Awareness + Action = Success

I’ve discovered that people often believe that awareness can move them forward.  It is as though that if they think it, it will happen.  This happens especially with really smart people, and also with some with a “new age” inclination.  There’s a whole “secret” movement out there that believes that if they think it, and really believe it, it will come true.  The “law of attraction” they call it.  I don’t think it is true.  This is not to disparage awareness.  From my own experience, awareness can lead to tremendous amount of growth and movement.  But only when it is paired with action. And oftentimes, these actions are unnoticed, small, subconscious actions or choices that move us toward our goals.

I used to work with an audio engineer/entrepreneur – long before I was a consultant and coach.  This guy, Chuck, was a good engineer, but he was a great philosopher.  We were talking about people who behaved like “a***oles”.  He said “People don’t realize that they’re a***oles, because if they did, they wouldn’t BE a***oles!”.  Now we all know the select few that are very aware of how they act, and are perfectly content acting that way.  But for the most part, he’s right.  Once the awareness sets in, they change.  Most people don’t want to be perceived negatively.  Most people do want to have a positive impact on their world.

So what happens?  How do they change?  They ACT .  They do something different.  When we become aware of an unknown truth – about ourselves, our business, and our relationships – we have the choice to take action.  It is the ACTION that makes the difference.

I recently decided that I would like to have more individual coaching clients.  My consulting business is going well, and I really enjoy coaching.  The only way I know to get more clients is to talk to more potential prospects.  Awareness:  I’d like more coaching clients.  Action:  Set up a free Business Success group in my area.

I did that, and opened it to “conscious” business owners and managers who had the responsibility of operating successful organizations.  “Conscious” meaning operating with some level of consciousness, social and personal responsibility.  These are the clients that I would like to attract.  I attracted many members right away.  In the process, I learned that there was a need for a networking group of a similar nature for people in all kinds of businesses – solopreneurs, freelancers, etc. (awareness).  So I formed another group to do just that. (action).

There becomes a cascade of activity, all stemming from a single awareness, as I continue to act on the new awarenesses that come forward.  Does it work?  These groups, in the first couple of meetings, have delivered a couple of clients and many more prospects.  If I had not acted, I’d still be sitting around wishing I had more coaching clients.

Another important component of this process is acceptance.  Particularly if you have an awareness that isn’t particularly flattering.  Take the a***ole.  If someone he trusts tells him that he is acting like a real a***hole, then he must first accept that he is, indeed behaving that way.  At first, it is just awareness.  Somewhere inside, he probably knows that he’s doing it, but he doesn’t have the skills to face it without someone calling him on it.  If he is in judgment and upset, or even denial about the awareness, then he can’t take a clear action.  He must first come into acceptance of the facts.  “Yep, I’ve been acting like a real jerk.”  Then he can take clear action.  That will lead him to success.

Of course, not all actions lead to success.  But I can guarantee you that inaction leads nowhere.

What awareness have you had today that you have yet to take action on?  Pick one, and go for it!  Experience that success.  Let me know what happens.

Jeff Youngs helps companies and individuals take action as a consultant, coach, speaker and author.  Check out his website at www.youngscom.com and blog at www.youngscom.wordpress.com .  He welcomes your thoughts, comments and suggestions.  Email him at jeff@youngscom.com.

Your Greatest Strength

What is it that makes you YOU? What is it about your offering that makes you better than others? Often, when I work with clients, I look no further than the thing that they are most ashamed of. Most embarrassed about. The thing they “neglect” to tell prospects out of fear. (there’s that 4-letter word!) Fear that they will be found out, and dropped from the bid list.

The thing I look first to is what they consider to be their greatest weakness.

I work with mega-coach Steve Chandler. I met him years ago when I was enrolled in a year-long leadership program at the University of Santa Monica. He was delivering a segment of every class on the subject of public speaking. His advice at that time was to make your greatest weakness your biggest strength. I took that to heart. In other words, put it right out there and make it a good thing!

