The EIG Newsletter
Volume 2: Number 5: September - October 2002
Greetings and welcome to the latest issue of the EIG Newsletter. Thank you for all your e-mails and comments to me over the last two months and to all our new subscribers around the world. I also appreciate all of you who have passed on and recommended the newsletter to your family, friends, network, and your colleagues or team at work. I would like to express my thanks also to all of the wonderful companies and associations who brought me in to present my programs these past couple of months all over Canada and the U.S, I am honored to have been of service to you. I even got to speak twice in my home city of Toronto, and so, my appreciation to all the great folks at Clarica Insurance and the North American Association of Asian Professionals for making me feel so welcome.
I would welcome the opportunity to come and speak to your group, please contact me directly at charles@cmarcus.com
to discuss ways we could work together with your company or association to bring me in present at your important future convention, sales meeting, retreat, customer appreciation day, or event. For more information about my programs, please check out my website at www.cmarcus.com
Wishing you all a very productive and successful September and October.
In This Edition
Six Rules For Business Success
I have had the unique opportunity over the years to work with and/or study some of the smartest and most successful business people spanning many industries. I have been able to apply and practice this learning in my own business and sales success. Based on this experience I have deduced that these six rules, or powerful P's, are truly the building blocks for success. Yes, they may be articulated differently, however, it is these same six things I have seen used by very successful companies, both small and large. They work equally as well for an entrepreneur just getting started or the sales professional, as the large corporation that wants to take their business to the next level. If you follow them, and that is the operative word, follow them.....you will not go to far wrong.
1. PURPOSE:
What ever you do, you have to have a strong enough reason for wanting to do it. Do you have the staying power to succeed? Do you have an end in mind? Without knowing what you want and why you want to do it, you will be doomed to failure before you start. So sit down, ask yourself what your vision and true purpose is. It does not matter what your reasons are; they can be monetary, moral, materialistic, or maybe an opportunity to give back, to make a difference. Ask yourself: does that purpose have your full and unwavering commitment at all times?
2. PASSION:
We need passion to sustain us. Purpose gets us going, but passion is the lightning rod of success. It is contagious. When people see how enthusiastic you are, how determined you are, how serious your belief is, you will stand head and shoulders above your competition; in fact, there is no competition for a truly passionate person. Passion comes from deep; it comes from within, from the heart and soul. It will keep you going when those tough times come, when that inevitable slump appears, when the going gets rough. Have you ever doubted, when you see a truly passionate person, that they will succeed. Truly passionate people have that twinkle in their eye and incredible resilience. Look at Tony Robbins, the famous motivational guru, or Magic Johnson, the ex superstar NBA basketball player, now a successful business entrepreneur, or Bono of U2, of the famous Irish pop group, and now also a world poverty campaigner. They all share passion and belief as a common characteristic. When you hear them on the television, read about them, or are lucky enough to be around them, it rubs off. You feel better about yourself, and when you feel good about yourself, other people feel good and have more confidence in you.
Look at the people around you who evoke passion, who you admire. Learn from them. You don't have to be famous to evoke passion. Just believe in yourself and in what you are doing.
3. PLANNING:
Once you have the reason for doing what you are doing, and the passion and belief in it, you need a plan of action. Do you have a game plan? Whether it is a business plan, personal goal setting plan, financial plan or whatever, you need an approach to get from A to B. What tools or skills do you need? What is your plan of action? How are you going to achieve your goals and objectives? I have found personally that without a sound plan and goals, I have rarely succeeded. It is worth enlisting the services of an expert if you are starting a business to help set up your business plan. If you are a sales professional, set goals that will challenge you, but ones that are realistic and flexible also. We do not plan to fail, but we sometimes fail to plan. Listen to the wise words of Jim Rohn: " I find it fascinating that people plan their vacation with better care than they plan there lives. Perhaps that is because escape is easier than change"
4. POSITIONING:
What is your unique positioning statement? What differentiates you from your competition? This is one of the greatest challenges for most people whatever business or venture they are in. It varies depending on what you are trying to sell, what product or service you offer. Remember, though, that it is not about you, it is about what you can offer the client, customer, consumer and prospect.
When I sold hair products for NEXXUS Products Company, headquartered in Santa Barbara, U.S.A., our positioning statement was that we had "a specialty line of hair care products that would cater to all of your customers needs". It was a full service diversified line, and at that time (the early 1990's) we were unique in what was a very crowded marketplace. We also offered an unconditional return policy, which in itself was not unique; most, but not all, of our competition did too. But what made us stand out was that we did not just offer this guarantee for 30, 60, 90 days etc, but we offered it for the lifetime that product was on the salon owners shelf. If the salon owner did not sell that product, we took it back from them at any time. If they sold the product and the customer brought it back to the salon for whatever reason, even if the product was nearly empty and had obviously been used, we took it back and credited the customer in full, no questions asked, even one or two years later. Do you think our policies stood out and got our customers and prospects attention? You bet they did! Nobody could touch us. We took the worry, risk and hassle away from our customer.
