Fittest Shark in the West !

Edition147 Monday 16th July 2012

Hi,I am addicted to exercise 7 days per week having developed a program that is daily habit and second nature. The secret to the programme is its diversity as it is split into three sections; Running Monday,Wednesday,Friday approximately 8-10km. Pumping iron in the Muriwai Gym Tuesdays and Thursdays and Swimming 1km Tuesday, Thursday in suburban pools as time permits and Saturday/Sunday at the local pool in the wild west. The theory is that by mixing things up the aging body gets a chance to recover in between sessions. It has worked well but isnt without its moments and risks….for example;

My run is at 5.20am and takes in the local West Coast Beach which with its black sand in the darkness can be a bit of a lottery like last week when I came across a 4-5 foot shark washed up that appeared dead. I gave it a wide berth and continued on to the the turn around point, then to my horror on the way back the shark had disappeared!!!, needless to say I gave the spot a wider berth!...little sharks have big parents and friends! Then there is the Muriwai Gym that doubles as the man shed and canine accomodation/leisure centre!! One has to juggle bench press, sit ups  and squats with licks in the face from Harry and the Hendersons, firewood and latest DIY projects. Last but not least the 1km swim 4 days per week where depending on what suburban pool you end up in you run the gauntlet on picking up every disease going, sneezing and coughing uncontrollably afterwards just to keep the programme ticking over. All that said it is hugely worthwhile to have developed the exercise habit and to have the obvious benefits. With the impending birth of another son I am determined to be the fittest 50 plus year old father going. Plus I want to look younger so our son doesn’t notice until I am well past 60 that I may be a little different in age to other parents. Getting to this point and maintaining the program is all about commitment, passion,discipline, habit and making sure I get plenty of rest along the way, why dont you join me??

We had a cool time on the weekend and cooked some delicious date scones in the new oven,Yum!!!!

I hope you had a great weekend doing fun stuff with friends and family,Cheers Jonesey

Harry and the Hendersons reckon the shark was more like 2-3 not 4-5 foot long..dreamer!

“If you don’t close you are working for the competition”Alfred Tack

Continuing with the ‘Integrity Selling’ theme of recent weeks we have had examples of how to and how not to Approach and Interview propspects and we have heard about how one sales person has used valIdation to reinforce and recommend the product they are selling. The remaining steps in the sequence are the Negotiate and Close steps and really if the three previous steps have been followed religiously they should not take much doing at all. In fact they should come naturally and without the drama sometimes associated with closing deals.

I prefer to approach the negotiate and close steps as a summary of the facts established leading up to asking for the order. Having listened to the customers requirements and establishing their needs clearly you will have hopefully come up with a solution. This will have been validated by you throughout the sales process by referring to other satisfied users or by physically demonstrating your solution being used by others . In an ideal world this will then result in the sale being asked for and made with a minimum of fuss. If however the successful close is not forthcoming then you can refer back to the information gathered and agreed through the previous stages to again get agreement on the requirement/need and acceptance that your solution will solve/improve the situation.

Integity selling is not a process you will pick up overnight it is something that needs to be practised and developed as a habit hence the need to read the book several times to reinforce the process.

So, regardless of what role or industry you are in this book has a message for all….good luck !!

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

Cooking with gas

                                                      

Edition146 Monday 9th July 2012

Hi, it is amazing what you learn to cope with or go without sometimes! We havent had an internal oven for nearly five years and existed with 2x electric cast iron elements for nearly ten years! Why?, good question, I guess because they were diagnosed as ‘beyond repair’ and I never got round to getting them replaced. I used to cook outside on the barbeque in all weather and attempt to prepare gourmet cullinary delights on the hot plates that featured two speeds, flat out=burnt or off= undercooked! Yes I was a real catch but needless to say I was saved by the much needed womans touch. Then,together with the associated added female motivation/organisation came the recent replacement of the wall oven, hob and dishwasher for the dearly departed and redundant incumbants. WOW I cant believe how easy life is with everything functioning as it should or how clean and uncluttered I want to keep the entire area now that I am spending more time there! Time to dig out the cook books and fight for game time on the kitchen playing field….bring it on master chef!!