I was speaking to a client recently. She is a very talented graphic designer. Her work is beautiful, professional and she is reasonably priced. And she works independently. She recently received an RFP (Request for Proposal) from a large association that was looking for an entire campaign of design services over the course of a year. She was worried that she couldn’t compete with all of the “agencies” that were also bidding. “They all have large staffs and the client will feel that it is safer to go with a larger agency”, she told me. She was considering looking at an agency to partner with on the bid, so she would look better. (bigger)

I asked her if she was capable of the work on her own. “Oh yes!” she said. “I can do this easily – and I would love to do it!” I took a look at the RFP and noticed that is was a nice piece of work for an individual, but not too exciting for any agency. Not that big of a budget. I couldn’t imagine that an agency would be thrilled to watch over it for an entire year at that size.

I asked her if partnering would serve the client in any way. “No”, she admitted. “It would just be more people trying to make a profit on the job.” “I think you are beautifully positioned to win this business!” I told her. “Forget about partnering, just tell them that you are an independent and tell them exactly why that is better for them! STAND OUT as an independent and let them know that they will be missing out of they don’t work with you!” She did just that. As of the writing of this, she is waiting to hear from the client.

Another client, a “small” B2B services company (about $20 million in revenue) regularly competes with quarter and half-billion-dollar national companies. The sales staff was looking at how they can compete with the big guys. “We can’t afford to take everyone out as much, we just don’t have the budget.” Looking at their strategy, they were positioning themselves as just like the big guys, only smaller. That’s a losing battle! Their unique attribute is that they are “green”, and were green long before it was the new black! “That’s your position!” I told them. “You are NOTHING like the big guys! You are powerful as a small, triple-bottom-line-focused company!” When they compete head-to-head with the big guys, they reduce their offering to the level of a commodity. When they make the distinction, then they clearly provide a unique service.

When I began coaching and consulting to businesses, I was hesitant to let my clients know my professional history. I thought to myself at the time: “Who would want to hire a coach that was thrown out of his own company? Or a consultant who was fired from the agency that he founded?”

Turns out, plenty of people. Of course, this was just one way to look at the situation. True, my partners graciously asked me to leave one day, and not come back. Regardless of perspective or interpretations, that event, and the long, hard look inside myself that came next, pointed to some amazing awakenings that have served me incredibly well ever since. And they continue to serve my clients, too.

I learned many things building and growing a very successful creative agency. I learned many more after that. And it wasn’t until I was able (READ: unafraid) to tell my FULL story that I could really begin to help people and companies in need and in distress. Now clients know why I would be a good fit for them. I’ve been there, I’ve reinvented, and I’ve re-emerged. Some may say I’m damaged goods, but I say I’m stronger in the places that have been “broken”.

There really are no “weaknesses” or “strengths”. We only have attributes and experiences that we can position to serve ourselves and our clients. Now we can choose to make that serve our negative story about why things don’t work, or we can make it serve a positive, empowered story. We’re the creators. We choose.

What are you choosing for your business?

Jeff Youngs helps companies and individuals identify their strengths as a consultant, coach, speaker and author. Check out his website at www.youngscom.com and blog at www.youngscom.wordpress.com . He welcomes your thoughts, comments and suggestions. Email him at jeff@youngscom.com.

What if you Weren’t Afraid?

By Jeff Youngs

So many of our decisions are made, or influenced by our fear.  Most of the time, we don’t acknowledge our fear, and instead wrap it up in a really good reason.   It’s called rationalization.

I know in my own life I often put off things that I know I need to do, or more often, what I know would be good for me to do, for very excellent reasons.  I can’t work out today because I’m too tired from my full weekend.  It’s OK if I don’t work out because I’ll do more tomorrow.  I can eat that (insert your poison here) because I don’t have time to get something better.