Ask yourself what separates you from your competitors. What is your positioning statement? What guarantees are you offering?What is your uniqueness in the crowded marketplace?
5. PROMOTION:
Now that you have positioned yourself in the marketplace, you have to be able to promote what it is you sell or offer.
I have always found that the best way to promote yourself is through referrals. Do a GOOD job for your present client or customer and then ask them for their help. They will gladly introduce you to your future customers or clients. People like to help other people, when they are asked in a nice respectful way. Ask if they know anybody in their network or circle who would benefit from what it is you offer. Explain that you build your business that way and you would be very grateful and appreciative for their help.
Another way to promote yourself is to form strategic alliances with other businesses that sell different things than you. As an example, when I owned my hairdressing salons, I formed an alliance with the other retail outlets on the street where my business was, obviously not another hairdressers. We referred our customers to each other, and it worked great, everybody won except maybe my competition..the other hairdressing salons on my street!.
Many people spend all their time prospecting and cold calling, when there is more business already available right in front of you, as long as you ask for it. There are many imaginative ways that I will write about in more detail in another edition of the newsletter on promotion..
6. PERSISTENCE:
Success, someone once said, is 90% failure. I would not completely disagree with that statement. I believe that to succeed we have to be prepared to fail over and over again. Persistence means getting over the rejection of losing that sale or order or new contract, and not taking it personally. I have had plenty of personal experience with this one, and can attest to the fact that successful people do not take rejection personally.
Persistence is being diligent in following up with people and returning phone calls promptly. Persistence is being resilient and believing in yourself and what product or service you provide to people. To be successful in business you must be persistent, but not a pest, with your present customers and clients and with your prospects. This is a fine line that experience teaches you and your customer/client will definitely relay to you.
Persistence is not rocket science, we all know what we have to do, but it is the successful business person, entrepreneur, sales professional etc, who takes this one truly to heart and does not give up..
A STAR IS BORN: A Person of Courage
Natalie Du Toit is a name a lot of you may not have heard of up to now, unless you are from South Africa or if you watched the recent 2002 Commonwealth Games, which were incidentally held in my city of birth Manchester, England, who, I would like to note, did an outstanding job hosting them.
Natalie is an 18 year old swimmer from Cape Town, South Africa, who won golds in the 50m and 100m disabled swimming events, breaking two world records on the way. This is a remarkable feat in itself, but what really sets her apart and makes her story so remarkable and inspiring to us all, is that she also made it to the final of the able-bodied 800m swimming event where she swam a personal best time of 9 min 13.57 sec! Imagine making it to the final against outstanding able bodied swimmers from all over the world, and completing in the swim with only one leg and finishing in such a strong time. But amazingly her story does not end there! She was also voted the top athlete of the 2002 Commonwealth Games. All 72 completing nations and territories of the Commonwealth voted for one athlete out of the many thousands who participated, and Natalie came out with the unanimous decision. To add to her thrill, Natalie was also introduced to Queen Elizabeth as part of a special athletes event.
An aspiring olympic hopeful, Natalie tragically lost her left leg at the knee in February of 2001 as a result of a motorbike accident. Her sheer determination, however, had her back in the pool by May of that year, before she could even walk. To motivate herself, she made the Commonwealth Games a target, her point of focus. Her determination, dedication, courage, and commitment drove her to success, making the South African Team for the 2002 games!
What impressed me so much about Natalie was what she said in her own words about her accident:
"I always imagined myself as the same person as I was before the accident", and
"I would love to get my leg back, but you have to get used to it not being there. I had it for 17 years of my life, but I have to get on without it"
Natalie Du Toit is an example to us all. A very special young lady, mature beyond her years. Her star shines so bright, and she has a heart, an attitude, and character we could all learn from. I do not think we have heard the last of her, I think we have just heard the beginning. She is not only an inspiration for her teammates and her fellow South Africans but for people all over the world. It makes some of our problems, I know it does mine, seem so trivial and small. God bless you Natalie.
Recommended Reading
Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki with Sharon L. Lechter
No wonder this book is a New York Times Best seller. This is a true story on the lessons about money and life that Robert Kiyosaki learned from his two "Dads". One dad, a PhD and Superintendent of Education, never had enough money at the end of each month, and died broke. His other Dad dropped out of school at 13 and went on to become one of the wealthiest men in Hawaii. An excellent read about priorities and values.
Winning Without Intimidation by Bob Berg
This book is about "how to master the art of positive persuasion in today's real world in order to get what you want, when you want it, and from whom you want it." That is powerful opening cover statement, but the author follows through on his statement 100%. Bob Berg gives terrific practical examples and ideas we can all use in the real world and in our daily interactions. You will find a wealth of information in Winning With Intimidation. An excellent resource to have at your fingertips. Highly recommended.
