Tom Hackelman

New Blog & Web Address

noreply@blogger.com (About Tom Hackelman) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:47:00 +0000

Please join me at the new location that will host both my blog and my website: http://tomhackelman.net

Once you visit, please click on the RSS feed and subscribe to regular updates from my blog postings.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Shift from Dreaming to Doing

noreply@blogger.com (About Tom Hackelman) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 08:23:00 +0000

"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." -- Walt Disney

Walt Disney's theme parks are the result of a lot talking and years of dreaming, but Walt Disney made them a reality. When his park opened in Orlando, he had already passed but his family knew the truth. While he wasn't there to personally witness the actual opening of his theme park, he had, in fact seen it in his mind as he dreamed of what could be.

The key for Walt Disney is he took action. In spite of years of failure and seven bankruptcies, he didn't keep talking and dreaming. Walt Disney took action.

Too often we are all guilty of talking a lot about an idea. We debate the pros and cons, but never take that first critical step. We talk ourselves out of taking action or, perhaps worse, we develop paralysis by analysis. And when we do eventually take action, we find that someone else has beaten us to the punch.

What are you debating right now? Is it possible that it's time for the debate to end and that it's time to take action?

World Changer or Wannabee?

noreply@blogger.com (About Tom Hackelman) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:06:00 +0000

Most of my professional career I've been surrounded by the wannabees. The wannabees are the individuals who crowd around the cubicles and chat because they hate going out and making sales calls. The wannabees are the ones who leave the office first thing in the morning and head to the gym or the local coffee shop because the world's just too tough out there. It's the wannabees who complain that they're left behind or worry about layoffs or wonder why they can't get the promotion they want.

World changers, on the other hand, go beyond what's expected and make a real difference. They look at every situation as an opportunity. World changers set goals -- high, difficult, challenging goals -- because they want to over-achieve. World changers are eager to make a difference regardless of what stands in the way. They don't wait for management or ownership to make changes; they make changes all on their own. They learn to ask for forgiveness because waiting for approval is often too slow. But they make things happen!

Maybe you're a wannabee reading this and you want to become a world change. Or maybe you're a wannabee and this post just pissed off. Either way, your response tells a lot about whether you're really ready to change the world.

Looking for Leaders

noreply@blogger.com (About Tom Hackelman) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:26:00 +0000

The problem today is we have far too many managers. Managers, unfortunately, are sheep herders. Their primary function is to maintain the status quo and make sure specific preset targets are met. Managers don't think beyond the proverbial box; managers are instructed to keep everything inside the box. Don't even think about coloring outside the lines.

In today's world -- in the economy, in politics, in business -- the world is looking for leaders. Leaders who have the intestinal fortitude to make a solid decision and then take action. We need leaders who take action and inspire change because the business model of yesterday isn't effective for today anymore. We need leaders made of brass who will embrace new ideas regardless of where they come from and implement new strategies for success.

The world is looking for leaders. Do you have what it takes to be one? If so, step up and start making a difference!

Are you providing real value?

noreply@blogger.com (About Tom Hackelman) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:46:00 +0000

If you really want to grow and increase market share in 2010, then review what you are doing right NOW as well as how your activity plans for next year will help focus your efforts on providing real value to your current clients as well as those accounts you are pursuing.

One of the best ways to provide real value is through free educational events. What subject can you share with your clients and prospects about that will aid them in their business? Who can you invite that can speak on a topic of particular interest to your clients and prospects? By providing a free educational event, you position yourself not only as a subject matter expert, but as a resource that is willing to help businesses improve and grow.

The best part of this strategy is that it can be as simple or as complex as you want the event to be. My favorite form takes place either at the beginning of a day with donuts and coffee or over lunch. These tend to be times that work well for individuals, especially first thing in the morning prior to the distractions of the day. Also, it's a low-cost approach to providing an event like this that won't break the bank or the budget.

Above all, the critical question is this: What real value do you bring to the market? What are you doing or can you start doing on a consistent basis to bring real value to the clients you serve as well as hope to serve in the future? One of the best ways to separate yourself from the crowded marketplace of competitors is to provide value in unique ways -- value being defined as tools and ideas that will help your clients with their business.