And, in the past, I have taken this into my business.  “I don’t need to make any cold calls today, I have worked really hard this week.” Or something similar.  I don’t know about you, but I’ve found that this particular strategy is not very effective.   What is avoidance, really?  It’s fear.  At least it is for me.  Not run-screamin’-for-the-hills fear, more like I-don’t want-to-look-stupid fear.  Or a variation on that.

I was coaching a sales rep recently.  A very smart, articulate and reasonably talented sales rep.  I asked him how he was approaching prospects.  He sent me an email that he used as an introduction.  It went something like this:

Dear Mr. XX,

I was wondering if I could stop by sometime, maybe when you are not busy so I can show you some things that we do that might, perhaps maybe help your company.  If you have any time in the next few weeks or so just let me know.

Fred

I’m exaggerating of course.  But when I read it, that’s the feeling I got.  And this guy has had reasonable success in his position.  I asked him why he wrote this email.  He told me it was because he wanted to get a meeting and he had no relationship with him.  He couldn’t get him to return any calls.

I suggested that he try an email like this:

Dear Mr. XX,

My company has a program that will save you 20% off of your current costs for the services that we provide.  We have put together a unique procedure that makes this possible, and I’d like to stop by for a brief, 20 minute meeting to show you how it would work for your business.  I’ll be in your neighborhood on Friday at 10 to see another client.  I can be in your office either at 9:30 or 11.  Which one of those times works best for you?

I look forward to meeting you Friday,

Fred

“Why wouldn’t you send this type of email to your prospect?” I asked.  He said that he hadn’t thought about it.  After some discussion, I discovered that he was actually afraid of the prospect.  He didn’t quite see it as fear.  He thought he was being respectful.  In his mind, he just didn’t want to tick him off because “theses guys get a dozen calls a week”.  And because he didn’t imagine he could show him something that bold.

Fred used this email and got 2 meetings with it right away.  Then he was afraid about what he would say in 20 minutes.  I told him to do a lot of research and find out how to save them 20% – specifically for their companies.

Fear is sneaky.  It doesn’t look like fear because it disguises itself as so many different things.  Noble things. Thoughtful things. “Smart” things.  But if you really look closely, you can see the fear behind it.  “I don’t have time” is probably the single biggest indicator of an underlying fear.  It is very acceptable in our society to be busy.  So we use it to cover up our fear.   None of this is bad.  It’s universal.  We all deal with it on some level.  It’s just really useful to be aware of it.

We choose even the communication channel out of fear.  The higher the level of communication, the scarier it is.  Meeting with someone is scary, but a phone call less so.  Even better, an email or text.

Just for today, notice all of the emails you write.  Would any of them be more effective as a phone call?  Say to a client or prospect?

So, anytime I feel that hesitation – that little bit of worry (fear) – I ask myself:  “What would I do if I weren’t afraid?”  Then I do that.

Jeff Youngs helps companies and individuals  identify and dispel their fears as a consultant, coach, speaker and author.  Check out his website at www.youngscom.com and blog at www.youngscom.wordpress.com .  He welcomes your thoughts, comments and suggestions.  Email him at jeff@youngscom.com.

What are you afraid of?

We avoid doing what we know needs to be done because of our fear.

It is a very poor decision-making resource, unless we are, indeed, in physical danger. In most cases, we are not. The biggest fear that I hear from my clients is that they are afraid to call/contact their best prospects. They don’t want to be a nuisance, so they don’t call.

I recently saw the film Mongol. It is a very powerful telling of the rise of the great Genghis Kahn. It is understood (in the movie) that “All Mongols fear the thunder; it means that the God of the Blue Skies is angry.” There is a great battle on an open plain in which Temudgin, (Genghis Kahn), is outnumbered by his enemy. As the battle begins, clouds gather and thunder booms. All of the soldiers drop to the ground and cower. Temudgin looks at the sky, raises his sword, and calls a battle cry to his troops. They rise and win the battle.

