Abes bagels/Mums scones !

Edition 118 Monday 28th November 2011

Hi,talk about fear, I have never known anything like it and hope I don’t ever again…yes the old Auckland Sky Tower was certainly responsible for instilling the fear of heights in me. It was about this time each year that my dad used to take us to the Farmers Trading Company building in the City as a Christmas treat(yeah right). The trip included some christmas shopping, lunch, hooning around the legendary rooftop kids playground…..and a visit to the ‘sky tower’ viewing platform. Unlike its modern day Sky City equivalent the Farmers tower still ranks as one of my worst childhood memories. So you wont catch me lining up to visit our customers on the highrise building projects around town. This was something I sheepishly recounted when asked to talk about my worst fears at a Toastmasters meeting recently……interesting how you wish you could but you never do forget this embarrassing stuff.

Thankfully the weather gods smiled favorably on the Green Gorilla sales team as we took time out to recognise and celebrate a busy and successful year of taking on the big guys….well done team, long may the fun and excitement continue.

Mums fresh baked scones and jam provided an afternoon tea  highlight on the Sunday motorbike ride to Devonport as we had fun relaxing with family and friends and making the most of the weather.

I hope you also got a chance to relax and catch up with friends and family this weekend to recharge the batteries in anticipation of another big working week ahead….have a good one, cheers Jonesey !

Harry Jones is loving his new improved and enlarged back yard, lots of room for good mates Oscar and Katie to create havoc in the hood.

Failed in business in 1831

Ran for the legislature and lost in 1832

Failed once again in business in 1834

Sweetheart died in 1835

Had a nervous breakdown in 1836

Lost a second political race in 1838

Deafeated for Congress in 1843

Defeated for Congress in 1846

Defeated for Congress in 1848

Defeated for US Senate in 1855

Defeated for Vice President in 1856

Defeated for US Senate in 1858

The man was Abraham Lincoln, elected sixteenth president of the United States in 1860.

I had such a cool week, it started amazingly with heaps of feedback from so many of you about positive customer service experiences, thanks to all of you who took the time to share ‘upbeat’ info.

Then after a lean couple of weeks with following up proposals and sales tenders it all happened and we got some long awaited authorisation to proceed from some of my oldest quotes in the system ! WINS are beautiful when you have pursued them so relentlessly without getting the nod, what a buzz. The amazing thing is that it becomes infectious and we found that by feeding off each others success we ended up having one of our most successful new business sales weeks ever!

Just like with Abraham Lincoln’s track record above the key thing he never stopped doing was believing he would ultimately be successful….like all good sales people ! It is hard to stay positive at times when it seems everything is against you or things are not looking likely to break your way. I never stopped believing we could win the business but I would be dishonest if I didn’t admit to having lots of doubts along the way,awesome feeling, looking forward to working hard for more wins soon.

“Frustration,Aggressiveness,Insecurity,Lonliness,Uncertainty,Resentment,Emptiness-these are the elements of the failure(F.A.I.L.U.R.E.)mechanism.These are the enemy.” Maxwell Maltz

Razzle, Dazzle !!

                                                      

Edition 117 Monday 21st November 2011

Hi,its hard to beat the adrenalin rush of a motorbike ride, it has been far too long since the Suzuki Retro got to stretch her legs, memo to self don’t let it happen again this Summer. We took the opportunity to check out some of the worlds best triathletes this weekend in the Auckland ITU event on the city of sails waterfront. How cool to see Andrea Hewitt, Kris Gemmell and Bevan Docherty on the podium and at the top of their game on the world stage…..roll on London Olympics ! Certainly made me keen to get back in to it in the new year all going well. She is a tough road saving the planet but hey someone has to do it and this weekend I was on call representing Green Gorilla Bins at the coal face, the sharp end of the environmental cutting edge. It was a buzz as all hell broke loose and our customers got into the building, construction, DIY swing of things. It was a pleasure to sign plenty of business as the enquiry came thick and fast, thanks to all our customers for their continued support and positive feedback. I love providing exceptional customer service and it is especially rewarding when good service self fulfills and manifests itself into referral and additional business.The personal touch combined with a small willing and enthusiastic team determined to deliver on the service promise is a powerful combination for any business. I was encouraged to dig out a framed poster I bought at the Avondale Market a few years ago that says it all in my view. It is a picture of a giant lion and says…….”Customers are King in our business, customers make paydays possible” The poster has pride of place at my desk. I never thought I would enjoy working the weekend so much, crikey making money is simple and can be lots of fun.

