Seize True Success

Lemonade Stand Selling: Accelerate Your Small Business Growth offers Sales and Marketing Help for Small Businesses

2010-03-26T09:56:00.001-04:00

New book gives practical advice to immediately impact sales; Touted by business sales experts as a resource for entrepreneurs and small business owners.

(PRWEB) March 18, 2010 -- As it hits the internet book stands, Diane Helbig’s new book, “Lemonade Stand Selling: Accelerate Your Small Business Growth”, (http://www.lemonadestandselling.com)(Sales Gravy Press, 2009), is already gaining popularity with sales and small business experts for addressing the most important challenge of every new business: How to sell. “Lemonade Stand Selling” maps out easy and effective tools for selling with practical examples that apply specifically to small businesses. Written in a straight forward style in short, focused chapters, the book paves the way for the reader to immediately implement sales and marketing activities that can quickly grow the sales and strength of the business.

Sales and small business experts agree. Writes Paul McCord of All Business.com (http://www.allbusiness.com/company-activities-management/company-structures-ownership/14067276-1.html):

In an easy to read 100 pages, Helbig addresses each of the major selling and marketing issues every business owner must overcome from market identification to identifying, finding and connecting with prospects to account management to planning your company’s growth.

Other reviews of Lemonade Stand Selling include top sales advisor, Dr. Tony Alessandra who writes, “Lemonade Stand Selling uses simple, easy to understand, down to earth language and examples to help dispel the myths many people believe about the sales process. ..Even if you consider yourself a seasoned sales person, there are lessons you can learn.”

Jonathan Farrington, Chairman of The Sales Corporation, (http://www.thejfblogit.co.uk/) blogged “At the core of every successful organization is the ability to sell-nothing happens in this world until somebody sells something. This is a must read book for all small business owners and entrepreneurs”.

“I wanted to share these observations and experiences in a way that any business owner could immediately apply to their business and see results, “said author Diane Helbig . “If you keep it simple and clear, selling is as easy as back in the days when you had a lemonade stand. You knew what you were selling, you let people know and you delivered a good product that people would pay for – it doesn’t have to be difficult.”

Diane Helbig owner of Seize This Day Coaching, specializes in small business and leadership development, working with entrepreneurs across the country in a variety of businesses, helping them achieve success. Drawing on twenty plus years of success in driving sales and marketing results and advising others on how to reach their goals, Helbig has a broad-based business leadership background. She has published several articles and blogs, hosts a monthly sales and small business radio show, is a keynote speaker at small business and entrepreneur workshops and events and advises business owners directly through her Certified Business Coaching activities.

Lemonade Stand Selling: Accelerate Your Small Business Growth is available on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and select bookstores. For more information, visit www.lemonadestandselling.com. Lemonade Stand Selling: Accelerate Your Small Business Growth (Sales Gravy Press, 2009). ISBN# 978-981-8004-6-2

About Diane Helbig
Diane is a Certified Business Coach and founder of Seize This Day Coaching, working with small business owners and entrepreneurs across the country. Along with several published articles, an e-book and a bi-monthly radio program, Diane has also been guest speaker at numerous sales, franchise and small business events including Corporate College Sales & Marketing Conference, SkillsMAX Annual Users Conference, COSE Small Business Conference and the United Franchise Group 2009 World Expo. A graduate of Michigan State University, Diane lives in the Cleveland, Ohio area with her family.

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Contact Information

Jennifer Cooper
231.223.4858

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Invitation to Change

2010-01-06T13:58:00.001-05:00

When times are good and the economy is strong, business flows in and out. What I mean is – you seek (or prospect) new business and prospective clients seek you out. Many business owners will say that growing their business is easy during these times. However, when times are softer and they have to pull the business in they don’t do as well. Many really struggle.

When a salesperson has been humming along, working their system for a while, they may find their system becoming ineffective. Or they’ve grown their base so much that the prospect field is shrinking. In some cases they’ve spent so much time adding clients they’ve been neglecting the ones they have.

