Who me Officer?

Hi,early September is always a cool time for this Jones boy with a birthday and Fathers Day in close succession. This weekend was no exception with these two occasions happening on consecutive days !! Two days of pure indulgence and getting my own way…life doesn’t get any better! A motorbike cruise into some favorite city haunts including a visit to the newly refurbed Auckland Art Gallery was a highlight (check it out).Toastmasters impromptu speaking skills saved the day when I was required to explain to a police patrol dude why I had found it necessary to drive briefly on the wrong side of the road in Queen St !! Rather fortuitously I was let off with a warning although being disowned by my totally unimpressed pillion passenger was punishment enough!. Nothing has the potential to spoil your day more than that sinking feeling when you see the blue, red and white lights flashing and hear the siren. A lucky break $150.00 instant fine birthday present from the Government after some quick talking and sincere apologies to pillion and police ! (it was my day afterall !).  

I am one of the lucky ones for whom Fathers Day is still a two way street where I get to enjoy being a Father but also still have the chance to visit my Dad to recognise his huge contribution to my life. It is vital we say thanks to the important people in our lives as often as we can before we are no longer able to. To this end I hope all the Fathers out there were visited, spoilt or made the most of the occasion to catch up with family and friends this weekend. Roll on RWC 2011, go the mighty AB’s……………….. Have a great week……………..cheers Jonesey

Harry the loving canine son of the grumpy man said happy birthday and fathers day by digging up two of his favorite old bones and presenting them to me…thanks bud !

“Support, engage, educate.” CCINZ mission

I was lucky enough to spend time again with the highly professional Contact Centre Industry team at their annual conference recently.

Sponsors, exhibitors, suppliers and members all with a clear commitment to continuous improvement came together for a day of sharing, learning and networking.

It was a pleasure to be involved with such a diverse group that represented the cutting edge of an industry that has made big strides forward in recent times.

Some of New Zealands largest companies, organisations and government departments were represented. Many of these have contact centres with over 50 ‘seats’ taking 100s of calls from existing and prospective customers per hour per day.

I was particularly interested in the recent trends and statistics that were presented from surveys done on customer service levels . Even with the rapid convergence of technology and social media a whopping 71% of customers still prefer to deal in person with a contact centre operator.

This further reinforced my long held view that our success in life is largely dictated by how effectively we communicate face to face or person to person with each other. The most successful contact centres therefore are the ones where staff are well trained to communicate effectively, have a can do customer culture, team spirit, and strong ethics. They have quality staff who get regular recognition and they consequently have a low staff attrition rate.They have a strong recruitment process that allows time to identify and attract people who have the best fit with their business culture.

This is a recipe not only for the contact centre industry but for any business; clear effective communication,culture,teamwork and regular recognition,all working to produce satisfied customers, repeat business,referrals and vital new business.

Thanks again to CCINZ conference supporters for a timely reminder of the importance of effective communication with customers, a simple yet powerful ‘must have’ for any employee or business!

“If we don’t communicate effectively with our customers someone else will.” Jonesey

R, R and R

                                                      

Edition 105  Monday 29th August 2011

Hi,there is nothing better than taking a break. As someone who never used to take time out I am now officially converted. We took a couple of days and tagged them on to make a nice long, long weekend.You never realise how much you need regular R&R until you do this. Life doesn’t get any better than doing as little as possible in the longest possible time !...perfect, simple, and highly recommended, secret is to plan the next one NOW otherwise it wont happen .

While in holiday mode I took time to do something else I am not good at….read. I got stuck into the book ‘Tasman Trespasser 11 by Shaun Quincey, a great read about a fellow TGS boy who emulated his father Colin by rowing single handed across the Tasman. I have shared a poem from the book in ‘Selling the Sizzle’ that I think says a lot about life….feeling the fear and just doing it anyway, hope you like it……good book.

The less said about the ruggers the better apart from the fact that the better team won on the day ….and deservedly so. Roll on RWC 2011, bring it on, cant wait.

I hope you had a cool and relaxing weekend with family and friends, have a great week.

……………..cheers Jonesey

Harry the holiday hound wishes more holiday destinations allowed wonder dogs like him. He did however have a scooby Doo few nights sleep over with mate Harry Goodwin!