I hope you had fun too this weekend with family and friends. Have a great week…..cheers Jonesey!

Harry Jones the planet saving hound is a proud member of the Green Gorilla team!

I saw this poster on a Toyota dealership wall once;

What is a customer?

A customer is the most important person ever in this office…in person or by mail.

A customer is not dependent on us…we are dependent on him or her.

A customer is not an interruption of our work…they are the purpose of it. We are not doing them a favour by serving them…they are doing us a favour by giving us the opportunity to do so.

A customer is not someone to argue or match wits with. Nobody ever won an argument with a customer.

A customer is someone who brings us their wants. It is our job to handle them profitably to them and ourselves.”

Ever since seeing this I have used it in every role I have ever held in a company. It says everything about the importance of customers to a business. It is a creed or ethos that should be followed by every business. Ideally,every employee should refer to this before , during and after every day in a business serving customers. As my $10 poster from the Avondale Market above so rightly said without customers paydays are not possible. We would all do well to remember this in our jobs because it is obvious that a number of businesses lose sight of this and struggle because of it.

This weekend has been a timely reminder for me and for us all as we approach an important part of our financial year where making every post a winning one is essential prior to the break….good luck !

“Customer service isnt about satisfaction. Its about dazzlement.” Chip R. Bell

Ordinary bloke, extraordinary New Zealander!

                                                      

Edition 116 Monday 14^th November 2011

Hi, the road back to fitness is a long winding one, there is the odd hill for good measure. I have had setbacks and these have thankfully been off set with some little wins along the way. I will never underestimate the importance or value of fitness and health nor will I ever not listen to my body again…..time is a great healer. That said I am ahead of schedule (of course) and happy with my progress. No,Cameron Brown the champion Iron Man is not shaking in his boots yet but he needs to keep an eye out.Boris the injured Jones cat is also proving time is his best friend as he continues to recover slowly. The minor birds who nest annually in our letter box are thankful Boris is temporarily off the predator list! After making do for a number of years with a make shift BBQ and resisting the temptation to upgrade I finally weakened, mortgaged the house(again) and got a new one ! Crikey it is scooby doo, almost too scared to wear it out, I am sure I will get over it as the summer and festive season approaches rapidly…..bring it on.  

I hope you had a relaxing weekend with family and friends. Have a great week, cheers Jonesey!

Harry Jones the #1 BBQ assistant hound chef welcomes the new oven with open paws!

“It has been very humbling. It shows that New Zealand is full of good bastards.”

Jup Brown….Kiwi Legend

I love reading inspirational stories about ordinary blokes or blokess’s just like you and I who achieve extraordinary things. I have been following one such story about someone who fits the bill perfectly.

Jup Brown is definitely one of those people in my eyes. He has just completed a run of 2900km in 67 days through New Zealand . That is one and a half times the length of New Zealand and 40-50km for every day along the way! The 38 year old plumber from Wanaka ran to raise awareness and money for The Stroke Foundation. Tragically there are 45,000 stroke survivors in New Zealand who need help to reach their full potential.

He was inspired and accompanied by his good mate Nick Chisholm, the amazing thing about that is Nick became a stroke victim as a 27 year old after a rugby accident. It left him unable to walk or talk! Incredibly Jup ran a 100km fundraiser earlier that raised $40k to buy Nick a special bike so he could make the NZ run! Two ordinary blokes combining their amazing enthusiasm and determination to do their bit for many other similarly affected kiwis, an extraordinary success story

I remember watching an interview on Campbell live as they set off and being moved to tears as they were both interviewed with Nick answering questions by pointing to letters on a board that made the words of his reply !...incredible. I will also always remember Jup saying to the reporter that the marathon he was about to embark on had taken on a special significance as his dad had also recently had a stroke! In classic bloke style he had said to his dad after the stroke “you better not die mate or I will come to the funeral and punch you in your coffin.” The following is a powerful extract from the article that sums it all up perfectly, I hope you get something positive from it to launch your week!