After the battle, the enemy General is brought to him and he asks the great Kahn, “Why did you not fear the thunder?” “As soon as I realized that there was nowhere to hide, I was no longer afraid.” He replied.

To be honest, it took me a bit of reflection to understand what the character meant. The ideas did not go together very easily in my mind. How could one choose to not be afraid? Ultimately, I understood. To me, it was like this: If there is nothing I can do about it, then there is no reason to have the fear. It becomes a waste of good creative energy.

It’s like when it’s raining outside. A good, solid, pouring rain. You have a 4-block walk to your car and you forgot your umbrella. At first, you sprint quickly from awning to awning. Trying to keep as dry as possible. A mad-dash between raindrops. Inside, you hold stress, thinking that if you hurry, you can avoid the discomfort of the wet. One block, two… By the third you’re getting pretty wet and no matter how quickly you run, you won’t out-pace the drops. In the fourth block, you’re soaked through-and through. You stop running. You walk calmly and leisurely to your car. Nothing you can do about it now, you’re wet. Should you keep stressing and running? Of course not! Maybe you’ll even enjoy the last few yards!

About the discomfort? Is it really worse than the discomfort of the stress of trying to avoid what was unavoidable? To Temudgin, the battle was inevitable, and the thunder was inevitable. Why waste ANY energy being afraid of the inevitable?

If there is no way to control how others feel about me, then logically, I can no longer be afraid of them.

If I can’t control whether clients choose to do business with me, I cannot fear their decisions. They are inevitable – whatever they are.

Now, if I’m hiking in the Sierras and I find a narrow path that traverses a 200-foot cliff, fear might just come in very handy. I’ll find another way to get down. Or, I’ll be extra careful.

In business, the dangers are rarely that literal.

© 2009 Jeffrey Youngs

Jeff Youngs helps companies identify and dispel their fears as a consultant, coach, speaker and author. Check out his website at www.youngscom.com. He welcomes your thoughts, comments and suggestions. Email him at jeff@youngscom.com.

The Power of a Good Story

MYTH: Culture is only grown organically. You cannot “create” culture in your business. “It’s just who we are!” (Besides, it just something that big corporations do to keep the HR departments busy.)

Some business owners and managers feel that culture “just happens”. It is created by how you treat people and how many times you do “Tipsy Tuesdays” every month at the local watering hole. While it is true that these things can make a real difference in a company’s culture, much greater impact can be made.

TRUTH: Culture is a story that you can carefully write. To serve you, your clients and your business.

I really like to avoid the word “should”. You “should” do this. I “should” do that. It’s a setup for disappointment, discouragement and punishment. Often self-inflicted.

But I’m on the fence in this case.

In case you haven’t caught on yet, (if you’ve been reading my columns for the past several installments), I’m all about “conscious business”. The way I see it, there is a movement afoot in the realm of raising the consciousness of business. You can see it in IBM and Merck, in their groundbreaking global diversity efforts. These efforts are much too large to be called “initiatives”. They are completely changing the culture of these global behemoths. Small businesses have had a higher level of consciousness for much longer. We like to be conscious because we not only earn our living here, but we go to work here, too. It is our livelihoods and our lives.

Back to the “should”. Culture should be created consciously. The only alternative is creating it unconsciously, and then it becomes a default position: created by whatever whim of mood and business levels happen to be going on. I strongly recommend that we all WAKE UP and CREATE a powerful, useful culture in our businesses that serves us, our people, our clients/customers and our bottom line.

I have been working with a client on a culture plan. They are an international pharmaceutical company that, like many companies right now, have been going through dramatic change in their organization over the past several years. Well, they’re through a lot of that now, and they seem to be lacking any sort of identity or culture. To their credit, they called me. I asked them what they are telling themselves about the company. What are their stories? “Not good”. They are all waiting for the other shoe to drop. The thing is – there are no more shoes. It’s like they’re experiencing their own brand of PTSD. “What do we do?” they asked me. “Give them another story” I said. “In fact, let them write it!”