Final tip: Never leave a client's office without providing one idea that will help them in their business. You will increase your value and strengthen your relationship with your clients.

Are You Drinking the Kool-Aid Yet?

noreply@blogger.com (About Tom Hackelman) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:49:00 +0000

I came across an interesting post in The Relationship Economy entitled Drinking the Social Media Kool-Aid? by Jay Deragon. It's an interesting article; perhaps a little over the top, but good reading nonetheless.

Jay does make a great point that bears pointing out:

Social media is getting a bad name because most organizations think of it as “just another marketing channel” rather than taking the time to understand that communications and relationships drive, influence and produce everything: the good, the bad and the ugly.

Jay is right; social media is more than "just another marketing channel." Too many companies approach Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, among others, as just another ploy to market themselves. In this way, the effort is nothing really different than radio, TV and newsprint advertising -- just another interruption. The danger in taking this approach is that they miss out on the ability to build and develop social capital. Social media is just that -- it's social.

I recently shared with a conference group that I was presenting too that they should look at social media tools as they do face-to-face networking events. When you attend networking events such as business after hours, open houses, etc., you don't simply go and swap as many business cards as you can. (Or maybe you do and that's the problem!) No. Those who successfully utilize networking events participate by spending quality time with a few key people building a relationship and identifying if there's a possibility of a long-term business relationship. If not, both move on. If there is, the relationship continues to be developed and strengthened. Ultimately, if the fit is a good one, both parties achieve a positive outcome.

The same is true with social media. Just having your name associated with the tool doesn't make it worthwhile. And just because you have "friended" thousands of followers (like Ashton Kutcher), doesn't mean you have solid relationships with these individuals. The relationships have to be developed. You have to give something - regularly - to develop the relationship. Trust has to be built.

If you approach social media as a relationship mechanism that is designed to bring you closer to your customers and your potential customers, you will find yourself on the right track. If you, however, simply use it as a way of having a web presence and that's all, you might as well stop. Because if this is your approach, like face-to-face networking, you might as well stay near the free drinks because that's all you're really going to get out of the experience.

Committing to Your Pipeline

noreply@blogger.com (About Tom Hackelman) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:34:00 +0000

One of the biggest challenges for sales professionals is dealing with a consistent pipeline. At the core of the issue is the willingness of the sales professional to commit to daily activities that will build the pipeline. Instead we get busy -- closing deals, following up, going on appointments, etc. -- and we fail to do one of the most important things that builds our career and our continued success.

Doyle Slayton of SalesBlogcast.com has written a great piece on this. In his post, he outlines some of the key things he has committed to doing to build and invest in his sales pipeline. Check it out here: Committing to Your Pipeline

PAETEC & Dynamic IP SIP Trunks

noreply@blogger.com (About Tom Hackelman) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:11:00 +0000

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Dyip Sip

View more presentations from mwbraswell.

What's on your Apple iPod?

noreply@blogger.com (About Tom Hackelman) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:09:00 +0000

Quick...what's on your iPod, your Zune, or whatever MP3 player you use? How are you using your MP3?

For my workouts at The Rush, I have my normal collection of head-pounding music complete with '70s and early '80s classic rock but also some of the newer tunes from Sick Puppies, Nickelback, Linkin Park, Shinedown and Disturbed. (If you haven't viewed the video of Disturbed's Indestructible, you need to!) Of course, this is why the audiologist explains I've lost 30% of my hearing, but why stop now?

But what do you listen to while in the car? Do you listen to your collection of music or do you choose to use that time as a way of strengthening your career and your success?

Consider turning your car into a mobile educational facility. I find this to be a great tool in increasing my knowledge and pumping myself up with ideas for the next sales call or important meeting.

Some of the items on my iPod right now that fall into this category include:

Secrets of Great Rainmakers by Jeffrey J. Fox
Persuasion by Dave Lakhani
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
An audio collection by Brian Tracey

There are a large number of audiobooks available on iTunes as well as Audible.com to choose from. Why not use the time to expand your mind and increase your level of success?