The way I see it, these are invitations to change. The reality is this – nothing stays the same. Times change, people change, needs change, the economy changes. The best approach is to be open to that change; really to be expecting that things might change. Then when it happens it won’t be so surprising. You’ll be more open to going with the change, rather than fighting against it.

As we visit each scenario you’ll notice a theme. Keep an eye out!

Difficulty with the pull of sales.
The way to combat the difficulties of gaining business only through the pull is to master that process. When things are good – when you don’t need it as much – it’s easy to get complacent and relax. Unfortunately, it’s not the best idea. If you realize that you always have to be selling, that you can’t rely on the random request, you will be at ease with the selling process. Then, if the time arrives where the only business out there is business you go get, you’ll be skilled at the process.

2. Mark Twain said, ‘If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you always got.’ Well, not in this case! There’s a big danger in sales of getting too comfortable with your process. What happens is you lose your fire, your edge; you get stale. The result is fewer sales. So, what do you do to prevent this from happening? Keep an eye on your process and change it up. Develop different strategies. Keep things interesting by changing HOW you do what you do.

This same principle applies to the problem of a shrinking prospect base. The one you are used to targeting has shrunk – no doubt. But, if you have different strategies that include targeting different prospect types, that field will remain big enough to hunt in.

3. When you are so invested in adding clients that you neglect your current clients, you run a huge risk of losing them. Change your focus – or I should say split your focus between sales and account management. Both activities are essential to business growth. And consider this – there may be more business to gain from current clients. You can grow your business right where you are!

Now, did you notice the theme? The invitation to change occurs during the process – not once the problem has appeared. Did you see it? The solutions I discussed are designed to keep you out of trouble in the first place. I invite you to change your methods so you are always ahead of the curve, on top of your business, growing all the time no matter what environment you find yourself in.

No need to RSVP! You’ll know if you’ve accepted my invitation by your results!

Copyright© 2008 Seize True Success

Vote for the Best Small Business Books of 2009

2009-11-21T16:09:00.001-05:00

Vote for the Best Small Business Books of 2009

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Sales Is Simple

2009-10-20T07:21:00.002-04:00

As simple as that lemonade stand you had as a child. Now you too can master the sales process with my new book Lemonade Stand Simple. Get your copy today at Amazon.com. And please - share this with those small business owners and salespeople you know.

The Seed

2009-09-21T08:26:00.000-04:00

I received this in an email and just had to share it. Enjoy:

The Seed

A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business.

Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.
He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you.
"The young executives were Shocked, but the boss continued. I am going to give each one of you a SEED today - one very special SEED.
I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you.
I will then judge the plants that you bring and the one I choose will be the next CEO."
One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed.
Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.

Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure. Six months went by -- still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however... He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot.
But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right.
He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful-in all shapes and sizes.
Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives.

Jim just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown," said the CEO. "Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!"

All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front.
Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!"

When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed - Jim told him the story.

The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, "Behold your next Chief Executive Officer! His name is Jim!"
Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed.

"How could he be the new CEO?" the others said.

Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow.

All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you.
Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it.. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!"

* If you plant honesty, you will reap trust

* If you plant goodness, you will reap friends

* If you plant humility, you will reap greatness

* If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment

* If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective

* If you plant hard work, you will reap success

* If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation

* If you plant faith in God , you will reap a harvest

So, be careful what you plant now;
it will determine what you will reap later..

"Whatever You Give To Life, Life Gives You Back"

Book Review - Coaching Salespeople into Sales Champions

2009-09-16T09:45:00.000-04:00

It gives me great pleasure to introduce you to this wonderful book by Keith Rosen. Keith is an expert in sales and sales management.

Your Playbook for Winning More Sales Today

In this difficult economic climate, sales cycles are doubling, even tripling. Yet, sales leaders are being asked to produce more results faster with less support. How can you manage these conflicting priorities and continue to meet expectations? To win more sales today, you need to play by the new rules.

Business thought leader Brian Tracy said, “There is no other single activity to boost sales that works better than sales coaching and Keith Rosen's book, Coaching Salespeople into Sales Champions, is the best ever written on how to do it well.”