The thing is, when a team, no matter the size, consciously creates the story that they tell about their company, they have a vested interest in perpetuating the story. They have to, because it came from them. They will live it because it is a reflection of who they are!

At this time in history, we all have a great opportunity. (yes, opportunity!) Sure, the economy is tough and business basically sucks. But that’s a gross generalization. Some, even many businesses are doing very well. I believe that this time in our global economy will be looked at as the “great RESET button”. It’s like we’re re-booting the computer, with a NEW OPERATING SYSTEM. This is more than an upgrade. This is a whole new system. It is our responsibility to take this opportunity to make things even better by consciously re-writing ALL of our stories. And then TELL THEM to everyone!

So sit down with your team. Write a great story that binds them together in a way that consciously points them – and you – in the direction of fulfillment and success.

And you’ll all live happily ever after…

Jeff Youngs is a consultant, coach and business writer helping businesses write new stories. He is open to your comments and feedback. You can check out his website at www.youngscom.com, blog at www.youngscom.wordpress.com, or email him at jeff@youngscom.com.

© 2009 Jeffrey Youngs

What, Me Worry?

MYTH: Worry is just part of the job.

Many entrepreneurs and business owners take on worry like its part of the job description. They worry about cash flow, making payroll, re-negotiating the lease, motivating their people. They worry about just about everything, and if they achieve a level of calm, they worry that they’re forgetting something. It seems that the very same people that have the drive and initiative to start and grow a business are the people that continually obsess on details that are out of their control. In other words, they’re control freaks. (You know who you are!)

TRUTH: Worry is COUNTER – productive to ANY endeavor.

I have heard control called the “Master Addiction”. Think about it. Substance and behavioral addictions are all an attempt to control our experience in some way. There are plenty of us without an addiction to any substance who still try to control that which is out of our control. We argue about it with our spouses, friends and partners, and we laugh about it, too. But the effort to control the uncontrollable is a very destructive force for your business.

In this sense, worry is actually a rather selfish endeavor. We think it’s caring and supportive of others to worry about them, but all we really want is to control them or their circumstances so it suits our needs or plans.

I’d like to be VERY clear on this. WORRY IS NOT CARING.

I had a client who was very focused on the details of his business. He ran the company, developed the creative, nit-picked the proposals, held all financial information close, and gave very little responsibility to others in his organization. Talented, capable others. The reason? He worried that no one could do it as well as he could.

And he wondered (and worried about) why he couldn’t grow his business. To me it was clear that he couldn’t grow because he couldn’t handle another thing. How would he get the work done? Once I showed him what he was doing, he gradually began to shift. He delegated important tasks, and even handed over some financial responsibility. He began to see his business differently.

He tripled his business in less than 3 years.

So how do we shift away from worry? The first step is to understand why worry isn’t very useful. Next, take a look at what would be useful, instead. What I have found to work better than worry, which is a contracting, negative thought process, is concern, which is a positive, expansive thought process.

Concern takes it out of the “me” world, and puts it into the “you” world. With concern I can be creative, think of other steps to take. I can be pro-active instead of passively waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Instead of worrying whether I’ll win that proposal, I have concern for the client that they make the right choice for their business. And maybe if I research this one item they mentioned, I can be more of service to them while they make their selection.

Instead of worrying about my employees and making payroll, I can have concern for them. In my concern I can bring them into the challenge and ask their support in resolving our financial crunch.

Worry makes me “better than”. Concern makes me “of service to”. In the service frame-of-mind, I can be more expansive and creative. And FAR more capable of solving problems.

Service has been called the “highest form of consciousness.” And that’s a high that will actually work for you.

There IS a budget!