Is Your Message Relevant? 4 Ways to Keep Customers from Tuning You Out

noreply@blogger.com (About Tom Hackelman) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:16:00 +0000

A new poll issued by Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council and InfoPrint Solutions Company indicates that consumers are becoming more turned off by messaging that is irrelevant to them.

While 64 percent of consumers say promotional offers dominate both the email and traditional mail they receive, only 41 percent view these as must-read communications. Of the 91 percent of consumers who opt out or unsubscribe to emails, 46 percent are driven to brand defection because the messages are simply not relevant.

When looking at answers to stagnating sales growth and slumping order rates, take a closer look at the messages you are sending out. Does your process link the right message with the right customer? Or are you simply blasting out the latest communication simply because you can? Beware of the latter because your customers are tuning out and turning you off in droves.

Here are some of the key findings from this survey:

Nearly three quarters of consumers have received promotions for products they have previously purchased from the company
73 percent of consumers would be open to receiving print statements if mailed materials were recyclable or part of a sustainability program
Nine out of ten consumers open monthly bills delivered via traditional mail, compared to 72 percent who open bills delivered via email
When given the opportunity to choose, 51 percent of consumers prefer to receive product or service promotions via traditional mail, while 44 percent prefer email

What can you do? Here are four ways to make sure you aren't causing your customers to tune you out:

Carefully link your marketing message to the right audience
Recognize that non-customers prefer to receive customized direct mail offers versus customers who prefer email offers
Leverage the fact that more consumers open their bills that come by traditional mail. Use transactional marketing printing methods to incorporate a marketing message that ties in with past purchasing history.
Communicate a green message. Since consumers tend to prefer printed materials, use a strategy that incorporates printing on recycled paper and uses a commercial printer that is FSC compliant. Make sure you are communicating this strategy to your readers.

If you will focus on how your customer wants to be communicated with and then tailor the message to them, you will find a larger percentage of your messages getting through and find a greater return on your investment.

Throw some sheep this week

noreply@blogger.com (About Tom Hackelman) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:34:00 +0000

I was reading a blog post Sunday afternoon about one of my favorite characters in my favorite shows (Don Draper of Mad Men). The author, the fabulous Tara "missrouge" Hunt, (also a Mad Men fan) writes about the flaws in Don Draper's character. Namely, she writes, is his inability to develop and maintain relationships. Tara writes:

It wasn’t only the women who were kept at arms length with Don, it was also the men. He didn’t really have any friends. No sense of loyalty. He spent most of his time peacocking around, proving that nobody could own him. And nobody could. They feared him and were too scared to talk back. Too scared to stand up to him. In fact, Don’s ‘relationships’ were akin to having thousands of Twitter followers but little engagement with them. Looks impressive from a distance, but rather ineffective in the long run.

Not much further into Tara's post I uncovered a link to another post entitled, More on Throwing Sheep. According to Tara, throwing sheep is akin to the things we do in relationships. We toss things -- ideas, thoughts, conversation starters, etc. -- back and forth to engage and develop the relationship. It's the art of going beyond the static website and creating an experience that encourages partnership and interaction. It's the willingness to listen and engage in the feedback without taking it as an insult.

A week ago I was a speaker for a series of breakout sessions at the Printing Industries of the Carolinas' (PICA) Fall Conference. The topic of my sessions was about social media and how it should be used for creating the conversation and the relationship. Too many business owners today, especially in the print industry but certainly not limited to it, miss this exceptional part of social media. And I understand.

I was raised in business by the Godfather credo, which includes two key tenets:

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
It isn't personal; it's just business.

As hard as it has been, I have been working diligently through social media and other networking mechanisms to understand that without opening up the conversation, you miss the opportunity to truly communicate. The more I know about you, the more you and I can help each other. The more I understand what is meaningful to you, the better I can serve you. And, perhaps more importantly, I can never be a trusted adviser unless I first develop the trust and that can only come through interaction and the development of a relationship.

Have you thrown sheep recently? Why don't you join me and we'll throw some together!

