Right place at the right time!!

                                                                                       Edition 369 Monday 06/03/17

 

 

Hi, eveyone deserves a treat (too right) so now and then I head to Crosbys pies Onehunga.It is an iconic local Onehunga store who bake the meanest pies and my favourite is their steak and mussel(yum).Last week I was disappointed to discover they had been cleaned out by the locals but then overwhelmed with joy when my favourite pie pixies gave this hungry bear a steak and mussel pie fresh out of the oven,right place at the right time!

Speaking of which the local volunteer fire brigade has been busy lately attending a diverse rang of emergency callouts from horses locked in floats to cardiac arrests to body retrieval from the wild and unforgiving west coast….special people doing extraordinary things!

Fletcher reckons he has what it takes to join his Mum in the local rescue team.Like me he is inspired by their courage and commitment to assisting others in need.I guess that will leave his Dad to look after the home fires and coordinate rescue efforts from the couch!!

They say you don’t appreciate stuff until it is gone one day and then you realise how good it was and how much you miss it.My vehicle airconditioning spat the dummy last week so I totally concur with this statement….sorry Korando and Korea for all the bad stuff I have said about you and  your cars….please can I have my nice airconditioning back…please!!!

I hope like me this and other stuff has put a wee smile J on your face……Cheers Jonesey.

 

The Hendersons reckon they would be willing to have a crack at steak and mussel!

 

“I don’t care what you think about me.I don’t think about you at all”. Coco Chanel

 

I have heard it said that “for every six people who like you there will be six that don’t”.

This bugs me because I want everyone to like me however the reality is they wont!

Although that may be reality I still want everyone to like me and get annoyed if the don’t.

I had a recent example when a customer wouldn’t return my calls after I had met with him and submitted a proposal for his business.

Our meeting went well and I was confident he liked me and the solution I suggested.

So why wasn’t he returning my calls…..how could he possibly not like me??

Instead of shrugging this off I found myself obsessed with why he wasn’t returning calls and/or why he didn’t like me enough to at least do me the courtesy of a response.

I finally (via a mildly assertive email) managed to solicit an answer which was less than friendly but at least provided the much needed update.

So what I have reluctantly concluded over a career of selling and a few personal relationships is that no matter how hard we try not everyone is going to like us!

Yes we have a need to be liked however sometimes up to 50% of the people we meet wont give a monkeys about that and for a variety of reasons will think the opposite.

Rather than let it obsess us we need to move on or it will do our heads in with worry.

There are enough people in the world to like us , want to be with us and want to do business with us to keep all of us going for more than one lifetime!!

As hard as it is to accept we need to get over it and move on to other movies and sales.

 

In a footnote to last weeks story my favourite vehicle sales guy won my business…YAY!!

 

 

“Its ok if some people don’t like you,not everybody has good taste”. Marilyn Monroe

OE

 

 

Hi,there is nothing like a weekend away especially to an exotic overseas location!! So when the opportunity to use Mum and Dads place on Waiheke presented itself we didn’t need to think twice….we were there. In fact this weeks edition is coming to you hot off the press on the fly bridge of the vehicle ferry as we return.It has been like a week away and contained a number of firsts for our adventurous son!!I guess the most notable and memorable for him being swimming to the offshore raft in the bay with his lifejacket on and then a couple of scooby doo rides on one of his older brothers 1300cc jet ski (see pics) (some anxious moments for his safety conscious Mother!!!).

Fletcher reckons; he is in two minds now whether he will ask Santa for a motorbike or a Jet ski….although with an August birthday perhaps both could be accomadated?..yeah right!

It is hard to explain how incredibly rested we feel after such a relaxing weekend….crikey we have to do that more often….if you get an opportunity to get away…don’t hesitate!!

I hope you are in a similar state as you look forward to another exciting week full of opportunity and challenge……have an extra ‘Upbeat’ one…………Cheers Jonesey.

 

The Hendersons reckon Nana and Poppa should relax the Waiheke dog policy!