 “Jup has simple advice for people who are battling adversity in their own lives:”Keep trying and believe that nothing is impossible. We all have challenges in our lives but you never know what you can achieve if you keep at it. Dream big because you determine whether you will get there or not. I know that after running this I will never say that something is impossible again. But the best advice I can offer is…get a lot of people to support you. The people I have met have given me the power and mental strength to achieve this.”

“There are always people worse off than me, and we need to remember that” Jup Brown (ordinary bloke, extraordinary New Zealander)

Funny that.....

Hi ,funny, if trees could talk I am sure they would laugh and joke when they watch us religously sweeping up leaves underneath them! I particularly hate trying to sweep a leaf that is lying shiny side up as the broom slips across the top, I get ratty and tired with those ! Funny what you think about when you are doing this monotonous yet semi- enjoyable weekly task. I remember one of my first jobs involved sweeping leaves in autumn from under the giant oak trees lining the streets of Devonport. On a windy day there were more leaves falling than I could ever hope to sweep, nearly killed me trying to keep up….must have looked hilarious to the locals who all stopped to admire my desperate efforts. All that aside our yard briefly looks nice after it is swept although probably to the total amusement of the big Pohutukawa on our boundary. Funny also how good having a swept yard can make you feel along with other simple stuff like walking the dog, planting vegies and sowing a new lawn,rigging a new clothesline,cleaning out chest of draws and wardrobes or hanging a favorite picture . These were all things we managed to get done this weekend after promising ourselves to do so for a few weeks. Most satisfying and rewarding to sit back and admire some honest toil around the homestead.Funny again how it is the simple things that don’t cost you millions of dollars or too much time yet give you the most simple joy in life. Funny how easy it is to lose sight of that sometimes as we all seem to be moving so fast these days, slow down sweep some leaves, watch the new grass and plants grow and soak up some of lifes simple pleasures see how much better you will feel…….funny that!

I hope you had a relaxing weekend achieving something you have been meaning to do too with family and friends. Have a great week, cheers Jonesey!

Harry the hound loves his new lawn and is doing his bit to landscape and fertilize it!

“Our job is to avoid the pitfalls, seize the opportunities and be home by six oclock”

 Woody Allen

I am the official timer at our next Toastmasters meeting. It has been a while since I was the timer and it is a timely (excuse the pun) reminder of not only the importance of the role but for me the importance of staying on time generally. The role of timer is as it suggests is to keep the meeting on track and ensure that every role in the meeting is timed and stays to the agreed time. One of the great things about Toastmasters is that everything has a time allocated to it. This assists members to prepare material that fits with the time allocated to each particular task. I am looking forward to the role and to organizing myself to be able to do the best job possible in assisting the ‘Toastmaster’ run another effective and powerful meeting.

So that is the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of the Toastmasters role, now what about me as an individual?? A different story, as I mentioned recently about my driving habits, I have a bad habit of not allowing enough time to get to meetings and always have to rush meaning I am invariably late…..not a good look ! Have you noticed when you are running late you get every red light and end up behind every grandparent heading to the local housie or RSA meeting (sorry Mum and Dad!) but its true ! What is it with that?  Or…..I will leave it until the last minute to prepare a presentation, tender document or quote after in some cases having had weeks to do so ! And then I will rush around panicing to get the thing done on time unsettleing everyone in my wake and ending up with a rushed job and often placing the business at risk. A former manager once said to me “CJ you have all the time there is and no one can give you anymore” How true that is, “like the hour glass of time, these are the days of our lives.”So my advice to you in true Toastmasters timer fashion, two key things;1)You live in Auckland,always allow extra time to get where you are going and get there early and 2) Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today!

“Next week there cant be any crisis. My schedule is already full.” Henry Kissinger

Who you gonna call?

Hi , I have never liked surprises and believe it or not I also dislike being the centre of attention! Bit strange for someone who has always loved the sound of his own voice!!

I was however totally surprised on Saturday evening to receive unexpected recognition from the Central Park Toastmasters Club at their 20 year celebratory dinner. I joined in 1991 and am currently the longest serving member something I was vaguely aware of but never that fussed about.

I was reluctant but honoured and proud to be recognised by my peers for my contribution to the club over the years. When you love doing something,you do it with enthusiasm and passion so you never notice the time it takes or the years that roll by because you always receive more than you give.It has never been about me, my buzz, my return on my investment of time and energy is delivered via the development and growth of others. Mentoring and coaching people I have met in, or introduced to, this excellent organisation has been one of the most enjoyable and rewarding things I have ever done. Like anything we do I firmly believe the more you put in the more you get out x2.