PAETEC Pursues the Energy Industry

noreply@blogger.com (About Tom Hackelman) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:30:00 +0000

PAETEC Looks to Energy Biz

Richard Martin
09/03/2009

IT EXPO — Saying that the future of energy and communications are inextricably linked, PAETEC (PAET) CEO Arunas Chesonis laid out a vision for the future of his company as a major player in energy consulting and renewable energy funding during his keynote address at the IT EXPO in Los Angeles.

“We’ve got customers who are spending $40,000 a month on their network with us, and they’re spending $440,000 a month on their energy bills,” remarked Chesonis in his high-energy presentation style. “I said, ‘Holy s**t!’”

PAETEC’s investment in its energy division arose both from personal interest on Chesonis’ part and from the 2007 acquisition of a small energy brokerage in upstate New York. That firm formed the core of PAETEC Energy, which now offers consulting and evaluation services to companies looking to reduce their energy use and broaden their power sources to include renewable generation.

Meanwhile, the Chesonis Family Foundation, founded by Chesonis and his wife Pamela, donated $10 million last for solar energy research at MIT. The intellectual property that comes from the grant belongs to MIT, but Chesonis sees the relationship as a possible source of technology that PAETEC can help commercialize.

Read more here

PAETEC Picked to Outperform

noreply@blogger.com (About Tom Hackelman) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:44:00 +0000

Raymond James as raised PAETEC stock from "market perform" to "outperform." Check it out here.

Becoming Your Company's Social Media Star

noreply@blogger.com (About Tom Hackelman) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:13:00 +0000

Scott Herrick writes a great post about How to be a Star Employee in Social Media. In it he makes the following specific points:

"Use the right social media tool for your work." Depending on what work you and your company do will help you decide the tools to use. If you are in media, the youth market and/or music industry, MySpace is a great tool. Otherwise Facebook and LinkedIn are powerful tools for you to use.
"Post work stuff during work hours, family and friends after work." Great advice if most people would actually heed it. Whatever you post is time-stamped, so when you're posting tidbits about your date last night at 9:45am from your cubicle, your company will know it. Plus any recruiter that is interested in pursuing you for that great job that will increase your income by 15% per year...well let's just say that you've now downgraded yourself. Focus on work while at work and leave the rest for after 5pm or whenever you're done with work for the day.
"Always be positive about your work." Whether it's your boss that you previously friended or the person that you thought was a friend but really he/she is after the same promotion as you, anything negative you write about on social media may and likely will come back to bite you.
"Add to the conversation." What are you doing to share view points and important information? What additional are you bringing to the table? When you bring value to the social media conversation, people notice. It's a great way to build your value, your circle of trust and your reputation online.
"Social media is a career tool." I've already touched on this, but remember: Social media can make and it can break your career. How you choose to use it to raise the web's positive view of you as someone who is credible and a subject-matter expert, will go a long way towards impacting your future. Always think through what you are about to post. And, by the way, using Carrie Prejean as an example, think carefully about any videos or text messages you get ready to send via your cell phone or email. They just may come back to haunt you.

Check out the post in its entirety.

What happens when you wear a name tag? Every day of your life?

noreply@blogger.com (About Tom Hackelman) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:38:00 +0000

Scott Ginsberg has my attention. Scott gained my attention because he has fantastic ideas, but mainly because of his unique approach to people. Scott wears a name tag every day. In fact, he had a "name tag" tattooed on his chest so he has no excuse to be unapproachable.

Scott discusses the top eleven brand-building lessons that he has learned from wearing a name tag 24 hours a day, seven days a week for 3,000 days. You really need to take a look at his article and consider asking yourself: What am I doing to make myself more approachable? What am I doing to make myself more memorable?

Of course, after you ask yourself these questions, what action are you committed to taking?

Did You Know...?

noreply@blogger.com (About Tom Hackelman) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:29:00 +0000

I came across a fantastic video production entitled Did You Know 4.0 that provides an overview of how much technology has changed and how it has changed how we do business and how we communicate. As much as many cling to yesterday, this video offers a thought-provoking conversation starter that every CEO in every company should carefully consider.

How are you participating in the new conversation? Are you utilizing Twitter to communicate with your customers? How are you staying ahead of your competition?

