a hunter and collector lurking in all of us, personally I blame inorganic collections and trademe !!. I LOVE collecting stuff, the older the better, my special  passion (weakness?) is rugby memorabilia. Last week I mounted a successful trademe rescue mission which saw the rightful return to Auckland of two of our greatest, Fitzy and Zinny !!. No price too high to pay to get the boys back to the city of sails. Ok so they are only cardboard but it’s the principle of the thing……..Invercargill….crikey! The boys happily joined JK, Dan, Richie and Grizz in the collection ! (can give yourself a fright if you forget they are there when you walk in the room!)

Harry and I braved the storm on Sunday to support team Ngatira in the local womans triathlon. Another inspirational event where most were competing in a triathlon for the first time. This combined with a recent visit to Mount Maunganui to watch the half ironman event has made me determined to compete in my first event in April ( Jonesey goal with a deadline !!).

I hope you had a happy and relaxing weekend with family and friends……….cheers Jonesey

Harry the opportunist hound managed to get his photo taken for the Tri NZ mag& website !!

 

“Your goal should be to be M.A.D……everyday”  

I was encouraged to get your feedback on last weeks ‘Upbeat’ re goal setting. It is good to hear so many of you have committed your goals to writing and included realistic deadlines.

Are you M.A.D.?....if not then you should be !, Making  A  Difference is something we should all be striving to do every day. The goals we set ourselves should be geared toward achieving this objective……let me give you a recent, personal and powerful example…..

Last week I witnessed a rescue at our local surf beach where a couple of exhausted swimmers were saved from a vicious rip . Sure this happens every day on the west coast but this was different as it was dusk and well after surf patrols had finished for the day.The swimmers were saved by two local boogie boarders who risked their own lives in doing so. I was in the water at the time but lacked the confidence to assist . It was the worst feeling in the world and one I felt determined to never experience again . To this end I have set myself the goal of joining the local surf lifesaving club to get the training necessary to ensure I can Make A  Difference in future.

A good example of how we can use real life experience to shape our goals and build confidence !

“You must have long range goals to keep you from being frustrated by short range failures”