Follow along with me here and this will all make sense in a moment:
In 1975, the rock group Supertramp, released their third album “Crisis? What Crisis?“ Whether you’re a Supertramp fan or not doesn’t matter, I want you to look up the album cover by Googling “Crisis? What Crisis?” In color, is a guy sunning himself in a deck chair under a brilliantly yellow table umbrella, completely unaware and unfazed by the dark, black and gray pollution, filth and decay all around him. When I first saw this album cover it really made me laugh at the irony of it all. It’s a Classic piece of artwork.
Sometimes, in our businesses, we are so focused on the demands of the present that we fail to see the big picture. If the big picture is showing a crisis but you have intentionally or unintentionally blocked it out, you too could be saying “Crisis? What Crisis?” Yeah you’ve made the sale, or semi-answered the questions proposed. As far as you’re concerned you’re finished. Right? Wrong! Don’t lose sight that there are future sales opportunities and always referrals at stake. The customer will forget you in about two “shakes*” unless you have a consistent, patterned follow-up system. This is the beauty of my business, Sendoutcards. Let me talk with you about how this could look for your business. Fill up the contact information here on this website and let’s avert a Crisis! The Doctor says “Take your Medicine and call me in the morning (to schedule an appointment to talk about our businesses)!
Dr. Ralph Harold, MD
GuyWithTwoFirstNames.com
10/12/2018
What’s the doctor’s prescription for this latest week? There absolutely is not anything which can’t be improved. I know what you’re thinking “mine is the best, I have already worked all the bugs out of it“. Problem is the general public is going to respond to that by saying “yeah, yeah we’ve heard it all before“. Remember, in something like 1926, someone thought they were going to have to close the patent office because everything had already been invented that could be invented. Really? Can you imagine being without the transistor, computer, integrated circuit microchip, lithium batteries, solar cells, etc.?
Now before you laugh and point your fingers at that man or woman and how stupid they now appear, let’s put the same facet of thinking into your own business and your own methodology. I hate to break it to you, but even YOU, yes you, can improve and should improve! Because when that little voice creeps up inside your head saying, “ Me? Not me? I don’t have to improve. Mine is the best, I have already worked all the bugs out of it,” I want you to think of that person who was sure we needed to close the patent office. You’re deceiving yourself and hampering your business if you don’t open your eyes to the changes that can be to your benefit.
One place most every business falls short at some point is in FOLLOW-UP. And I mean consistent follow-up. Sure you may have done it for a while or you meant to do it and want to do it but phones ring, emergency emails pop up and by golly your attention gets diverted, distracted or re-directed. Sure, go ahead and assure me you’ll get those 2014 “Thank You for your Business” notes written sometime before months end. SendOutCards will automatically create, publish, print, fold, address, stamp with a real stamp, insert into a pretty, cursive-handwriting addressed envelope and get it to the post office without you lifting a finger, once Ralph, “guywithtwofirstnames.com” has it all set up for you. Appreciation You Can Touch. See, now don’t you feel better?
10/04/2018
Isn’t it amazing how sometimes the answer that has just eluded you, was right there in front of your face the whole time? Almost every entrepreneur or business person has searched for some version of a magic bullet. I’m not sure I found it but this is awfully close. As usual, If there’s one thing we’re all guilty of, it’s trying too hard and looking too deeply.
Especially in the 60s, corporations would write out a sales pitch, they expected you to memorize and rehearse it and then almost like a copy machine, they expected you to recapitulate it flawlessly over and over again with any carbon-based life form that you came in contact with. They really didn’t care how well it fit that person, it contains the facts that the company supported, the company likes that set of facts and by golly people who didn’t get it are just simply stupid, dense or sub-humanoid.
Occasionally this verbatim, highly dry and impersonal sales pitch would in fact say the right keywords and occasionally a sale would result, thus empowering the company to push even harder for you to repeat repeat repeat, this mind-numbing sequence of words.