With this essential, award winning book written by the globally recognized authority on sales and sales leadership, you’ll be able to develop a world class, self motivated sales team and coach them to bring in more sales today. Develop the new discipline of leadership that creates sales champions. Order your copy now and receive hundreds of dollars worth of bonus gifts from the world’s top sales and business thought leaders. Click here to check it out now: http://www.coachingsalespeopleintosaleschampions.com/event.html.

Does Behavior Matter?

2009-09-15T15:52:00.001-04:00

There are so many people apologizing these days for less than stellar behavior that it has me asking just how much our behavior matters. Do you draw conclusions about people based on their behavior - both good and bad? Does it matter more if you know the person?

I ask because I see these people in the spotlight who act without thinking about the repercussions and then have to apologize. Then what happens is that there is a group of people who don't accept their apology as sincere.

Now why is that? And what, you may be asking, does this have to do with business. Well, I'll tell you. EVERYTHING!

People fail to realize that their behavior matters; that people ARE paying attention and developing a picture of you based, sometimes solely, on your behavior. Think about the people you encounter throughout your days. If someone is perpetually difficult or unpleasant, does it make you want to work with that person? If someone speaks badly of their competition or of others do you wonder what they say about you?

It is my opinion that regardless of how well-known you are, you have an obligation to yourself to be on your best behavior as often as possible. I admit that sometimes it can be difficult. You may find yourself speaking badly about someone. Okay, let's be honest - it happens.

Stop it as quickly as possible and try to identify how that happens. If you find that someone else starts the bashing, try to be really aware of how you respond. There are diplomatic ways to get out of those conversations. Find one!

Listen, we all have bad days. Realizing it and getting out of it as quickly as possible is what matters. Just remember, most of us craft our view of others based on their behavior. It's much easier to maintain a good profile than to have to rebuild a broken one.

Your Actions Speak

2009-09-10T14:08:00.001-04:00

Today I was driving behind a truck. This truck had the company name across the back, with phone number. All I will tell you is the truck was from a painting company - I'm not going to tell you which one (out of respect).

All of a sudden the driver threw a banana peel out the window.

Do you know what struck me? They litter. Now my image of that company is that they are sloppy, lazy and unconcerned with their environment. Are they going to treat the home or building they paint with the same disregard?

Most likely not. However, many of you know that I've talked about always being on. No matter what you do or where you are, when you represent a company you are always in a position for people to draw conclusions about you, your work, your quality, etc.

The day you decide to put your company name on your truck is the day you should decide to monitor your behavior. Before you throw something out the window, ask yourself how that might look.

Think about how your actions can have a negative, or positive, impact on your business. It matters.

Just Do Something

2009-09-10T09:24:00.000-04:00

The other day I had the pleasure of hearing Mark Tyler Nobleman speak. He’s the author of ‘Boys of Steel: The Creators fo Superman.’ A couple of the things he said really stood out for me.

One was – ‘There’s always a way around something.’ My interpretation of this is to not give up. Consider the possibilities and discover a way to get done whatever matters to you. The people who don’t succeed are the people who give up when the going gets a little tough.

The other thing he said was – ‘You don’t know what you don’t know. Do the best with the information you have at the time.’ In other words, don’t let obstacles stop you from moving forward. Use the information you have, determine a way to go, and then GO! Too many times people spend all of their time trying to learn, or discover. They think that if they just keep working at something they will ultimately discover the perfect method or plan. In the meantime, the world is passing them by and they are never getting off the starting block. Don’t let this happen to you.

Sales Masterclass - Join Me

2009-08-31T11:38:00.000-04:00

Where Does It Come From?

2009-08-28T09:33:00.001-04:00

Where does your new business come from? Is it from networking, referrals, cold calling, or some combination?

It's a good idea to periodically check this. When you know where your new business is coming from, you'll find out what is working and what isn't.

In a perfect world your new business would be coming from a variety of places. I say this because having a marketing and sales plan that has different aspects to it is the way to yield the greatest results.