Myth: “I don’t have the Budget”

Budgets are easy scapegoats. Clients and prospects always invoke “budget” when they are unwilling to spend money on anything. Is there a line item for the service you are offering? Perhaps not. If you offered your prospect $10,000 in exchange for a payment of $1,000 – would he/she come up with the $1000? You bet they would!

Truth: People and companies will spend money if they are reasonably certain that they will see a significant return for their investment.

I am in the process of reading Jim Camp’s NO. I can already see that this book is a must-read for everyone and anyone in sales of any kind, which includes just about everyone. If you are reading this, you are in sales. Of some kind. If you don’t think that this is true, I suggest you re-define your role in your organization to reflect the sales aspect of your job. It’ll make it easier on you over the long haul. If you work for a business, even if it is a non-profit, you are part of a system that is designed to sell a product or service to someone. If you strongly disagree, please write to me and let me know. I’m looking for an exception.

OK, so you’re in sales. How do you sell? According to Camp, you present your offering from the perspective of your client. (I’m paraphrasing). He says that you’ll be much more effective if you sell your service to your prospect while describing, or better yet, demonstrating, the benefits that they will receive. This seems simple enough. Sales 101, right? Well, not so simple for some entrepreneurs and even big business.

Human beings have a tendency to be attracted to the “new”. When we get a new offering, or land a new account, we want to talk about that. All too often, we forget to talk about why it is so great for the prospect.

I have a client that provides a service to large companies. He does this service so thoroughly and thoughtfully, that he forgets to let people know why he’s doing it in this particular way. He makes great lists of innovations, procedures and leading-edge technologies. And it’s true; he’ been sitting at the leading edge of his industry for a very long time. But he forgot to tell anyone else, because he saw it so clearly, why he had these technologies and procedures in place! He assumed everyone else would see the benefits that he so clearly sees, from his people to his customers, but the all have different perspectives than he does. So they need a little help.

I have been working with him to communicate these benefits to his people, and create a language, and story for all of them to tell to his clients and prospects, so they are very clear about the value that his company brings. A good story paints a very clear picture of value. And when a prospect can see the value…

Jeff Youngs helps companies tell great stories as a consultant, coach, speaker and author. Check out his website at www.youngscom.com and blog at www.youngscom.wordpress.com . He welcomes your thoughts, comments and suggestions. Email him at jeff@youngscom.com.

LISTEN UP!

MYTH:  Employees, especially managers, should know what to do and how to do it!

Ok, this is obviously a “trick”.  Of course they aren’t expected to know everything all the time, but surprisingly, in my experience, many business owners and senior-level managers make “assumptions” that everyone knows what they know, and should act on it the same way.  These assumptions lead to expectations, which is an extremely ineffective way to manage.

TRUTH:  Clear and Open Communication is critical in large AND small companies.

Large companies have known for years that clear communication is critical to the success of a company.  That’s why they have been holding management retreats, National Sales Meetings, conferences, web-meetings and more for many decades.  Although now, they are beginning to understand the value of having that communication be an OPEN LINE, with little filtering of information from the top, and open feedback channels from below.

Web 2.0 brought up the era of user-generated content on the internet.  It’s a bit of a free-for-all out there right now, but I believe we will see a new paradigm emerging where all of that unbridled user-generation is focused and channeled into usable streams of information and entertainment.  Similarly, businesses are learning how to channel useful information through all levels of organizations (sometimes using social media).  And it starts with the awareness that this type of communication is important.

Why is it important?  Well, the most compelling reason I can think of is that there is a vast brain-trust built into every organization.  And it goes largely untouched by most of them.  How is it working in your company?  See what I mean?

In this economy, especially, it is important to have clear and open lines of communication between all levels of staff and management.  This is how challenges are solved, profit is found and businesses are transformed.  And it is how culture is created and cultivated.