A Great Tool for Staying One Step Ahead

noreply@blogger.com (About Tom Hackelman) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:45:00 +0000

One of the best tools that I have used over the years is one that too many professionals are unaware of or choose not to use. This tool is one of the very best for staying one step ahead of the competition and keeping up with what's happening in your industry or with your target customers. The tool is Google Alerts.

Google Alerts enables you to track specific key words or phrases that are important. For example, in the communications industry, I want to keep tabs with what's happening with PAETEC (the company I work for that pays the bills), TW Telecom, Windstream/NuVox, and AT&T. In the print industry, I chase specific terms such as printing, Variable Data Printing, and VDP as well as companies as Xerox, HP, and Kodak. And for personal branding and business development...well, those are two particular phrases as well that I track.

As I said earlier, too many professionals either are unaware of or choose not to use this tool. Since 80% of all sales is produced by 20% of sales professionals, I suspect that those 20% rank very high in their use of Google Alerts.

PAETEC Unveils New-Look Website

noreply@blogger.com (About Tom Hackelman) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:20:00 +0000

By Jyothi Shanbhag

PAETEC Holding Corp. a provider of data, voice, and Internet solutions to business-class customers, has reportedly announced that it launched a new, enhanced Web site that highlights its capabilities in serving the needs of today’s businesses.

Company officials said that it took nearly a year to design the new look and to feed relevant details to the Web site to make it easier for users to find information quickly. The site now includes links for people to follow PAETEC (News - Alert) on popular social media sites.

The company has added more than 320 pages and 300 downloadable files, the simplified navigation, relevant content, and improved search capabilities to make it easier for users to locate pertinent information about PAETEC’s capabilities.

Let's Say Thanks!

noreply@blogger.com (About Tom Hackelman) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:12:00 +0000

This Wednesday is Veteran's Day and in honor of each of our soldiers past and present, I encourage you to take a moment and send a word of thanks to each of our active service personnel.

To do so, please visit the "Let's Say Thanks" website. You will be glad you did and so will a soldier.

The $203 Million Mistake

noreply@blogger.com (About Tom Hackelman) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:02:00 +0000

If you have someone who is on the fence about continuing to use direct mail to build their revenues, Williams-Sonoma just might have a recommendation for them: Don't mess with direct mail success!

The Cost Cutting Decision

In 2008, Williams-Sonoma made a decision to cut costs in light of the struggling economy. As part of their decision, they cut their direct marketing costs by $45 million. This decision included decreasing their circulation by 20% and decreasing the number of pages in the catalog by 30%. It's important to note that this channel of marketing directly accounted for just under 42% of their revenues.

The Consequence

At the end of the year, Williams-Sonoma's revenues from this direct-to-consumer marketing approach dropped from $560 million to $356.6 million. Let's do the math:

Direct-to-Consumer Marketing Cost Cuts: $45 million
Direct-to-Consumer Revenues Gain/Loss: Loss of $203.4 million
Return on Investment: Loss of $4.52 for every $1 cut

The Power of Direct Marketing

We have preached about the power of direct marketing for quite some time, but I've not seen such a dramatic consequence from cutting back as illustrated by Williams-Sonoma. A $4.52 loss for every $1 of cut is a serious message for those companies that are unsure of the power of direct marketing.

Which One are You: Sheepwalker or Leader?

noreply@blogger.com (About Tom Hackelman) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 11:49:00 +0000

In Seth Godin's latest book, Tribes, he coins a great term: Sheepwalker. What is a sheepwalker?

"I define a sheepwalker as the outcome of hiring people who have been raised to be obedient and giving them brain-dead jobs and enough fear to keep them in line...many organizations go out of their way to hire people who color inside the lines, who demonstrate consistency and compliance. And then these organizations give these people jobs where they are managed via fear. Which leads to sheepwalking ('I might get fired!)"

There is a serious problem with being a sheepwalker. In difficult economic times, your ability to rise above the crowd is extremely limited when you are a sheepwalker. It's nearly impossilbe to differentiate yourself. Sheepwalkers are known for the company they work for, not for the the outstanding work they could be doing if they chose to lead instead.

