The 8020Info Water Cooler

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The 8020Info Water Cooler
Issue #88 - Vol. 6 No. 8
05 June, 2006

1. Banish The Misconceptions Holding You Back

One of the biggest stumbling blocks for managers and salespeople involves the mind. They hold themselves back, with misconceptions or limiting beliefs about the challenges facing them. In Selling, Siobhan Murphy highlights the following misconceptions:

My weaknesses are holding me back: Focusing on your strengths, rather than concerning yourself about your weaknesses, will lead to greater success in the long run.

Getting business is so tough these days: Attracting business becomes much easier when you are clear about who your ideal clients. "This clarity allows you to offer a clear message, and business literally comes to you," Murphy says.

My financial situation is terrible: Financial concerns aren't easy to set aside but worrying won't help. Focus on what you can do to fix your business troubles.

I'm not as talented as others: You probably haven't identified your own brilliance. Finding what you excel at, and organizing around it, will help you to soar.

I need to work harder and put in more time: Disappointing results often come from a lack of clarity rather than a lack of effort.

I need to get a handle on what's not working well and fix it: The more time you spend focused on what isn't working, the less energized you feel and less progress you make. "When attention is given to what's working and what's right, the energy level rises and people come up with creative strategies and capitalize on their strengths," Murphy counsels.

2. Four Ways To Milk Your Media Coverage Top

You just struck it lucky: A media outlet has aired or published a story on your organization. Don't sit back. Look for ways to build upon that story, public relations consultant Margie Fisher writes in Entrepreneur:

Add the media coverage to your marketing materials. It boosts your credibility.

Frame your media coverage for others to see: Restaurants always frame the good reviews they receive for others to read. That impresses us as customers or prospects of those restaurants, but too often we fail to apply the same tactic to our own businesses. People will be impressed by a story about your organization, so present it where it catches their attention.

Mention it to others: If somebody asks how you're doing or feeling, use that opening to mention the media item. Consider including it as part of your presentations as well.

Send it to your alumni magazine, or other publications that might be interested such as your home town newspaper: That may connect you to old friends -- and new prospects.

3. Practise Benign Neglect    Top

Adrian Savage's father was a wonderful gardener, and his garden the envy of the neighbours. But he didn't spend a lot of time in the garden, as he had other work to do. He made sure the soil was in good condition, planted at the right time, kept the weeds in control, and let the plants grow.

"Neglect 'em a bit," he would say. "Don't be fussing around too much. Plants thrive on a bit of neglect."

So do organizations, says his business consultant son: "Good leaders and managers do the same as my father. They practise benign neglect." They make sure staff has the right conditions -- the authority, the resources, the training and clear direction -- and then let them get on with it. Benign neglect shows you trust your staff.

"It's their job, not yours. If they're busy, you don't need to be. Neglect them a little. Do your own work," he writes on his Slow Leadership blog.

4. Dealing With Procrastination And Distraction    Top

If you have a tendency to get distracted or procrastinate -- surfing the web instead of attacking the work in front of you -- consultant Merlin Mann suggests on his 43 Folders blog trying an approach he calls (10+2)*5.

Start by working for ten minutes with a single-minded focus towards completing a single task. Then give yourself a two-minute break -- no longer -- to do whatever else you want. But keep to the two minutes.

Now repeat the sequence four more times (for a total of five), until you have spent an hour in that pattern of ten minutes work and two minutes idling. You don't need to finish your task in ten minutes -- just move it forward -- but if you finish a satisfying amount of work in fewer than ten minutes you can take the two-minute break early and then move on to the next flurry of work. The only other rule: Do not skip breaks!

He says you'll find yourself blazing through your work with this 10+2 cycle, and in time will start skipping the breaks, breaking your previous habits of procrastination or distraction.

5. Zingers    Top

Here's a definition of business at its best, from Tom Peters: "An emotional, vital, innovative, joyful, creative, entrepreneurial endeavour that elicits maximum concerted human potential in the wholehearted service of others."
(Source: Tom Peters! blog)

If your mentor isn't available and you have to make an important decision, consultant Randall Craig suggests shifting your perspective by imagining what your mentor would do. That will allow you to see the situation in a different light, and improve your decision-making.
(Source: Make It Happen Tipsheet)

Research has shown that customers typically reveal only 20 per cent of what is on their minds to those pursuing a sale. Consultant Paul Cherry says it's your responsibility to draw the other 80 per cent out of them.
(Source: Questions That Sell)

In Microsoft Word, you can indent a paragraph by pressing Ctrl+M, which indents the left margin to the next tab stop, and you can justify it by pressing Ctrl+J, which makes sure the text extends all the way from the left to the right margin.
(Source: Allen Wyatt's WordTips)

Consultant Jay Lipe says don't ever tell your customers "the system is slow today." That will only lead them to wonder what else is slow today.
(Source: Smart Marketing blog)

6. Q & A with 8020Info    Top

Question: How can we manage our web site better?

8020Info CEO Rob Wood responds:

The best value propositions are based on an extraordinary understanding of your clients or customers, which in turn strategically guides your organizational effort and use of resources. It becomes your guiding principle to create superior value for them.

Two of the most common pitfalls involve stressing too many benefits, or only those where you compare favourably with your competitors. (More on this is to be found in the March 2006 edition of the Harvard Business Review.)

It is tempting, and simpler, to pitch all the benefits you can offer clients, but they may not care in the least about many of those points. All you have done is hide your key benefits in a cloud of value claims. You've also avoided setting priorities: When you make choices about what benefits to offer, you clarify your strategy. The second pitfall is somewhat similar -- not all differences with respect to your competitors will matter to clients.

The key is to build your value proposition around a resonating focus -- around those few simple, powerful, superior benefits that matter most to your target customers or clients. As HBR points out, it answers their key question: "What is most worthwhile for us to keep in mind about what you have to offer?" Once you can answer, be sure to demonstrate, document and communicate that value proposition for them.

7. News From Our Water Cooler:    Top

Our last edition of the 8020Info Water Cooler (http://www.8020info.com/issue87.html) brought a record number of new subscriptions. They're free, and it's easy to sign up -- on our web site, at http://www.8020info.com/freesub.html or by sending us an email at contactus@8020info.com. Just put "Water Cooler Subscription" in the subject line. In the meantime we'll keep trying to find the latest information and actionable ideas for managers, leaders and entrepreneurs

8. Closing Thought    Top

"Small deeds done are better than big deeds planned.""
-- Peter Marshall