In many organizations, summer can be the slow season. Your customers, employees and partners take vacations, so decisions get delayed. But marketing consultant Paige Arnof-Fenn notes on Entrepreneur.com that smart entrepreneurs take advantage of the summer months to work on things they tend to neglect the rest of the year. Some options to consider:

• Review your business plan, and check the assumptions and how you are faring against the plan. Summer can be a great time to correct your course if needed.



• Invite your top customers (or prospective or lost customers) to lunch and listen to what's on their mind. "They'll appreciate being asked, and you'll get some qualitative feedback you can incorporate into your plans," she advises.



• Set up a round of golf and invite three clients or prospects who would enjoy connecting. If you don't play golf, get tickets to an event they might like to attend. It's a fun excuse to get out of the office and chat with people on a more personal level, building relationships.



• Clean out your file drawers and go through the paper stacks that have turned into permanent furniture in your office. Take one drawer or stack a week, so it doesn't become overwhelming. "By the end of summer you'll have more space on your desk and in your head for lots of fresh ideas." she says.



• Send thank you notes. Everybody loves to be appreciated and cards at this time of year will stand out.

Rick Spence loves entrepreneurs. The former editor-publisher of Profit magazine -- now a consultant and entrepreneur himself -- finds entrepreneurs are some of the most accomplished, most positive and community focused people he knows. But he finds they have a bad habit: They lie a lot.

"They lie to make their business seem more successful than it is. They lie about the problems they've faced, they lie about past accomplishments, and they lie about their future objectives," he writes on his Selling To Small Business blog, pointing as one example to entrepreneurs who swear they will never sell their business and shortly afterwards do.

The funny thing, he adds, is that they don't mean to lie. Many of them believe what they are saying is true. "While a statement may technically be a lie today, that doesn't mean it isn't true in their heads. Some of what they say may become true six months from now. I believe many entrepreneurs live several months in the future. It's a key part of how they make their visions come true. So some of them truly believe the stories they tell are already true," he notes.

But there's one problem. It's one thing to lie to others, as you make those dreams come true. But the problem can come when you lie to yourself, and can't recognize the truth.

Instead of being tripped up by last-minute objections from a client, Charles Green urges on RainToday.com that from the initial conversation you keep a running list of issues and concerns that the client has. Share that list at all times, and work on it jointly to keep it accurate. Introduce issues with the phrase, "If I were in your shoes, I imagine I would be concerned with…"

He stresses the importance of including some emotional and political issues on the list, such as, "I would imagine you would be concerned about how other people in your organization will perceive the price you end up paying. Is that right?"

At several points, particularly after resolving some concerns, jointly reassess the list to see how you are coming. Check whether the process is helping the decision, and what other concerns may have arisen. If you sense hesitation, probe. By having an open discussion of concerns -- and resolving them -- you avoid any last minute snares.

George Torok runs a blog aimed at improving motivational speaking, but he recently offered a warning against working for -- or being -- a de-motivational speaker. Specifically, it's someone who tries to whip up staff anxiety levels by constantly threatening, "Someone is going to get fired here." That taps into the fears of facing the boss's continuing wrath or truly losing the job.

If it motivates, it's only for short-term results. And the long-term result usually is high staff churn, because in the end, constant threats like that motivate employees to find a new job before they get fired. So don't work for that kind of de-motivational speaker -- or be one.

• When somebody asks what you do, the conventional wisdom is to offer a carefully scripted, information packed, elevator speech devised to market your work. But consultant Doug Stern says sometimes a friendly question is just a friendly question, and you need to lower the bar, loosen up, and connect with a more relaxed answer, in plain English rather than marketing speak.
  (Source: MarketingProfs.com)



• Seventy-one per cent of workers wouldn't want the boss's job.
  (Source: Psychology Today)



• If you ask your team to start brainstorming on a topic, you are unlikely to get ideas with just a general invitation. Instead, use techniques like random words or picture generation in which you kick-start their thinking.
  (Source: Management Today)



• The most common line in retail, "Can I help you?" is counterproductive because it's so easy for the person to reply, "No thanks, just looking." A phrase that increases sales by an average of 16 per cent, according to author Michael Gerber, is: "Hi, have you been here before?" The answer allows you to welcome them and provide a quick tour or thank them for returning.
  (Source: Influence With Ease newsletter)



• The number of innovative biotechnology firms grew to 532 in 2005 from 490 in 2003, an increase of 8.6 per cent. An innovative biotechnology firm is a firm that uses biotechnology for the purpose of developing new products or processes.
  (Source: Statistics Canada's The Daily)

Non-profits resist the concept of competition and in a world of partnerships that can seem particularly justified. But the reality is that they are competing with other organizations for the time and interest and money of everyone from volunteers to funders.

To gain an edge (or, if that sounds uncomfortable, to enhance your sustainability), you must clearly differentiate your organization from others and communicate clearly what you offer.

Differentiation is usually fairly easy, since every non-profit was set up to tackle a specific challenge, but as the telemarketing calls and letters to our homes from sound-alike ventures with similar missions shows, often a blurring can arise in the public's mind. So you need to clarify why you exist, how you are different from others in the field, and why helping your organization (to help others) is more worthwhile than the alternatives.

Beyond that, here are two major considerations, both beginning with an e:

• Emotions: You need to touch people. Yes, statistics and a rational message count. But you need to touch people's hearts, and draw them to your mission.



• Efficiency: Volunteers won't stay with you long if you are inefficient (nor will staff, although it can be harder for them to escape). Funders will also balk at helping you, if they sense their funds are not efficiently used.

In a world where every non-profit is trying to reach out with emotional appeals, how do you draw attention to the essence of your service? In a world where every non-profit claims to be efficient, how do you deliver the message of your efficiency in everything you do?

Obviously there is much more to being successful, but those approaches are key to applying the business idea of competitive advantage in your non-profit world.

It takes only a minute, but so often we forget to say thanks for a job well done. We were reminded recently of the motivating power of a thank-you when we happened to be on the receiving end. After facilitating an advisory board discussion for a client, we received a short email that said: "Thanks for the fabulous job you did the other day -- we've now got clear direction and have been busy, busy, really busy pulling all the plans together. Thank-you -- it was awesome." With that kind of boost you can bet we'll want to do our exceeding best for them next time out.

And this week we extend best wishes and our own heartfelt thanks to a departing colleague, Alison Sortberg, who is off to pursue new adventures in Prince George. Over the past year she has played an active role in publishing the Water Cooler and was a key player on dozens of 8020Info client projects. Well done, Alison, and good luck in B.C.!