Conversely a lack of commitment, enthusiasm or passion will invariably result in failure. Again like everything in life there is only one person that can make that call about anything we do…yes YOU !!!

We did a bit of our own ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ on the weekend catching up with Mum and Dad for brunch on Sunday, crikey we have to that more often. Unlike many others I know I am lucky to have two healthy happy parents living close by so need to make the most of that !!! hmmmmmmmm I hope you had a good one with family and friends, have an amazing week,…… Cheers Jonesey!

Harry the hound bet me I couldn’t write without using the r (rugby) word, hows that bro!

“It is never over until the fat lady sings” Dan Cook

Although Hayley Westernra would have something to say about this famous quote above it is invariably the larger singers in the Opera that signal the finale.

Just like a good special events rubbish man knows….”the event is never over till the last piece of rubbish is removed”

Crikey we had been doing a perfect job for 12 days from delivery on the 14^th right up to extra service and removal on the 26^th! Most events last a couple of days but the Taste of Auckland event ran over 2 weeks from set up to pack down. A real test for the budding Green Gorilla team but one we looked in the eye and fronted up for with our A game.

Instructions were clear Victoria Park was to be handed back to Auckland City in sparkling pristine condition by 2pm on the 26^th. Our bins were to be removed no later than 1pm, the team was briefed and we were sailing along smoothly until the unthinkable happened……..

A late influx of over sized rubbish that would not fit into the remaining bins, no trucks or larger bins in sight or likely to be, deadline approaching, organisers and Council sign off/hand over approaching.  After almost 2 weeks of perfection it all came down to this, 2 large rolls of soggy carpet and the 6mx3m Audi sign stood between the GG team and stardom only one thing for it….time to call GREEN GORILLA MAN!   As fast as a speeding Ford Mondeo and fresh from a recent spinal reconstruction he swung into action and with the amazing help of the tallest Hirequip Manager in the country impending doom and special event disaster was averted as the offending oversize matter was removed with 15 minutes to spare. The clean sheet perfect record was maintained on the surface and by all appearances but like a lot things behind the scenes she was a thin line of 15minutes between hero and zero !!,bit like ‘that game !!!Remember Hirequip corner of Daldy and Packenham streets Auckland City for all your hire requirements !! Its never over till its over, don’t count your chickens before they hatch and never underestimate a GREEN GORILLA haha… have fun and a big week.

“Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough” Og Mandino

'Top of the World'

                                                      

Edition 113 Tuesday 25th October 2011

Hi , as far back as I can remember I wanted to be an All Black. There was always a special aura, a magical mystique around the men in black for me. The local park became the famous stadiums around the world as my All Black team hand picked from neighbourhood kids took on the world.

Every spare daylight hour after school and weekends was spent kicking, passing and tackling our hearts out as we emulated our heroes. I remember I fancied myself as a bit of a cross between the power and speed of Bryan Williams with the elusive silky skills of Sid Going and the strength and toughness of Colin Meads !. Crikey those were heroic days as I fearlessly led my team to so many hard fought victories. That was of course until I got home caked in mud inches thick much to my mothers horror, there was only one winner in that encounter..love you Mum. Funny thing, those back yard test matches produced a string of future representatives in local and national age group teams!

These fond memories came flooding back to me as we celebrated the success of the 2011 All Black team winning the Rugby World Cup this weekend after what was an epic battle with a fired up and passionate French side. Here was a team of men who as kids always wanted to be All Blacks, who emulated their heroes in back yard test matches growing up, who pursued their vision and realised their dream of winning the ultimate prize. Captain Fantastic Richard McCaw and his team learned some tough lessons along the way but perservered to provide the country with the perfect finish to an outstanding tournament. What an awesome way for the team to thank New Zealanders for their unconditional support, passion and enthusiasm. It was hard not to get caught up in the fervour that swept the length and breadth of our beautiful country. It feels great to be a New Zealander right now as yet another generation of kids heads to the local park or back yard to emulate their heroes and so the legacy goes on……long may it continue!!!

Hope you had a great long weekend celebrating with friends and family……….Cheers Jonesey

Harry the hound had his paws over both our eyes in the last 20 minutes, crikey 8-7 !