“You can, you will.” Shaun Quincey

‘Somebody said that it couldn’t be done

But he with a chuckle replied,

That “maybe it couldn’t be, he would be one,

 who wouldn’t say so until he had tried.”

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done

There are thousands to prohesy failure

There are thousands to point out to you one by one the dangers that will assail you.

But just buckle in with a grin

Then take off your coat and go to it

Just sing and tackle the thing

That cannot be done and youll do it.’

‘A poem written by an Australian schoolgirl to Colin Quincey, Shauns father ,after he had completed the first ever single handed trans Tasman crossing in 1977.

Says it all about life really.

“If you are what you’ve got and what you have got is lost, then who are you? You are defined and remembered by your actions not your salary.” Shaun Quincey

Saving, Kiwi style !!

Hi,I remember as a kid I was introduced to saving by the ASB from a very early age. Each Wednesday I would take my bank book to school in its special holders containing amounts of money I had managed to earn, save, cajole or amass by fair means or foul. The bank books would be collected  and then returned in the afternoon. I will never forget the thrill of opening the book and seeing the new balance recorded! Unfortunately I peaked early as a saver and battled to maintain the same disciplines as an adult. Recently I found a piggy bank in the shape of a rugby ball(of course) and have been regularly throwing loose change in it. I cant believe how good it makes me feel to do that. Amazing how something that simple can stimulate the old desire to save regularly,good message in todays world of the electronic and online payment. Its actually hard to end up with any cash or loose change in your pocket these days, so my message today…carry cash and save a little bit …often

I am also a Kiwisaver and try to allocate anything else I can when I can into a  savings account. Prior to actually stopping and thinking about it I didn’t even have a savings account, sad but true ! 

Speaking of no cash, we found ourselves at church this weekend at a family christening when the collection plate was passed around, it was quite noticeable to see how few present had any coins or notes, what next eft pos or cash machines at church? I felt good after being to church, always a good opportunity to reflect on ‘life in the fast lane’, nice also to be with family again.

I hope you had an awesome weekend in the sun with family and friends and you managed to recharge the batteries for another big week ahead, have a good one……………cheers Jonesey

Psssst Harry the ‘All Black’ hound says,don’t mention the rugby,Jonesey’s still very upset!

“You don’t get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate” Samuel Goldwyn

Do you pay the ticket price for anything or do you haggle to get a better deal?

You have heard the old adage, “If you don’t ask you don’t get” and it is true.

When I was a new vehicle sales professional we always maintained that “every prospective customer should have the opportunity to pay full retail”…and quite often people did without question!

Selling and buying is all about negotiation, how good do you feel if you buy something after negotiating a discount? Conversely how bad do you feel after buying something where you feel you paid too much or didn’t ask for a discount? Or how bad do you feel when you sell something for a giveaway price or match a competitors offer just to get the sale? Or conversely how good do you feel when you sell something at a fair price and good margin for your company?I can see you nodding!

Here are some simple negotiation tips when buying and selling;

When selling

• Establish what your customer is willing to spend, build desire to own your product/service
• Know your product (features and benefits) and your costs so you live and breathe its value.
• Start at a higher price so you have room to move if asked for a discount or value add
• Never give something in the negotiation without asking for something in return ie; longer term
• Know your competitors products and pricing,establish what your customer is paying already.

When buying

• Always ask for a discount or how you can receive some value added extras ie; free delivery?
• Never pay retail, do some market research and know what other companies are offering.
• Offer a low price so you have room to increase the bid if you need to.
• Stay calm and cool be objective rather than emotional.
• Be prepared to walk away or decline the sale and purchase,watch the effect on the vendor!

Negotiation needs to be a natural and accepted part of every sale whether buying or selling..go for it!

“Let us never negotiate out of fear.But let us never fear to negotiate.” John F Kennedy

"Family first Bro"

                                                      

Edition 103  Monday 15th August 2011

Hi, crikey snow predicted on the Bombays, ice, sleet and hail at the beach, time to hunker down against the crazy elements gone mad ! Just the time NOT to run low on firewood so a mercy pinecone mission to the forest was launched. An elite squad of collectors was assembled to gather the close and free source of fuel however one problem quickly emerged…as fast as the cones were gathered they were munched by squad members Harry, Kate and Oscar . No one told them it wasn’t a game !