I once had a client who felt he was carrying the world (his company) on his back.  He was.  He didn’t trust his people, they didn’t trust him.  He had all of these great ideas but couldn’t figure out how to get his people to buy into them.  He was sure someone would learn the business from him and go out and start a new company – and take his clients.  (It’s how he got started.)  I suggested that he make sure he has talented and capable people in his key positions, then share his wealth of knowledge with them, and give them greater responsibility and  authority to succeed.

He did not like the idea at first, but he knew things had to change.  After making sure the right people were in place, we embarked on creating a comprehensive communication strategy to keep all of his top managers informed of his vision, and allowed them to contribute to the vision (thus expanding it).  And he gave them the authority to succeed.

Within a couple of years, his company tripled in revenues, in ways he never expected or would have thought of himself.  The open lines of communication resulted in new ideas surfacing, the authority to act on the ideas, and the enthusiasm to make them a reality.

Communication is like lifeblood to an organization.  If it gets blocked up anywhere, it could cause a stroke or worse.  It MUST keep flowing, freely and openly, for life and strength to be fostered within ANY organization.  All businesses with more than 1 person can use communication strategy to keep things moving freely.  Half dozen or more, and it’s downright critical.  Anyone who has worked in these situations knows of the importance to keep everyone on the same page.  So why don’t they?  I believe it’s because those with the authority are too busy keeping the monster fed, that they don’t look up often enough to see hat’s going on.

If that’s you, pick your head up and take a look around.  What’s it look like?

Jeff Youngs is a consultant and coach helping businesses succeed and executives pick their heads up. He is open to your comments and feedback. You can check out his website at www.youngscom.com, blog at www.youngscom.wordpress.com,  or email him at jeff@youngscom.com.

COLD CALLING REVELATIONS

MYTH: Cold Calls Don’t Work

Many entrepreneurs buy into the conventional wisdom that their best prospect is their current customer or former customers, especially in a relationship-based business like consulting (or any product or service that requires a component of consulting.) While I believe this to be essentially true, it does not replace the business-expanding nature of cold-calling.

TRUTH: Cold Calls Can Grow Your Business in Unexpected Ways

I recently called a trusted friend and coach by the name of Brandon Craig who is a Pro when it comes to selling. (Note the capital “P” and bold face) The first thing he asked me was how I got my current best clients. I told him – believe it or not – from cold calls. He asked me how many cold calls I’ve made in the past 3 months or so. I said about 30. (I probably over-estimated). He asked me, essentially, if my life depended on doubling my business in the next 30 days, what would I do? I said I’d probably do that in a day. He said “yeah”.  (I was hoping he’d say “Oh, but 3 or 4 would be great!”)  He said “yeah”.  30 a day.

He then helped me hone my message so I would create value in the very first call. This was a very important element of this process. In order to be relevant, to bring value to my prospects, I needed a message that they would want to hear. One in which they would receive an immediate benefit for themselves. Do you want to hear it? Just give me a call or email me. I’m happy to share.

I had never made such an intensive call push. This may be nothing new for the sales pros reading this, but consider that many, many small businesses don’t, or won’t, make cold calls. Or they’ll make a few, but focus on taking care of their existing clients and hope for a good lead or referral. I wondered what would happen to my business if I made this kind of push. Would I actually get a lot of new business? Would it be a time vortex? I didn’t really know, but I had my suspicions. So I set out to make 30 calls.

The next day, I came into my office, sat down to make the calls. I selected the businesses based on my criteria, researched them a bit on their websites, and then I picked up the phone. By the 8^th call I was ready to pull my hair out. One “no”, one “send me your info…” and 6 messages left. I was ready to call it a day. On the 9^th call, I connected. The man on the other end of the line said “Great, I’d love to meet you. I could use some help in that area!”

Did you ever hit that one perfect golf shot? The one that felt so sweet, went so far and straight, that you knew you were made for the sport? That’s what it felt like.

By the end of the day, I had made 25 calls, and had 4 appointments set. The following day, I integrated a few old clients and follow ups, along with a few new prospects, and made a total of another 30 calls. 3 more appointments.