“Don’t sell me clothes. Sell me a sharp appearance, style and attractiveness.

Don’t sell me insurance. Sell me peace of mind and a great future for my family and me.

Don’t sell me a house. Sell me comfort, contentment, a good investment, and pride of ownership…

Don’t sell me things. Sell me ideals, feelings, self respect, home life, and happiness.

Please don’t sell me things.”   Every Buyers Plea

We had another huge week for business as there was plenty happening in the build up to and over the long weekend.

The business we generated was from special events and one off requests for equipment and services. The main reason we were successful in winning this business was because our competitors couldn’t be bothered providing solutions to event organisers specific requirements.

The amazing thing we learned from our success in winning this business was that because our competitors were not prepared to go the extra mile we were able to secure this business on our terms. In gaining the customers respect, confidence and trust we were able to provide solutions that exceeded expectations that our customers were prepared to pay for the peace of mind of having.

What a pleasant change this was to the normal day to day battle with the same competitors who either get legally threatening or drop prices to prevent customers from joining the green gorillas!

We had fun replacing the No’s with Yes’s and making revenue with profit for a change !

Simple message here, there are no road blocks when you go the extra mile ….good luck.

“When we take care of our customers we take care of ourselves.”  Green Gorilla Bins

Green Gorilla Marketing !

                                                      

Edition 112 Monday 17th October 2011

Hi ,Ive always been an impatient driver, probably something to do with the fact I leave it till the last minute to go anywhere which means im habitually running late. I know there is an obvious cure (allow more time…right!)….however in the meantime the marketing gods have intervened and I now have a branded car ! Nothing transforms behaviour on the road quicker than company branding. In a win/win move the innovative Green Gorilla brand (complete with Gorilla….see attached photo!) have more brand awareness and a model driver courteous to all others like never before.Its taken a bit of getting used to but I admit I needed to settle down a bit!(spent a lot on therapy to be able to tell you that!)…….so look out for the Gorilla on the highway soon!

We had a fun weekend at one of bookabach’s finest remote retreats relaxing, can you believe there was no TV so we listened to the Wales v France ruggers semi-final on the am band radio, it was so cool, must have been amazing all those years ago listening to Winston McCarthy before TV coverage……bummer for the Welsh as they did everything but win. We were home in time to watch the mighty All Blacks overcome the Aussies, roll on the final, “Its Our Time”, Go The AB’s.

Thanks for all your kind  messages about Boris last week, he underwent reconstructive surgery on his smashed femur and is recovering well unlike his Father who had to re mortgage the housre to pay for the surgery !!

I hope you had a cool weekend with family and friends and that you are all looking forward to another busy and successful week leading to the long weekend and Cup Final !......Cheers Jonesey

Harry the sleek black hound had a cool weekend staying over with his bro Harry Goodwin

“Brand, Brand, Brand, Branding is everything” Richard Branson

I read an excellent article over the weekend about Richard Branson where he talked about the importance of branding. I thought it was quite relevant to me given the recent car branding exercise we have embarked on. The value of any business can be amplified by branding. Branson urges businesses to find what makes them different and better and to milk it for everything they can.In the beginning it was just about the business;now its about the brand” says Branson “Outstanding brands are  built around great people who deliver consistently great customer service every day”

Whether you have a product, service or a brand it is not easy to start a company and to survive and thrive in the modern world.In fact you have to do something radically different to make a mark today.

To this end at Green Gorilla recycling and refuse services we have deliberatly set out to challenge the industry status quo , to create a point of difference and to fill a gap left by the failings of other companies. We are striving to continually innovate and introduce new services that have previously been ignored or rejected by our competitors. The new branding on company vehicles is radically different and eye catching. To add to the branding I am going to also wear a Gorilla mask when in the traffic too and from work!!! If that doesn’t get noticed I am sure nothing will ! Certainly be a talking point for commuters on the North Western motorway !

So whats this all about,its about being different, its about your brand, is it old and tired or are you always thinking of ways to refresh it or the range of products and services you provide. What are your competitors doing and how can you stay one step ahead of them? By infusing new ideas and energising your colleagues to always be thinking about doing things better or different, good luck.

“Diversify to thrive, enjoy it, remember its ok to fail on the road to success” Richard Branson