What matters is that you stay on top of it so you know what is working and what isn't. Then you want to duplicate what is working and make adjustments to what isn't. Or, you may want to eliminate what isn't working.

Remember, whatever you do, it takes time and therefore money. Your goal should be to maximize the results of your efforts. If you can't get something out of it, it's time to make some changes.

Even Tiger Woods

2009-08-19T10:13:00.001-04:00

Even Tiger Woods has off days. No one can bat 1000 every day. The question is, what do you do if and when you are off your game?

Well, like Tiger, you get right back out there the next day and work on your performance. It's not what happens to you that matters. It's what you DO about what happens to you.

Sales, and business ownership are complex, challenging jobs. People who excel are those who work on their techniques, performance, and process all the time. They know they can learn from others, and improve from where they are at this moment.

Even those who are aces can have bad days where nothing seems to go right. You know what I'm talking about! Things are just a beat off and you can't seem to get your footing.

Okay. It happens. Get up, brush yourself off, take a look back at what happened. If you can see why things were derailed, great! If not, that's okay too.

The magic is in continuing to move forward; to not let it create more of a speed bump.

So, just remember where we started - with Tiger Woods. Learn the lesson; I know he has.

Proofreading - Create a System

2009-08-17T08:27:00.000-04:00

So many of us write articles, post blogs and put out newsletters today. This is something we’ve added to our list of things we have to do. Because they are additional they can suffer the consequence of not receiving the attention they deserve.

How many times do you post an article or a blog, or send your newsletter only to find that you’ve got misprints and typos in it? Ugh! You wish you could pull it back but it’s already out there!

One of the hardest things to do is proofreading your own work. You’ve said it and read it so many times that you aren’t seeing it as clearly as someone new to it. So, there’s the answer. Find someone with good grammar and spelling skills who will offer to read through your work before you send it out. Then make sure you give them plenty of time to read it.

A few years ago I was in an organization that put out a paper newsletter. The day before it was going to print I noticed some big typos. We got them fixed and I offered to proofread the newsletters pre-print. Unfortunately, they kept sending it to me the day they wanted to print it. This did not afford me the time to properly read through the 10 page newsletter.

Set yourself up for success by creating a system that works – on all sides.

So, are there any typos in this post? J

Month End Sales Scramble

2009-08-14T08:26:00.000-04:00

This is one of the most interesting games I’ve ever seen. As a sales manager/salesperson you get to the end of the month and the panic sets in. Which deals can you close to hit your numbers for the month?

Huh? If you are doing your job well and doing it every day, you are going to sell what you sell. To scramble at the end of the month and put the pressure on your prospects to buy is a tough practice.

What happens is you start offering deals if they sign on the dotted line. You cajole, coerce, and try to convince. In my mind you are trying to force a situation that is either going to happen or not.

As the prospect, it’s uncomfortable. Feeling forced, rushed, or tricked into a decision is not a great feeling. So you as the salesperson may get the deal but what has it done to your relationship with that prospect?

Do your job well every day and keep adding to your pipeline. Maintain a healthy concern for the relationship you are building with that prospect. It is for the long term, not the quick hit. Remember the Golden Rule and treat them the way you like to be treated.

Rude is the New Normal

2009-08-12T08:24:00.000-04:00

People ask me all the time what to do when people won’t call them back. They’ll have a great meeting with a prospect and when they call to follow up, they can’t get the prospect on the phone.

Or they are cold calling and always getting voicemail. They can’t seem to reach a human.

Welcome to the Age of Rude. As businesspeople we’ve lost the value of communicating directly. It’s so much easier to hide behind our email and voicemail systems. On the one hand, I’m not sure the majority of people realize they are being rude. I think they need to say ‘no’ but don’t like being the bad guy. It’s easier to avoid what they see as a confrontation.

The next time you encounter this situation and have to leave a voicemail message, provide the prospect with permission to say ‘no.’ Tell them that ‘no’ is an okay answer and that you don’t want to be a pest, calling them all the time. You’ll make it easier for them to communicate with you.