That was one week ago. Today, I have at least one appointment per day for the next two weeks, with 2 or more most of those days. I am now so busy with appointments and follow-ups that I only have time for 6 or 8 cold calls per day.

I used to resist cold calling. It’s an awful lot of “no” to get to a “yes”. But as Steve Chandler, super-coach and author puts it: “Yes” lives in the land of “No”. And actually, there haven’t really been that many flat-out “no’s”. I got way more voice mails and assistants than anything else. “No” is actually better, then I can declare it done.

So I love the “no’s” now, because I can see that the coin will always eventually land on “yes” and lead to a meeting. That’s where my prospects begin to get the real value.

BRAND is a VERB

MYTH: Only big companies need a brand

Many entrepreneurs of small and medium-sized companies think of a “brand” as a name and cool logo that goes on a product or letterhead. They get that big brands are all companies and products that they know. Often, when asked about “brands” people think of Coca-Cola®, McDonald’s®, Starbucks®, State Farm® and other household names that are significant part of our everyday lives. These are powerful brands. And they have been created and cultivated over decades of consistent, quality delivery.

TRUTH: EVERY business needs a brand

Many entrepreneurs also think that the logo design is absolutely critical to the success of a brand. One way to debunk this is to look at a strong, successful brand like State Farm. The familiar red box around the words STATE FARM®. Not much of a design, really. But it is recognizable because it stands for something.

When I think of State Farm, I think of strength, consistency and personal attention. I’ve been a customer for a long time and – full disclosure – I have done a fair amount of work for them over the years. You might say that I’m drinking the Kool-Aid®. (another strong brand) But really, an exciting logo? Not even close. But the brand is strong because so many have had the experience of State Farm. They know what it is.

A brand is clearly so much more that the logo. In fact, a corollary to this myth is: “Brand” is a noun. Truth: “Brand”, when it is really effective, is a verb.

Anyone who has had experience of working with their local agent can see how that works with State Farm.

I recently worked with a multi-national design firm. A company that makes its living delivering brand communication for their blue-chip clients. They know the importance of brand – the verb. They asked me to help them create a brand for themselves. They are a decades-old firm that had recently undergone changes. They had developed a new name, and now needed help communicating it. Even though they were capable of their own brand messaging, they were aware that they were not the best suited to the task. Too close to the issue.

After leading them through a Platform Design ™ process, where we discovered the essence and purpose of their business, we were able to craft a concise, specific message that would not only inform their conduct as a company, it emerged from who they essentially already are. The outcome of this is a strong brand that they can easily deliver on time after time, because it reflects who they are from a core place.

The added bonus of a process like this, which takes an entire management team (or whole company) through a process of discovery, is that it provides a concrete message to share with their entire organization, unifies all functions, and sets the company on a clear and focused path for the future. Not only is a brand strategy possible, but a business strategy is available, too.

This client, with offices in the US and in Europe, has a common language, and a clearly defined common goal to strive for. They are in alignment and focused toward a common goal. With many of their competitors struggling and wondering when the economy is going to get better, they are working out how it’s all going to get done. What I call a “quality problem”.

They aren’t showing their brand, they are living it.  As a result, their clients are seeing it.

Having said all that, AT&T® has a logo that was carefully crafted to communicate the objectives and eventual reach of the company. The now iconic globe design speaks for itself as representing a truly “global” enterprise. I’m sure no one was thinking of these things when the State Farm logo was designed. Marketing just wasn’t that sophisticated yet. Well, we are now, so it is useful to have a logo that communicates, in some way, the essence of the company.

It IS important that the brand (noun) looks beautiful.   But it will fall very short if the brand (verb) doesn’t deliver.

Jeff Youngs helps companies find opportunities in challenging situations as a consultant, coach, speaker and author.  Check out his website at www.youngscom.com  .  He welcomes your thoughts, comments and suggestions.  Email him at jeff@youngscom.com.