Sheepwalkers are a lot like Chrysler and GM; they have continued to do the same old thing for years, following the company line and tradition and now they whine about how they can't keep the doors open. Sheepwalkers are lot like those who continue the mantra of keeping health care as it is while millions visit the emergency room every day because that has become their family doctor. Sheepwalkers fail to recognize that preventative care is in the best interest of the country, our economy and our communities, so they choose the same old way of doing things. What do you expect from a bunch of sheepwalkers.

The market needs leaders not sheepwalkers. Leaders are not afraid to shake up the status quo. Leaders are not afraid to go against the grain in order to carve out a new path to success. Leaders look at the prevailing problems and identify the opportunities within and take action. Leaders don't sit still and wait for the calm after the storm. Instead they say, "Storm be damned! We're taking action and making a difference!"

Stop sheepwalking and lead. Let's shake up the economy and shear the wool off the sheep, sell it and have some fun!

How Do Others See Your Brand?

noreply@blogger.com (About Tom Hackelman) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 11:18:00 +0000

A lot of people seem to continue to be puzzled when I talk about developing and strengthening the personal brand. Most people understand what a "brand" is and what it is designed to do, but a "personal brand?"

If I mention certain brand names, you will most likely associate certain things with that brand name. Perhaps you will think of quality. Other brands represent low cost and savings. Other brands represent creativity and bold thinking. But when I ask you about your personal brand - your name, you do others see your brand? What do they associate with your name? At the end of the day, your personal brand is all you have. My parents use to tell me as I left the house on a date or to hang out with friends, "Remember: You're a Hackelman." My last name and yours - it is representative of our name.

Our name and our reputation are just like logos. When people see your name on the caller ID, do they panic or do they eagerly answer the phone? When people see an email from you in their in-box, do they immediately hit "delete" or do they open it because they're curious about what you have to share this time? Your personal brand encompasses all that you are and what you represent. It goes before and stays behind to continue to tell your story. Is it a good story? Does it represent you in the best way possible?

Your brand is you. You must strive to develop it. You must protect it. Create a brand you truly desire and spread the word. Work hard developing it into something that others want to know more about and be associated with. After all, people are looking for brands they can trust. Be that brand!

A Great Idea for Getting Publicity as an Expert

noreply@blogger.com (About Tom Hackelman) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 12:20:00 +0000

In the Small Business Trends blog, Margie Zable Fisher shares a great idea for getting publicity. I've written in the past about the importance of establishing yourself as an expert; Margie provides a great idea that will help make that happen.

Bottom line: Leverage the editorial calendar of magazines that feature content that you can add value to. Editorial calendars are what magazines provide far in advance to advertisers regarding the focus of upcoming issues. This enables advertisers to match their message to the upcoming issue. It also enables the magazine's sales staff to sell advertising space to companies whose product mix or service provides a perfect match for the subject matter.

Read Margie's article, The Secret Weapon for Getting More Publicity, and then start getting copies of editorial calendars from the publications you read or the ones your target audience reads.

Get Involved

noreply@blogger.com (About Tom Hackelman) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Here is a great quote that was passed along to me by Scott Fox:

"You must get involved to have an impact. No one is impressed with the won-lost record of the referee."

- Napoleon Hill

(1883 - 1970)

American Author

Take action today!

noreply@blogger.com (About Tom Hackelman) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:30:00 +0000

Too many people are choosing the worst option of all: Inaction. Inaction creates uncertainty. Inaction creates fear. Inaction is the worst thing you can choose today.

In life, nature shows us that we are either dying or growing. We do not have the option to simply stand by. Inaction is the equivalent of dying because for every moment you choose not to take action of any kind, you are slipping back and the world is passing you by. Eventually inaction leads to atrophy and you lose the skills you worked so hard to develop. Eventually your business experiences atrophy and you begin to lose customers, profit and, eventually, your livelihood.

Perhaps you're engaged in paralysis by analysis. You are so focused on analyzing the data and the reports that you are unable to take action. That paralysis is going to destroy you and your business if you allow it to last much longer.

Choose to take action today! Close down the computer, step away from the desk, and get out there. Go visit a customer today. Go share some ideas with a client. Pass along some business growth concepts with people you network with and look for new leads.

Action or inaction? Death or life? I choose action; I choose life!