What a cracker weekend with heaps of sunshine, a spin on the motorbike with the family, carrot cake muffins(icing to die for) from Blossoms café on the way,a couple of auctions started on trademe and lighter school holiday traffic flows to look forward to again next week,folks I can safely say life doesn’t get any better.

I trust you got lots of enjoyment from your weekend as well and that you had some time to relax and have fun with your friends and family. I also hope some of you have been able to take some time off with kids during the holidays. Have a great week ahead, cheers Jonesey.

Harry and the Hendersons were well behaved and spoiled by the contractors onsite last week. They all continue to perfect their ability to soak up heat rays from sun and fireplace.

“Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing”Oscar Wilde

After wearing my current work fleet of shoes(the princely sum of 2 pair)literally into the ground and suffering from the resultant wet and the cold I was finally motivated to buy a new pair.

Instead of buying a couple of cheaper pairs like normal I thought it was time to splash out (a little) and buy a quality pair….afterall no one ever regretted that right?

Well what an experience that turned out to be. Instead of a nightmare like last week I was served by a professional who asked me open questions and listened to the answers. “How much walking in a day did I do?, what profession was I in?, what did I want the shoes for?, where would I wear them most?” WOW here was a person who wanted to make sure I got the right pair of shoes and who took time to ensure we achieved my goal. His Approach and Interview were superb,then after establishing my requirements he proceeded to Demonstrate two models that would easily fulfil my needs. He also valIdated the choice by referring me to the number of that particular pair he had sold and to professional people just like me. Just to make sure I was sold he mentioned two prominent Auckland businessmen who shopped regularly at his store. Then while he had me totally captivated , confident and at ease with him and his approach he asked me if I had shoe polish as the leather needed to be cared for properly. Now because I wanted my shoes last a long time I wanted to care for them correctly so I purchased the polish. Then he recommended that for the leather sole to have longevity that a special cover be fitted which I duly signed up for. All up  the shoes complete with extras did cost me more than I normally pay but at no stage did I feel pressured or harrassed into purchasing. In fact I enjoyed the experience and have decided I will be back for another pair this week. I consider I got a quality product sold to me by a professional salesperson who cared as much for me as he did about making the sale. All this,while he served two others at the same time WOW what a difference.

“Where trust and rapport are high, selling pressure is perceived low.” Integrity Selling

Love and Marriage

                                                      

Edition145 Monday 2nd July 2012

Hi, a man doesn’t mind giving up his indoor ‘bloke cave’(man study!)complete with ruggers memorabillia and bookcases full of bloke annuals, war comics and Tin Tin epics but…. Crikey at the very least wouldn’t you have thought Dan, Ritchie,Fitzy or Zinny would have survived to provide future inspiration to a growing lad?? Alas I am afraid all four missed the cut and were sadly voted off the new baby room island! To be fair it is probably a bit early to be influencing young Fletcher into the oval code that obviously. There is plenty of time to get the boys involved with his upbringing, who knows I may even be able to sneak Uncle Grizz in holding the world cup full of iced steinies from the 1987 celebrations!!!....maybe not, I wont push too hard. Well,as you have probably guessed the DIY team finished the refurb of the old study and it is now the superb new babies room complete with all the gear awaiting the arrival of the new occupant at 48….not long now !!

Apart from making a major effort to launch the comeback of the sock and jandel look the weekend revolved around baby central with the final push to complete the room and the ‘to do’ list. It is an exciting time for us both as we think we know what to expect but wouldn’t have a clue really !! You see it has been a long time between celebratory drinks and nappies for us both . Our sons are 24 and 29 respectively and whilst there are still regular Al Bundy type cash investments in their futures they are pretty much living their own lives.So back to square one and looking forward to becoming new parents all over again complete with the challenges and excitement we are sure that will behold. Into the home straight, finish line in site, and we cant wait…….bring it on…………..watch this space.