The local and global weather isnt the only thing that is upside down at the moment as we continue to be bombarded with negative financial and social news locally and globally,the world needs time out!

I find the secret to staying ‘upbeat’ and above all the bad news is to focus on the things that are important to me. To this end we made the effort to make a long overdue visit on the weekend to see and be with family.It was cool to stretch the legs of the recently neglected Suzuki Retro rocket ship and to have a laugh and some happy family time.

Staying with the family theme we also treated the ‘canine kids’ to a ‘nose to tail’ groom with all the trimmings. I combed enough hair out of Harrys winter coat to make him another one ! Suffice to say we had the sweetest smelling truck on the way home with three squeaky clean hounds fast asleep in the back. Simple this family stuff , makes you feel good too…….so why don’t we do it more?, a question I often end up asking myself and one I shouldn’t have to…..note to self, family first bro!

I hope you all had a good weekend with family and friends and if you didn’t then you need to plan to make some time to next week. Don’t be left regretting you didn’t, refer family message above.

Have a great week ahead, cheers Jonesey.

Harry the pinecone munching hairy beast was a pussycat at ‘nose to tail’ under the warm running water, luxurious organic shampoo and warm blow drier!, you are a star bro !

“We don’t believe we have staff members; we have business ‘family’.” David Norman

This quote came from a recent speech by David Norman who along with his wife Anne presides over a group of companies ecompassing nine brands, 650 retail outlets and 10,000 employees in Australia and New Zealand. They own the Pascoe Group which includes iconic brands such as Farmers, Pascoes, Stevens and Whitcoulls amongst others. His speech was given at the couples recent induction into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame.

This information was taken from an article in the business section of one of the weekend papers. It took my eye because it talked about the importance of family just as I have done this weekend. It was also a motivational piece about a success story that inspired me.

The Normans clearly identified early in their business careers the key to their success would be determined by the quality and calibre of the people they employed. That quality and calibre developed through coaching, mentoring and leadership by example. They placed trust in the business family they built around them and they placed the highest importance on earning and keeping the trust of those they worked and associated with.

An inspirational success story about a ‘Westie’ couple who worked hard using simple but sound business principles based on their most valuable asset,the people they employed and developed.

These are the stories I look for in the newspapers bypassing all the doom and gloom referred to earlier. I find no matter how bad things might seem there are always ‘diamonds in the rough’ like the Normans success story that stand out and inspire. The fact that they succeeded in the cut throat ‘retail’ environment was even more sensational. I am glad I made the effort to read this ‘upbeat’ story. My simple message this week is;the end of the world is not nigh, it is a marvellous vibrant and challenging time to do business and we all need to read more upbeat stuff, celebrate others success and keep working hard toward achieving our own. Good luck, go for it.

“Trust is the emotional glue that binds ‘business families’ together” David Norman

"Our time"

Edition 102  Monday 8th August 2011

Hi, Crikey I have never seen so much hair, dust and cobwebs in my life. At least I know who to blame for the hair and the cobwebs but where does dust come from?....who is responsible?....funny what you think about when you are doing the housework! Yes a bit of a catch up/tidy up weekend indoors and outdoors at the Jones whare for things domestic…I know keeping up with us is tough sometimes!

Huge ruggers weekend as the mighty men in black retained the Bledisloe cup in a superb display against the Aussies, roll on Rugby World Cup now less than a month away! Richie and Dan helped us celebrate although Harry was less than impressed asleep on HIS couch! (see photo attached)

I know sport and rugby in particular isnt everything and that there are actually people out there who are interested in other stuff but ….it is hard not to get excited about RWC 2011 and our prospects.

I lost some interest in the game when it went professional however accept that it needed to do so to survive. For me the All Blacks will always be my passion regardless of what era, past or modern day. The hairs on the back of my neck and forearms will always bristle with pride during the national anthem and the haka. I will feel and make every tackle, glide through every gap, lend my weight at scrum and ruck and soar high to steal lineout possession alongside the players. I will celebrate and commiserate and have good days and bad based on the how ‘our boys’ go. Above all else my pride in being a New Zealander will always be synonomous with and galvanised by our national team playing our national game. Crikey, I cant wait…..bring it on, its our time.