And then everything changed. I was invited by a good friend of mine to attend a free lecture given by Network Marketing guru “Big Al” a.k.a. Tom Schreiter. In the final analysis not only were we doing it wrong, but we were headed in the wrong direction. The key, according to Big Al is to be a “problem solver” instead of a “solution pusher“. Our relentless listing of features, benefits etc. was turning the prospect off because we weren’t solving their problems. Sometimes the Prospect didn’t even know they had a problem and that’s why our approach should first be to talk about THE OTHER PERSON’S business, how it’s working for them and what stumbling blocks they encounter. Engaging the prospect and solving a problem or two, even if you don’t solve all their problems will be much more ingratiating then just ramming a list of features and functions down their throat. YOUR PRESCRIPTION ; be a “problem solver” instead of a “solution pusher“
GuyWithTwoFirstNames.com
09/27/2018
WORDS TO SEE YOU THROUGH- Part 2
When we began this prescription last week, we had to face the fact that there will be good days and bad days. It is also pointless for you to wish or even hope things will be perfect all the time. Bateman was paraphrased as having said “It’s not what happens to you that matters, it is your RESPONSE that is the important thing!” Since it is inevitable, that there will be a rough patch, ‘the Doctor” (yours truly) prescribed drafting the attitude known as SWSWSW- Next “some will, some won’t, so what” and it’s onto the NEXT opportunity. Whatever you, in the present, think will ruin the rest of your life, take heart that it is overcomeable. [Is that even a word?] It’s just a temporary bump in the road and you can and will overcome it. You will, can and MUST overcome it.
Part 2 of your prescription, centers on this notion that you must have sufficient strength of conviction to absolutely resolve and believe that you will overcome whatever setback occurs, despite its gravity. There are countless descriptions on the Internet, people with no arms or legs doing incredibly active sports, competitions, triathlons and parenting. Blind people bowl and making unbelievable art. Their “take no prisoners” attitude left them victorious-surely your obstacle can be overcome just by an ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT.
Just like succeeding in marriage doesn’t require each party give 50%...no each party must give 100% and maybe more like 120%. You as the business owner, entrepreneur must be willing to “ go that extra mile.” To emphasize that point, the now mighty Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance company, was founded March 2, 1857. They expected to take in many years of premium to build up their reserves. Unfortunately, a train derailment in Wisconsin, killed 14 people just two years into the company’s existence. Payout of Northwestern’s Death Benefit obligations would have bankrupted the company. So, President Samuel Daggett and Treasurer Charles Nash personally borrowed the needed funds to pay the claims immediately. Can you imagine PERSONALLY guaranteeing your fledgling employers Accounts Payable? Talk about Strength of Conviction. The mighty Northwestern Mutual survives today because of that ultra heroic act.
Yes, I’m talking to you. Your problems are trivial compared to that and you can, must and WILL work through them. Now, don’t you feel better already? Join me here next week for a new Prescription.
The Doctor will See You Now,
Dr. Ralph Harold, MD
Guywithtwofirstnames.com
09/20/2018
WORDS TO SEE YOU THROUGH- Part 1
Remember the Doobie Brothers song that contained the words “Listen to the Doctor“ (1989 album “Cycles”- song “The Doctor”). Since I really am a doctor (M.D. Ophthalmologist), you can listen to me. “Trust me- I’m a Doctor!”
PRESCRIPTION 09 2018: No matter whether you are an entrepreneur, business owner or an employee, life is hard. In fact life is such that there will be good days and there will be bad days. Face it-don’t fight it. That would be like hoping against hope that it will never rain on a day where you have an important outdoor event. Really? Wishing like that is setting you up for 100% disappointment. Wishes like that are never going to happen. So what’s the lesson here? Don’t look at your business in totally unrealistic terms. A much safer, more realistic philosophy, which I highly recommend are the paraphrased wise words of Kody Bateman “It’s not what happens to you that matters, it is your RESPONSE that is the important thing!“ Your Response- my now Wiser Friend and Colleague! Will the inevitable business setback, disappointment lost sale, lost bid, etc. cause you to be deflated, shut you down, throw you into the depths of depression or make you think of quitting? No way my good friend! Listen to the doctor-draft the attitude known as SWSWSW- Next “some will, some won’t, so what” and it’s onto the NEXT opportunity. Even the biggest deal is not the end of the world, it’s just a temporary bump in the road and you can and will overcome it. You will, can and MUST overcome it.
Now, don’t you feel better already? Join me here next week for further elaboration on “your prescription”.