I hope you had an awesome weekend and managed to stay warm somewhere with friends and family. Have a successful and satisfying week ahead , take care……..…Cheers Jonesey

Harry and the Hendersons throw more mud around the car after their walk than a team full of rugby players.Crikey,not good when the boss or a customer jumps in your car!!!

“We have two ears and only one tongue in order that we may hear more and speak less.” Diogenes

I talked last week about the ‘Integrity selling’ process. It is a six step approach to selling contained in the anogram A.I.D.I.N.C. The letters in the anogram stand for Approach, Interview,Demonstrate, Validate,Negotiate,Close.I know the Validate step is represented by an I but you will have to wait !!

I want to talk about the first two steps related to an experience last week. The approach and interview steps are linked closely to our quote above as they represent two steps where the customer not the salesperson should do 70-80% of the talking. Unfortunately this is not something many salespeople are any good at! My example was a classic ‘how not to’ approach and interview!!

I was called on by a calendar salesman who had asked for 15 minutes of my time when booking the appointment.To follow the integrity selling model he should have planned to listen for at least 12 minutes of the 15….yeah right. After speaking continuously for the first 20 minutes where I calculated he said the word ‘ok’ nearly 50 times he eventually stopped for air at which time I seized the opportunity to say “you asked for 15 minutes, clearly you need more time , can you please let me know how much more so I can allow for it?” He responded by saying “ you want fast, I can do fast” and proceeded to race through the rest of what could only be described as a combination of all the integrity steps rolled into one and in no particular order ! It was ugly and unpleasant and I couldn’t wait to get rid of him….not what he or I was hoping for that’s for sure.

Why do so many sales people think it is all about them?, this was a huge wake up call for me and a graphic example of what not to do. My caller didn’t even ask if I was the decision maker or try to find out anything about me or our business (questions and listening). So the lesson for all of us is step 1 and 2 is about establishing a connection and a need and involves listening more than talking…simple?

“Talking is sharing, but listening is caring.” Zig Ziglar

The life of Riley to be sure.

                                                      

Edition144 Monday 25^th June 2012

Hi,there is no excuse for not taking regular leave especially these days with four weeks annual entitlement. I am someone for whom this gem of wisdom took far too long to sink in,but never again.

We had an awesome break recently where we relaxed and fully recharged the batteries in preparation for the final countdown to the birth of our precious son. I read a couple of books and took advantage of the opportunity to take some real time out from the normal day to day.It would be fair to say we made sure we had the life of Riley….I havent met this guy but he must have some life that’s for sure. One of my regrets from the past is that I did not take more leave especially in school holidays so there was more work/life balance. This is however something I am already planning to do going forward. What have I learned?....there is only one person responsible for planning your leave and that is ….you. If you procrastinate sure you will have more leave but it wont be any good to you or your family if you end up injuried or in hospital or worse case scenario you have the misfortune to die from over working/stressing! So if you have not planned your next break then you need to do something about it now! It doesent have to be weeks away,it could be an extra long weekend…..just do it. School holidays start next week, if you have school age children then you need to make sure you are taking some leave to spend quality time with them….you havent got long to organise that so make the effort now. Don’t be regretful like me, make some positive changes. If I am preaching to some converted leave takers out there then congratulations, well done you are on to it and obviously better organised than I was. Speaking of leave,I hope you all had a cool weekend with family and friends,what about those All Blacks! I hope you all have have a happy and safe week…Cheers Jonesey

Harry and the Hendersons love it when Uncle John house sits. All the rules go out the window and they have the life of Riley. Takes us forever to reclaim the bed and the remote!

