Archives For business

Not Just A to B

November 4, 2012 — Leave a comment

Most of us are trying to get from A to B.  Why?  There could be a number of reasons but what it boils down to is that A is where you are (unhappy, unfulfilled, unsatisfied) and B provides something to fill that void.  The desire to fill this void can lead to some dramatic and illogical decision-making.

How you get to B is as important as getting there.  Why?


If you consider the diagram above.  There are three options to get from A to B.  Option 1 is becoming an entrepreneur and opening your own business.  Option 2 is going to university to become a Lawyer.  Option 3 is becoming a drug dealer (illegal).

Assuming that in this scenario getting to B means financial stability or wealth and that all three of these option would provide that, what is the difference in each path?  The type of person you become.  It seems obvious in this dramatization.  In life though there are many more variables which disguise that you will be a changed person.  The people you deal with, the skills you learn and how you behave all affect your mindset and who you will be in the end.

These are some important questions to ask yourself before choosing a path:

  • Who do you want to be?
  • How will your path affect who you are?
  • How will your journey affect other people?
  • If you don’t like the outcome, can you go back?
  • Once you arrive at B how will who you are effect where you go next?

The Art Of Adaptation:  No decision is just A to B.

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Book InSiGhT: Platform – Get Noticed In A Noisy World

September 21, 2012 — 18 Comments

Michael Hyatt

Platform – Get Noticed In A Noisy World

Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, 2012

$26.50 (Canadian)

ISBN: 978-1-59555-503-8

Being someone who studies, works in and blogs about the communications field I can say with confidence that Michael Hyatt knows what he’s talking about.  With this book he has done a great service to anyone looking to get noticed in a noisy world.

For anyone who works or plays in communications Michael provides a copious amount of information that will help you out.  If you are a blogger, own a website, participate in public speaking, if you are writing a book or using social networks for any reason what so ever, there is something in here for you.

This book has helped me with my blog immensely.  It covers these topics… Continue Reading…

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Book InSiGhT: The Dip

September 17, 2012 — 2 Comments

Seth Godin

The Dip

USA: Penguin Group, 2007

$17.50 (Canada)

ISBN: 978-1-59184-166-1

When I hit that inevitable rough patch in what every it is that I do I start to over analyze every little thing.  Now instead of reaching for a gun (joke…) I can go for The Dip.

Seth Godin’s 80 page text describes what really sets successful people apart from the rest.  He argues that their ability to escape dead ends quickly all the while staying focused and motivated is the key.

He believes that… Continue Reading…

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Make Sales By Looking At A Mailbox

September 14, 2012 — Leave a comment

Many sales people would argue that you can tell a lot about people from very subtle and odd cues. Such as how they groom themselves, their posture, the value of their material possessions. This may not be always true but these things are often used as indicators and profiling tools for sales people.

Today as I helped a friend hand out flyers for a business event he is hosting. I was getting a little bored with the door-to-door repetition after my iPod containing my Foo Fighters collection died! My brain, not being distracted, began to analyze things around all the homes, especially the mailbox. I thought about the following: Is the mail box wood, metal, large, small, squeaky, lubed up, new, old, filled with mail, clean as a whistle? Are there any signs saying no soliciting or any box at all?

I concluded that in most cases the size of the mail box and what it was made of is relative to family or personal income. I found that the lower-income housing would have smaller, sometimes plastic, mailboxes where as the more extravagant homes would have large, metal mailboxes.

The lower-income housing areas would have mail boxes that were often old and squeaky. They were not well taken care of. The more extravagant homes had mail boxes that were quieter than church mice and the lids were very heavy.

Areas with smaller mail boxes also had a higher percentage of them that were stuffed with flyers and filled with old newspapers regardless of the many, “no solicitation” signs clearly noticeable… and ignored. The larger the box the less mail. No really. It wasn’t a matter of more available volume but a mystery about why the boxes with no signs also had no junk mail. Could it be that pizza companies, McDonalds, Tim Horton and other companies catering to low-income families target these households more aggressively?

After noticing all of this I thought to my self, “Does any of this matter or am I wasting my time?”

Of course it matters! You can tell a lot from the things people own. For a sales person this is one more tactic to add to your profiling repertoire. Door-to-door flyers are a fairly ineffective way of getting a message out there. At least for today. As sales people we need every tactic available if we are going to increase our chances of a sale.

From a sales perspective what are the most effective ways to analyze and profile a prospect? Leave your answers in the comments section.

The Art Of Adaptation: Attention to detail is key.

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Yes! I Love Being Rejected.

July 3, 2012 — Leave a comment

I don’t really.  Although you would probably think otherwise if you knew me (It happens to me a lot).

I’ve been rejected for as long as I can remember.  I was rejected at my Taekwon – Do green belt test when I was 6 years old, at my junior high graduation dance when my first girlfriend stood me up.  Then it continued throughout university.  The bar scene was my main source of rejection until I tried to test my luck with law school and business school where I was also rejected.  I thought I couldn’t be rejected by anyone else until I tried to gain employment in Nova Scotia… then Ontario.  My journey through the employment process opened my eyes to a whole new world of rejection.

A wise woman once told me that if you continue to learn the same lesson, it’s for a reason.  This made me think about being rejected and I realized Rejection is an opportunity in disguise.  Each time I’m rejected there is a reason and that reason is often an opportunity to improve and further myself in some way.  The main thing about rejection is that it’s necessary for growth.  I purposely extend beyond my comfort zone knowing that statistically I will get shut down more than I succeed.  But those few times where I do succeed is reassurance that I made the right move.

Sounds simple but being reject as much as I have isn’t easy.  It takes its toll mentally.  It’s easy to just say, “What the hell is wrong with me?” Or worse… blame the world and say, “What the hell is wrong with them?”  The key is perseverance and these three steps:

Step 1:  Get Rejected!

I’ve always chose to have a can do attitude.  I figure if I want something, try for it.  The worst that can happen is that they say no, sorry, next time.  I’ve had this weird obsession with Apple (the company).  I want to work for them.  It’s my dream job.  I’ve tried twice now.  I’ve applied to two different positions, moved to a different province to pursue one, gone through a total of 6 interviews, a dozen phone calls and countless e-mails.  I was rejected on both accounts.

Step 2:  Be sad, take time, reflect.

I just got rejected!  Of course I’m not happy.  I allow myself to be sad and think about being rejected because there is a reason and a lesson to learn here.  In the case of Apple, they were kind enough to point it out and give me feedback on what it takes to be a successful candidate.

Step 3:  Learn/Adapt

I Don’t let step 2 take forever.  I try to focus on perseverance which I believe is key to success.  H. Jackson Brown once said,

“In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins – not through strength but by perseverance.” 

I’ve taken the feedback Apple has given me and moved on.  Once I have what they want I’ll go back at it.  Until then I try to keep in mind The Art Of Adaptation.

The Art Of Adaptation:  Rejection is opportunity in disguise.  Get rejected, reflect, and adapt as necessary.  Most importantly persevere.

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If You Can’t Accept Losing, You Can’t Win.

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