In addition, reality check your own behavior. Make sure you aren’t participating in this practice. When people leave you messages, call them back – whether or not you are interested in what they offer. It seems we’ve all fallen into this pattern. Maybe we can affect a change beginning with ourselves.

Elie Wiesel said, “But where was I to start? The world is so vast. I shall start with the country I know best, my own. But my country is so very large. I had better start with my town. But my town, too, is large. I had best start with my street. No: my home. No: my family. Never mind, I shall start with myself.”

Not A Bad Thing

2009-08-10T08:23:00.000-04:00

So many people are afraid of failure. Well, failure is not really a bad thing. It is actually a part of success. I can’t think of a single successful person who hasn’t failed in some way at some time.

The key to failing is to learn something and adjust to keep it from happening again. In my estimation, failing is how we grow. Can you imagine what life would be like if you always did everything right? Easy, yes! Challenging? Not really.

When you learned to walk you fell down. As you grow in your business, you most likely will fall down. Get up, take a look at why you fell, make adjustments and forge ahead. You’ll be better for the experience and so will your business.

Great Business Books

2009-07-29T10:38:00.001-04:00

The E-Myth Revisited - Michael E. Gerber
This is probably the single most important book for a new entrepreneur to read. This is a hugely successful best seller and teaches the distinction between working on your business and working in your business. Read The E-Myth Revisited to rid yourself of myths about starting your own business and change the incorrect and commonplace assumptions that can get in the way of running a business.

Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill
The bestselling success book of all time was updated and revised in 2005 with contemporary ideas and examples. This book asks and answers, "What makes a winner?" A very famous book, Think and Grow Rich is still held in high esteem in the business world.

How to Sell When Nobody's Buying - Dave Lakhani
Old sales tactics are no longer working, and the current economy is only making selling more difficult. How to Sell When Nobody's Buying is a practical, effective guide to selling even in the toughest of times. This book is packed with new information about creating sales opportunities. The author is one of the world's foremost authorities on persuasion and sales.

Doing Business by the Book - Sophfronia Scott
A how-to guide on getting your book written and published, Doing Business By the Book is also the complete resource on using a book to build your business. It's a wealth of information that will save you massive time and energy to get your book published. Sophfronia Scott offers a step-by-step approach that will take the worry, stress and fear out of the writing and publishing process and inspire you about building your business as a published author.

Purple Cow - Seth Godin
This book from the marketing and thought-leader, Seth Godin, cites companies like KrispyKreme, Starbucks, Apple and JetBlue, all of which "created new ways of doing old businesses and saw their brands sizzle as a result." The message of Purple Cow - to be outrageous, tell the truth, test the limits and never settle for just "very good"- is solid and timely. Seth Godin is one of my favorite thinkers and others must agree; whenever I ask people about business books, at least one of his many books is likely to be mentioned.

One Minute Manager - Kenneth Blanchard & Spencer Johnson
For more than twenty years, millions of managers and entrepreneurs have followed The One Minute Manager's techniques and increased their productivity, job satisfaction, and personal prosperity. If you are looking for a book to help you manage employees, this little book is the one. The three very important skills are supported by research studies to show why they work, but their simplicity is why they are applicable in almost all business situations.

Good reading!

American Ingenuity

2009-07-27T16:23:00.000-04:00

Now this is a great story. A pharmacist in Alabama decided to create an economic stimulus package so he gave $2.00 bills to his employees and asked them to spend them at local businesses.

The idea has taken off and is spreading. There’s even a website you can go to and pledge your contribution to stimulating the economy. That site is http://www.peoplesstimulus.org/

This is what America is all about – finding opportunity in adversity. Why not join the movement or create a program of your own?

Women of Note

2009-07-22T18:49:00.001-04:00

I had the extreme pleasure of attending the Crain's Cleveland Business Women of Note luncheon today. All twelve women are tremendously worthy of this honor. A couple of the women shared some really fabulous thoughts that I'd like to post here.