“Simply stated, many buyers don’t trust salespeople…for as long as I can remember, salespeople and customers have been pitted against each other in an adversarial relationship, one where someone wins and someone loses! Traditionally salespeople have been taught that selling is something that you do to someone , not for or with someone. No wonder some people don’t trust salespeople!” From the introduction to ‘Integrity Selling’

One of the books I read on my recent holiday Integrity Selling by Ron Willingham.

Some of you will have heard of ‘Integrity Selling’ and some like me will have spent time studying and practising the principles of this selling process.

Integrity Selling is a simple process and there is a detailed program available if you want to embark on the necessary training required to live and breathe the steps daily.

The program is expensive and whilst the information is excellent like most training programs it is dependent on who delivers the program and how regular the follow up is or how committed the trainee’s are to implementing the program in their day to day selling activity.

I am one who went through the program but didnt follow through and implement part or all of the simple six step process and therefore wasted the investment made in the training. You definitely get out of any training what you commit to putting in to it and I have always felt disappointed for not making the effort to put more in to enable myself to benefit more from it.

So , hence my reading the book to revisit the principles of this selling process. One of the things that stands out for me is the insistence by the author throughout the book to reread chapters and make  lists and key notes to ensure each step is filed in the readers subconscious memory banks for use.

I hope to recount some of the key points and steps of the process complete with real life examples over the coming weeks , but in the meantime you need to get a copy of this book and start reading!!

“Integrity and high ethics are accepted as the basics for long term selling success.”

Dont serve me....dazzle me

Hi,hail Selleys ‘no more gaps’ the part time home decorators best friend. Long gone it seems are the days of putty and plaster paris and thank goodness I say! I never realised there were so many cracks and holes in the ceiling and walls until the Jonesey DIY machine rolled into the old study/new babies room. Stopping gaps has come a long way since those memorable stints helping Dad in his painting business in the school holidays. The cruel irony being that he contracted to the then Education Board painting schools inside and out pretty much all the time ! So I never got to actually leave school in the holidays I found myself back there painting one!! My dad had two good pieces of advice;

1)    Think of the money son!!!

2)    If you don’t do well at school you will be back with me painting them forever !!

Both motivational pearls of wisdom in their own right !!!

Anyway back to things baby,I can report the room is slowly taking shape and after many attempts a cot, push chair, changing table and various other pieces of new born paraphenalia were assembled.To all you blokes who think you know better out there please be advised of the following;

     1)Refer to the instructions and read them first!!

     2)If all else fails refer back to the instructions!!

Enough said,crikey there has to be a business opportunity there somewhere!?

It was great to settle down in front of the fire and the telly on Saturday night with the chilly Sou wester howling outside and watch the mighty All Blacks take Ireland apart at the garden of Eden ! 

The World Champions have started the season in fine style, long may it continue.

We are taking our own advice and having an extra long weekend for some time out so ‘Upbeat’ will also take a break and be back to you Monday 25^th June,until then, be ‘upbeat’and take plenty of care.

I hope you all had a great weekend with family and friends,…….have a happy week…Cheers Jonesey

Harry and the Hendersons thought better of offering DIY and assembly advice to the grumpy man.They danced a couple of Irish jigs during the footy in front of the fire! Scooby!

‘Customer service, oxymoron, expectation or entitlement?” good  question

Last week I called in to ‘Just Water’ to pick up a 15 litre Vitablast bottle I buy regularly from them. I am always greeted by office staff with a smile and prompt friendly service, last week was no exception.Once I had paid for the product I was directed to the warehouse to pick up the bottle.At the warehouse I was greeted by a staff member who proceeded to ‘run’ over to serve me!. I didn’t expect that to happen but was impressed with the effort all the same. He smiled and organised things promptly,loaded them in my car and said thank you with a huge smile…..WOW, I was dazzled by the entire experience.I tell as many people about Just Water as I can because their service like their product is refreshingly different.Not many companies or customer experiences make me feel like that. I know I talk about it a lot in this section but to me this is what selling the SIZZLE is all about. Think about the bbq sausage sizzle outside your local supermarket or hardware store every weekend,what gets you interested?,its not the greasy sausage, it’s the smell and sizzling sound of it cooking that gets us excited and motivates us to buy one!