Stop, Ask and Listen: How to Welcome Your Customers and Increase Your Sales by Kelley Robertson
Kelley Robertson has written a very practical book on selling in today's world. He shares with retail sales people the skills and knowledge they need to exceed customer expectations, build consumer loyalty, and to maximize sales. I really enjoyed this book; it gave me a whole new perspective on how to welcome and treat your customers. It is targeted to retail, but there are tips for anyone in a sales or customer service role.
Quotes:
"Good habits are as addictive as bad habits and a lot more rewarding"
Harvey Mackay
"Knowledge is a process of piling up facts, wisdom is in their simplicity"
Martin Luther King Jr.
"I have always wanted to believe the best of everybody------it saves so much trouble"
Rudyard Kipling
Recommendations and Upcoming Events:
I highly recommend checking out Robin Sharma's website at www.robinsharma.com . He has, in my opinion, one of the best sites on the whole web on personal leadership and living your life fully. The site contains a wealth of articles for people, and his newsletter is one I look forward too very much. Robin is a very caring and compassionate person who really does make a difference in the lives of so many people. His book, Leadership Wisdom from The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, The 8 Rituals of Visionary Leaders, which I previewed in an earlier issue of The EIG Newsletter, is a national bestseller. His follow-up book, Family Wisdom from The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, Nurturing The Leader Within Your Child is equally as wonderful a read.
In the next issue of this newsletter, we will be launching a new feature. Coming out of many requests from you, our readers, I will take one question that I am sent, and with your permission, I will post the question and answer in the newsletter for all to read. I will personally respond to you first, then on a bi-monthly basis, I will select one question to be published in the newsletter. If yours is selected, I will ask permission first, before publishing. I am also honored to continue to answer any of your questions on a private individual basis, but this is just an opportunity for everybody to be involved. Please send your question on personal or professional development to info@cmarcus.com.
Many of you have kindly inquired about where you can come and hear me speak. While most of my speaking events are specific to a company or association event and closed to the general public, occasionally I do speak at events that are either open to the public, or do allow a number of invited guests.
Listed below are the upcoming events that may be of interest to you over the next two months. If you do attend, please take a moment to introduce yourself to me. It would be great to meet you.
Wednesday, September 18th. 7.30.a.m Toronto, Canada
The West Toronto Chapter Of The Human Resources Professional Association Of Ontario.
Please contact dbartucci@thepeoplebank.com for more information.
Friday, September 27th--Sunday, September 29th Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada.
2002 Annual Conference. Rotary International District 7010.
Open To all Rotarians and their partners/guests only. Please go to www.rotary7010.org for more information.
Monday, September 23rd 6p.m. Toronto, Canada
Business Networking Group.
Contact margaret.a.wong@clarica.com for more information
Monday, October 21st Toronto, Canada
The Canadian Association Of Professional Speakers School. Toronto Chapter. All Day Event.
Contact richard@passociates.com for more information
Friday, October 24th Ottawa, Canada
Ottawa Sales and Speaker's School. A combined all day event for sales and business people and for speakers hosted by the Ottawa Chapter of The Canadian Association Of Professional Speakers.
Please contact mike@highspin.com for more information.
Sunday October 27th Toronto Canada
Podium Toastmaster Club. Celebrating the 45th Anniversary of the Podium Toastmaster Club. All Day Event.
Contact gowilson@interhop.net for more information
Have you missed earlier editions of the EIG newsletter? All previous editions are available on our website: www.cmarcus.com through the "Articles" page.
Services
Charles Marcus is a professional speaker, trainer and facilitator. He works internationally with companies and associations who want to inspire excellence in their people. For more information on how Charles and one /or more of his customized programs can add value to your upcoming conference or event, please contact his office as indicated below.
Charles is also available for telephone consultations and for personal coaching. For further information on how these services can work for you, please contact him directly
To Book Charles for your future convention, sales meeting, retreat, customer appreciation day or important event please contact him personally at:
Telephone: 416-490-6744
Fax: 416-490-6344
Email: charles@cmarcus.com
Website: www.cmarcus.com
Copyright 2002 Charles M. Marcus: All rights worldwide reserved
Permission is granted to reproduce this newsletter in whole or in part provided the following byline below appears along with the article and that a copy is sent to me after publication. Thank you: To check previous issues for publication, please go to www.cmarcus.com and click on articles/newsletters.
Charles Marcus is an international speaker, trainer and facilitator. To subscribe to his FREE personal and professional development newsletter, please send an email to info@cmarcus.com with the word SUBSCRIBE. An electronic copy will be sent out to you every two months. For more information on how Charles and his programs can benefit your organization or group, please call 416-490-6744, email charles@cmarcus.com or visit his website: www.cmarcus.com
Copyright 2002. All rights worldwide reserved.
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