 

“No deal , No meal”. New and used car sales reality!!

 

I have had an interesting time in the last few weeks observing a sales process.

I am in market for a new company car and have contacted a number of sales people.

Having spent some time in the industry in a former sales life I still have contacts.

I approached four companies all selling the type of vehicle I was interested in.

I explained what I wanted to each and asked each for the same information in return.

Two of the sales people had previously worked for me as their Sales Manager.

The contrast in the quality of the responses was remarkable.

Of the four only one gave me exactly what I was after whilst the rest varied from average to totally terrible.

Not surprisingly the one who gave me what I wanted was also the only one who followed up promptly to ensure I had what I wanted and to offer a test drive.

There was one other follow up a little later but nowhere near as professional and I am still waiting two full weeks later for the remaining two to touch base??!!!!

Now I know that car sales have been good lately and that a one car sale is probably not that exciting however I was astounded with the lack of urgency or professionalism in an industry where sales people are remunerated mostly via commissions from sales??!!

In another twist to this story the most impressive sales person is severely impaired by a rare strain of Parkinsons disease yet he has been the best salesman nationally for 10 years!

The vehicle he is selling drives well and has a number of extra features the others don’t have and is competitively priced.

It will justifiably be an absolute pleasure to give him my order given his commitment to winning my business…..after all I guess I taught him a lot of what he knows!! :).

 

“Good sales people are not born they are trained”J. Dave Kurlan

Hidden treasure !

                                                                                       Edition 367 Monday 20/02/17

 

 

 

 

 

Hi,it would be fair to say I am no longer a ‘spring chicken’. This is something I have to remember given my relentless pursuit of ‘elite athlete’ status.After 50 something years of regular exercise I have finally accepted that stretching before and after exercising is probably a good idea! Whilst some of my vintage may be motivated by things like the World Masters Games for me it is more wanting to be fit and youthful enough to pass for Fletchers Father rather than his Grandfather for as long as humanly possible!!

Fletcher reckons; his Dad and his Mum will need to bring their A game if they want to keep up with him.So far so good although a bit shaky on the skateboard and scooter!!

My life is rubbish and I wouldn’t have it any other way!!I get such a buzz out of creating sustainable solutions for others.Unfortunately we live in a ‘throw away’ society where it is too easy and cheap to discard large volumes of reusable stuff!I love making a difference redirecting this preloved treasure trove to people who appreciate it.

Poor Christine never knows what I will turn up with at home next. Luckily we have similar tastes so most of my treasure finds a special place in our home J.

Happy treasure hunting, have a great week ahead…...Cheers Jonesey.

 

The Hendersons reckon they are treasures in their own right!!

 

 

“Succeeding in business is all about making connections”. Richard Branson

 

I attended a sustainability forum last week that was good for my soul!!

In the past I have been guilty of not attending things like this on the premise I am too busy.

Interestingly there were heaps of lonely name badges at the registration desk of other ‘busy’ people who had accepted the invite but were ‘missing in action’.

These industry related events are an ideal opportunity to be updated and motivated.

They also provide an excellent chance to network with like minded professionals.

Yes they can also be a slow death by power point however therein lies an opening itself!

With my Toastmaster hat on I was able to provide some constructive feedback,which I did.

I also learn’t a lot about some exciting stuff happening in my industry whilst catching up with past and present associates, meeting new contacts and hatching cunning plans!

Events like this always stimulate my creative side and I tend to come away with new ideas to work on and innovative ideas for future solutions.

In fact as a result of attending I was able to broker a deal between a customer with something to dispose of and a new contact who has a need for that same something!Magic!

I also made time with another major influencer on a deal I have been working hard on.Gold!

It is good for business to be seen and heard at these events.

For me the informal networking opportunities are equally as important as the information shared in the presentations.

I am glad I made the effort to attend and strongly recommend you do the same whenever you get the chance……seize the day and make sure you show up !!

 

“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek”. Joseph Campbell