It’s the same no matter what we are selling,its about providing an easy environment, a set of circumstances leading up to the sale that make it easy for our customers to buy. The term ‘customer service ‘ is an oxymoron in many businesses because there is no commitment or focus on delivering quality service. This can be turned around simply through strong effective ‘leadership by example’ and an individual and collective desire by staff to create and sell the Sizzle. When I was in a national  role the best branches in the network were those where the branch manager led by example from the front spending time at the coal face with ‘sweat on his or her brow’!! ..my advice, Just do it!!!

“Customer Service isnt about satisfaction. Its about dazzlement.”

Happy 3rd Birthday Upbeat

Edition142 Tuesday 5^th June  2012

Hi,welcome to the three year anniversary edition of the ‘Upbeat’, 36 months and 142 editions on I am proud to bring you yet another rendition of my ramblings. It was something I decided I needed to do for me as much as for those of you who I am grateful to for taking the time to read or follow my ‘Upbeat’ blog each week. From something that started as the ‘inhouse’ Hirequip Triple M (Monday Morning Motivator) five years ago the ‘Upbeat’ has religiously been compiled each week and sent to coincide with the beginning of each new week ever since. No I am not always ‘upbeat’ and yes it is hard to discipline yourself to producing something different and in time on a regular basis. The truth is none of us are ‘upbeat’ all the time, however, wanting to be is the important factor that motivates me to produce this note week in and week out. I hope you are still enjoying the read and the ride and thank you for your ongoing support and your regular feedback that provides me with the inspiration to continue. ‘Upbeat’ is a combination of everyday things that happen to me that provide insight and direction in my life. It is my hope that you relate to these in your personal and/or work lives and are then able to improve/reflect or benefit as a result.Please feel free to continue contributing anytime.

Wow I love long weekends, don’t you ?, this weekend I fulfilled a basic primal cave man dude urge to provide heat and warmth by securing a load of native timber framing from an old house demo which I promptly hauled home in a trailer and proceeded to cut up into firewood! Such a good feeling to be the ‘provider’ even if the time and energy cost more than letting my fingers do the walking instead!! Nothing beats the DIY kiwi spirit, you cant put a price on the satisfaction that produces bro…..totally recommended, especially on a holiday weekend……long live the Queen!!! and the Blues !!!!

I hope you all had an enjoyable long weekend with family and friends,…….Cheers Jonesey

Harry and the Hendersons continue to thrive in the winter sunshine and fire warmth such is a dogs life,happy with a brief glimpse of Blues form and a special treat lamb roast bone!!

“Communication is to (sales) relationships what breathing is to life.”Virginia Satir

I cant help myself, everytime the topic of communication comes up in conversation no matter where I am I will start talking about Toastmasters.

I personally dont think the name of the organisation does what it can achieve for individuals justice.

Started in 1924 by Ralph Smedley a good mate of Dale Carnegie(“How to win friends and influence people”) the objectives were the same as they are today, to develop and enhance peoples ability to communicate more effectively. I have always believed that our success in life is directly attributed to how effectively we communicate with our fellow beings both in a work and personal environment.

So for this reason I have always been a keen advocate of the organisation and what I know it can achieve for those who fully commit to membership. Toastmasters is like any other training or personal improvement organisation… what you get out is directly related to what you put in. As we all know you will wait for a long time for self improvement to drop in your lap with little or no personal effort. If self improvement was instant then everyone would be lining up. Nothing comes to those who wait, you must relentlessly pursue advancement or you will continue to mark time with the masses. Toastmasters provides a launch pad, a vehicle for you to achieve communication goals and continual development in this important life skill area.

