Kiwis can fly !!!

Edition149 Monday 30th July 2012

Hi,we have been swept up into the Olympic vortex in the last week. It all started with the documentary about that amazing group of young men trained and motivated by Arthur Lydiard. All ordinary blokes who would go on to make history and become famous NZ household names. Snell, Halberg, Baillie ,and  Magee all distinguished Olympians and outstanding New Zealanders. Crikey the hairs on the back of my neck bristled with pride as we were taken back to those times, the humility and the raw passion and the amazing story that each told of overcoming hardship and adversity to ultimately succeed. I don’t mind saying I shed a tear or two on the couch watching Halberg and Snell win gold within an hour of each other at the 1960 Rome Olympics…it doesn’t get any better!!!!

Talking about shedding tears we have been watching the program ‘Undercover Boss’ during the week and never fail to end up teary eyed as the undercover boss gets up close and personal with his/her employees. If you havent seen it…you should as it says a lot about company leadership in general and always delivers knock out punches of reality for out of touch executives! I have never failed to get something from each program regardless of the industry represented.The most common ‘missing link’ seems to be communication or lack of it, something the program proves all executives can go a long way towards solving by just getting out of the office and talking to their people on the front line. Seems simple enough but something a lot of desk drivers lose site of to their peril.

Speaking of tears….Chiefs fans shed tears of joy while Warriors fans again shed tears of OMG!!!

I hope whoever you are supporting you had something to cheer about this weekend and that your joy and happiness continue into the new week, take care,…………cheers Jonesey

Harry and the Hendersons held their breath as H went under the knife at Dr Bob during the week. Turned out to be a routine procedure with an A+ pass for the woolly Alpha male !~!

“It isnt easy to be anything nowadays. There such a lot of beastly competition about.” The Importance of Being Earnest

The opportunity to gain a jump on the competition is never far away as long as you are alert and looking. It can be as simple as reaching for the paper or visiting your local papers website on a daily basis. There are opportunities lurking everywhere and today I am going to give you some tips where.

From the ‘current events’ you will learn what is happening locally and nationally. In our business local events and regional/central politics and policy is always interesting and can affect us short and long term. In a couple of examples last week I learned of a receivership that resulted in some business for us and a change of Auckland Council policy that opens up a huge future opportunity for our company.There are also factory fires and power cuts that produce damaged or reject stock that have to be  removed and disposed of, more opportunities for us to look for and secure first.

 Sure these are things that I could have learned from others but to discover and follow them up myself gave me a head start on the competition. Next I check the ‘situations vacant’ and note the companies advertising for extra staff due to winning contracts or expansion from winning big orders etc. These are ‘mover shaker’ companies who need more services or who can put you in touch with other like minded businesses. I check the classifieds for ‘tenders’ , this gives me a feel for projects and contact with interested subcontractors. Next I check the recent ‘Industrial Property’ sales to check if properties have been sold vacant or tenanted. Either way new owners or tenants are targets for us because of the changes the sale has facilitated for both. Then I check the ‘Auction’ columns again to check out receivership sales and what companies they are linked to. Sadly this is a growth area for us as receivers move in to sell equipment and clear large warehouses out for sale or lease. We have built a good reputation and revenue stream from identifying and building these and other opportunities,not bad for a $2.50 investment in the local paper,business doesn’t have to be hard!!!!

“The art of war is to defeat the enemy without fighting.” Sun Tzu

Shoe shine boy!

                                                      

Edition148 Monday 23rd July 2012

Hi,things are getting rough when you have to burgle your unborn sons piggy bank!

Yes I did and yes I have paid it back with interest. You see in this age of plastic cards and electronic/auto no look passes and transfers there is a distinct shortage of Colin Ash or gold coins in the household! Crikey I cant help it if the local pool honesty box is a cash arrangement ie; no cash /no swim buddy ! I know this transaction is the start of a multitude of monetary transfers between my son and I….probably more his way than mine if my experiences(ongoing) with existing sons is anything to go by !!!....ahhh the benefits of instilling good fiscal policy early in the home……NOT !

I am the worlds worst patient, yes it is a guy trait but I seem to be particularly bad. I broke most of the recovery rules after my operations but it didn’t seem to affect my return to full fitness. I never have a day off work or miss a run, swim or gym session no matter how bad I am feeling….until last week that is! Unbelievably the thing that stopped me in my tracks was a common cold virus ! I tried to battle on but was unceremoniously voted off the office island by colleagues concerned for their safety and health. I was sent home to rest and recover ! But I don’t do rest and recover, well that changed because I had no choice and for the first time in my life I experienced the benefits of actually slowing down, resting and from that I recovered quickly! I couldn’t believe how much difference adopting this approach made to how I felt. I know it sounds odd but I have always tried to keep going to both my and others detriment.  Yes I learned something yet again, it is not ok to go to work when you are obviously unwell, you need to listen to your body and rest to assist recovery!

Another of those simple little things that make such a big difference to our health and happiness.

I hope you are all looking after yourselves, take care, have a great week,…………cheers Jonesey

Harry and the Hendersons would be the first to admit they are extra high admin on a rainy, windy Sunday!!just as well you love us all so much ehh Dad…….Dad ??come back Dad !! xx

“Of all the saddest words, the saddest are:”It might have been!” Joe Greenleaf Whittier

I reckon it would be cool to be a shoe shine guy on the main street of a busy and bustling city. The reason I think this would be cool is not the actual work but the opportunity to meet and talk to people this would present. I notice this with other high traffic type business people like barbers and retail sales people. There is nothing more exciting than engaging a fellow human being in conversation, finding out lots of stuff about them and what they do or what they know. Then to use that information to improve either yours,theirs or someone else’s position/career/business or life.

As humans we are naturally inclined to want to help our fellow man or woman so as your shoe shine guy I would first and foremost want you to have the shiniest shoes in the high street. They would be so shiny that others would notice and you would refer them to me , soon I would be so busy that I would have to franchise my business and recreate myself on each intersecting corner of the street.  Then because I listened carefully to what I was told by my shoe shine customers I heard about many other opportunities and success stories and was invited to invest and partner others in their quest for success. I also used this information and shared it with others who invested or used this information to advance their lives and careers. You see shoe shining was just a means to engage or network, the real value was in the networking, this ‘word of mouth’ vehicle for information gathering and sharing . This is still the most powerful form of marketing, advertising, and doing business. The best jobs and  most lucrative opportunities are seldom advertised or lit up in lights. They come from talking and listening to others in the strangest of places at the strangest of times. They are all about putting ourselves out there,by being brave and making the effort to meet, greet and engage wherever we are , whatever we are doing. ……WOW cant wait to get a shoeshine and haircut next week!

“The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win , you’re still a rat.” Lily Tomlin

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.”