Claire Zangerle of VNA said, 'Be flexible because you never know what opportunities or obstacles you'll encounter.'

Rebecca Sweet of Viva dance! Studio said, "I truly believed that there was nothing a woman couldn't do." and "sometime it's okay to be a follower."

Jacklyn Chisholm of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum said that open, honest, direct communication was her personal mission statement.

Nan Cohen of Cedar Brook Financial Partners said that at her company they work together to create an exceptional experience for their clients.

Kathleen Ferry of Telefast Industries shared this - the greatest thing about people knowing you don't know everything is that it frees you up to ask for help.

And, Rita Maimbourg of Tucker Ellis and West said that there is no such thing as the mommy track. you are the master of your own future.

See what I mean? Really power words from some spectacular women. I knew by the end of the presentation why I had been compelled to attend this luncheon.

Great Time in the Desert

2009-07-15T11:25:00.001-04:00

We have been in Las Vegas since Sunday participating in the UFG World Expo.

What a great time we're having with the franchisees! Shann and I have participated in the Women in Business forum, presented our Turn It Up! presentation (twice), and will be meeting with the Plan Ahead Events franchisees later today.

It's been a great experience working with these motivated, dedicated, hard working and enthusiastic folks from all over the world.

We appreciate the opportunity to shed some light on some of the 'how-to' of business success with these franchisees and trust we've offered some insight they can take back with them.

We also look forward to working with many of these business owners as we move forward and all go back to our homes at the end of the week.

The leadership at UFG does a great job of putting on an outstanding conference with all kinds of educational opportunities for their franchisees. We are honored to be working with this group.

100 Top Small Biz Blogs

2009-07-06T09:46:00.003-04:00

It gives me great pleasure to share this list with you. You can see it here http://www.invesp.com/blog-rank/Small_Business

Two of my associates are on the list - one of them is in first place!

Small Business Trends - http://www.smallbiztrends.com

and

Franchise King Blog - http://www.franchisekingblog.com

Check them out when you have a minute.

Nominated Article

2009-06-29T11:48:00.002-04:00

Please visit http://www.top10salesarticles.com/ and vote for my article. And, if you think about it, please share this with other business owners and salespeople.

Thanks!

Thank You Notes

2009-06-29T06:56:00.001-04:00

I can't tell you how thrilled I was to read about thank you notes in The Last Lecture!

I am a strong proponent of handwritten thank you notes. They show respect and thoughtfulness. When you take the time to put pen to paper you are telling the recipient that they matter. And who wouldn't want to feel they have value?

Unfortunately, with the advent of email, handwritten notes have become almost extinct. It is a lost art. You would do yourself a favor by taking it on as a business practice.

I write handwritten notes to people I meet at networking events. These notes are always appreciated.

Those people who know me well know that I always encourage my clients to write notes, on notecards; to handwrite the address and put a real stamp on the envelope.

Yes, it matters.

Guest Post

2009-06-24T17:14:00.002-04:00

Please visit the link below to read a great blog post by my friend Joel. He and his father are really on to something important.

http://www.thefranchisekingblog.com/2009/06/5-things-my-dad-taught-me-about-business-and-life.html

A Great Biz Read

2009-06-23T12:09:00.001-04:00

I've just finished reading 'The Last Lecture' by Randy Pausch. You may not think it's a business book - but you'd be wrong. There are many business lessons, as well as life lessons in this book. Over the next couple of weeks I'll be sharing some of those business lessons with you.

For starters, try this on - no job is beneath you. Randy's father told him the same thing my father told me - work hard and become the best at whatever you do, even if it's digging ditches.

No job is beneath you because you can learn from anything. The lessons you learn in the mailroom will serve you well as you move up the chain. If you try to shortcut the system and jump right into management you will find your job much harder. This is because you can't relate to the people who are working for you.

If you don't have an understanding of what they are going through you won't be able to work effectively with them to problem solve and improve the workflow.

So, be thankful for the roles you play - no matter what they are - and do them well. You will be a better leader because of them.