I hope you all had a good weekend being a proud ‘New Zealander’ with family and friends

Cheers Jonesey

Harry the ‘All Black’ hairy hound cant understand what all the fuss is about and is definitely interested in ‘other stuff’ like sleep, bones,walks,depositing hair and more sleep!

“Experience is not what happens to you, it is what you do with what happens to you” Aldous Huxley

I have always tried to share my experience with as many people as possible. This has in turn assisted me to gain more experience and continually improve everything I do.

It is important to never turn down an opportunity to do this when it occurs. It is also a good idea to take note of things that happen in your life daily that assist you and may assist others.

‘Selling the sizzle’ is a good example of this at work. The examples I use in this note each week are living breathing things that happen to me or that I experience that I think may benefit others from being recounted. They are things that relate directly and contribute to a success or failure and how.

I gain from sharing these by reinforcing the message personally and from the feedback I receive.

Last week I accepted two opportunities to share my experience and continually improve , one was a chance to further enhance and develop my public speaking skills at a conference and the other was to be a mentor to additional toastmaster club members. Both will extend and challenge me to be the best I can be but will also make me more experienced and confident. They will both also give me great personal satisfaction.

Outside of the work environment I have coached sports teams from first year juniors to senior club level. There are some companies who encourage their employees to get involved with local clubs as coaches and give their employees time each week to devote to being involved. I guess my question to you all is “What are you doing with your experience?” Are you committed to continually improving?, are you putting time back into your career, a local club, charity or organisation? Time to consider how you can share your experience to assist others and yourself to  be the best you can be.

If you are already active doing just that, congratulations, if not then time to get cracking ! good luck!

“The longer you can look back, the further you can look forward” Winston Churchill

Harry the hound taking it all in with guests for the evening Dan and Richie....only at the Joneses !!

WELLYWOOD

Hi, I love Wellington, everytime I am there the weather is sensational and this weekend was no exception. We were lucky enough to be there to watch the mighty men in black destroy their traditional foes the Springboks! The southerly was fresh off the southern alps, the sky was clear blue and the sheltered pockets of sun were warm havens in all our favorite spots.We seized the opportunity to run around the waterfront boulevard taking in the majestic Oriental Bay.

It was great to get out of ‘Dodge’ for the weekend for a change of pace, scene and atmosphere. Life doesent get much better than following the AB’s,and exploring the myriad of historic buildings and funky retail outlets that abound the main streets, back street and malls of the Capital.

I was also lucky enough last week to attend one of the highlights of the Devonport RSA annual event calendar, the ‘mid winter xmas banquet’. President and Lady President Jim and Ngaire Jones (Mum& Dad) presided over yet another sumptuous feast. The ham on the bone and the christmas pudding with warm custard sauce again proved my undoing ! Numbers were noticeably down on previous years as the dwindling membership struggles with a more formidable enemy than the historical ones…….. that of old age ! It is the very reason to make the effort to attend as I know that sadly it will be the last time I see some of those present! I had a moving chat with 96 year old Battle of Alamein veteran Doug Rapley, he was amazingly sharp, accurate and humorous for his age. For example I asked him; “ to what do you attribute your longevity and good health Doug?”, quick off the mark he replied; “Clinton my boy, you must never have tonic with your gin !”, Onya mate. Good lesson here re not putting off till next time something you can do this time, don’t be left wishing you had made the effort, Im extra glad I wasn’t .

Hope you had a good weekend with family ,have a successful and fun week…..cheers Jonesey

Harry the loyal hound still cant believe he got left at home for the weekend, Onya mate!

“The goal as a company is to have customer service that is not just the best , but legendary”. Sam Walton

I have had a passion for selling for as long as I can remember. As kids we used to race down to the local landfill after school and hunt for ‘treasure’. A mates older brother who was smarter than us had us all collecting scrap metal on his behalf for a fraction of what it was worth! We soon cottoned on to that lark and cut him out.We eventually got banned after someone was attacked by rats as big as cats!(crikey imagine parents letting kids do that these days!)

I also remember selling the most sausages as a scout outside supermarkets, I still have the record for most sold in a day. I recall all I did was make an effort to engage people in discussion and the rest was history. These days you practically have to beg someone to serve you ! I wont ever forget the smell and feel of the cash in my hands as the sales mounted and the turnover rocketed. I was destined from those early days to always get a buzz out of serving customers and making sales.