I consider myself to be a fulltime salesperson for the benefits of Toastmasters membership and I find myself regularly selling and recommending the organisation to whoever I am with at the time. To me this is a good example of selling something you believe in and something you passionately and fervently believe will benefit all others. Good lesson on selling, life, and believing in general really !!

So go to it team, www.toastmasters.org.nz for your nearest club, see you at a meeting soon !!!!

“My father gave me these hints on public speaking, “Be sincere, be brief, be seated.”

James Roosevelt

There's JOY in JUNK

Edition141 Monday 28th May 2012

Hi,it is exciting going to the local refuse transfer station. I cant wait to get together a stack of junk at home so I have the perfect excuse for a return visit !! We have had a bit of stuff accumulated but not enough to justify the trip…..but this weekend with a major push on getting  ‘things baby’ ready I finally had enough rubbish. Crikey it was busy and there was pre-loved treasure everywhere. I backed in next to a guy who was ditching a perfectly good surfboard and mountain bike! I politely identified my targets and asked nicely if they were fair game (scavengers etiquette). Getting the go ahead I was in like a kid in a lollie shop and grabbed both. But then I noticed a kid looking longingly at the bike and I weakened and gave it to him and his dad, they were wrapped. Anyway I still ended up with my scooby doo surfboard so I was happy. Just as I was about to resume my search unbelievably I got asked to leave because I had barefeet!Not even some quick talking and thinking by pointing out a pair of discarded shoes that would fit could save me, I was gone, red carded, gutted!

Never mind it was great while it lasted,it is cool fun being a steptoe but you need room for treasure!

So we spent the weekend paying to advertise for ‘Hirequip’ with trailer in tow hauling the Retro bike to town for a puncture repair (no spares on two wheels!).This left us with a perfect excuse to buy something to haul home which we did from our favorite estate sale(pre loved junk) store. Some expert bartering saw us secure a nice little oak table and chair ensemble! Then last but not least the highlight,the Sunday junk run to the transfer shopping station (tip!)…What an adventure we had.

The weekend wound down nicely as we sat down exhausted on a grey old Sunday afternoon in front of a cosy log fire and fell asleep with Harry and the Hendersons curled up at our feet!!ZZZzzzzzzzz

I hope you had an awesome weekend doing exactly what you wanted to with family and friends as we look forward to the coming week and QB weekend,have a great week, cheers Jonesey.

Harry and the Hendersons are happy more junk went than came back,more dog shed room!

Goodwill is the one and only asset the competition cannot undersell or destroy”

Marshall Field

What makes people buy from the people they do? What makes people regular users or visitors to a particular business time after time? Goodwill? How do we find the answer to these questions?

In my humble opinion we should ask ourselves why we shop where we do, we should ask our friends and family and finally we should ask our own customers why they use us.

I am continually doing my own customer service survey of the people I deal with. What I find is if people make me feel comfortable about dealing with them then I will return again and again. How do you make me feel comfortable?,give me prompt friendly service, remember my name, treat me like a person and not like a number.I have favorite businesses I use who all make me feel like I am important to them. They create a warm atmosphere that envelopes you when you are there and makes you feel like you are in a non threatening ‘part of the family’ type environment. The owners and staff of these buisnesses make it easy and pleasurable to spend time and money with them.

Secondly, I always ask and listen to my friends and family when they tell me about good and bad experiences they have had with busnesses. Often I will visit a business that is recommended and I will always steer clear of one that gets a bad rap….what does that tell you !!

Finally, I ask our customers why they deal with us, what they like and what they don’t like, if anything. It is important to also ask any customers you lose or who stop using you over time why?  Interesting stuff and essential to know and understand what makes a good business better and how to make sure you create the atmosphere and environment in your business/workplace that you find enjoyable yourself. Its not rocket science its often the simple stuff that makes the biggest difference, things like common courtesy, family values, names, smiles J…Go to it, good luck.

“When we take care of our customers, we take care of ourselves.” Zig Ziglar