I have always believed sales is simply a ‘transferral of enthusiasm from seller to buyer’ and that this is the fundamental role of the salesperson to perform, fair enough?,not so it would seem by the level of customer service and sales assistance I have had lately! With the Rugby World Cup a short five weeks away it appears businesses are still struggling to get it right?  Peoples initial and return business is not a given, it is a right and a privelege that has to be earned everytime a customer gives you the opportunity to do so. Attracting a customer and a reputation in the first instance is relatively easy when compared to the effort and energy required to earn it over again to maintain it. I reckon too many businesses in NZ are not working hard enough on transferring the enthusiasm to their customers and don’t even realise what they risk missing out on as a result………….don’t let it be you !!

“To my customer,

I may not have the answer but Ill find it, I may not have the time but Ill make it.” Ray Kroc

100 not out !

                                                      

Edition100 Monday 25^th July  2011

Hi, in May 2007 after joining Hirequip I wrote the first ‘Triple M’, the Monday Morning Motivator featured examples of cool and positive stuff happening in the company. It was designed to motivate and inspire staff by highlighting instances where customers expectations had been exceeded by going the extra mile. It was amazing, I always had more examples than I needed each week as HQ team members regularly contacted me with great stories. Each instance demonstrated their pride and commitment , it was particularly rewarding to deliver this message to all staff nationally each week. Harry the hound dog made his journalistic debut early on and went on to feature in every edition gaining more of a following than the founder and editor! The Triple M existed for two years and 99 bumper editions before being ousted in a military coup by the new corporate newsletter!  Battered and bruised but undeterred, from the flickering embers rose the pheonix………..’Upbeat’ from Monday June 8th 2009 featuring regular insights in to ‘keeping up with the Jones boy’ and ‘selling the sizzle’ but above all else emphasising the importance of being ‘Upbeat’. We were also lucky enough to secure an ongoing deal with Harry Jones which ensured his fan base followed us on the ‘Upbeat’ journey. Today we reach our milestone 100^th edition !!, its been a fun ride and I couldn’t have done any of it without your unconditional support and valued feedback, a BIG thank you to you all…..cheers Jonesey!

Harry the ‘Upbeat’ hound is fond of chasing people on a bike, I have had to take it off him!

Harry the happy hound wants a holiday but doesn’t know  what to do because lying around doing nothing is his job !

“Upbeat” the word says it all anyway you write it, say it, read it and live it”.....Jonesey

“Im a fan.Im just so excited.Its fun,its upbeat.These kids don’t think they can lose.Thats the attitude you have to take.” Bob Castellini

“I just love him.He’s such a positive upbeat person and his work reflects that.”Patty Clausen

“It was her upbeat nature she smiled all the time,laughed all the time, a very peaceful nature.” Tina Singleton

“We chose her because it is a story we don’t often hear anymore. Also she is so upbeat and she really does tell the story of making the most of absolutely nothing.” Maxine Durst

“Its always upbeat. You want to dance to it. Its fun,that’s what its all about.” Joe Thomas

“Our staff is very upbeat about the coming year and the Board is very excited about our plans.” Marilyn Langenheder

“When I talked to him , I really liked his attitude. He’s young and really upbeat.” Bob Horner

“Joey’s always very encouraging, very positive and upbeat That’s why he is a captain as a junior.” John Quinn

“Dan was a real upbeat person, a dedicated employee and an all round nice guy.” Ginny Dyche

“Coach was always keeping us upbeat and a lot of those games came down to who is a better coach.” Joe Harden

“Share prices gained due to upbeat sentiment.” Hiroyuki Nakai

“Despite her situation, she always had a very upbeat attitude.” Mary Burke

“I want to play an upbeat style with skill and energy. I think hockey needs to be fun for the players. You want to create an energised environment that allows that to happen.”Keith Allain

“He is genuinely excited to be where he is . He’s always smiling. People gravitate toward people who are upbeat.” Terri Weir

“It was an upbeat message that basically said ‘Im the person your’e looking for.” Jack Edwards

“One of the most upbeat people I have ever coached…and it becomes contagious.” Mark Scott

“Being ‘Upbeat’ is an attitude, a habit that needs to be formed and repeated daily” Jonesey