Moving Forward
Monday, April 30, 2007
What's standing in your way?You may be surprised.Those of you who are regular readers know that I'm shameless in sharing the ideas and perspectives of others. This week, I'm going to share a concept gleaned from a sermon I heard a few weeks ago. Our pastor made of a point of telling us that the prophets weren't oblivious to their shortcomings when they accepted their callings. Instead, they moved forward well-aware of their inadequacies.How many of us stay where we are, despite our unhappiness, simply because we don't feel worthy of moving forward. We see, very clearly, the failings of our humanity and deem ourselves unworthy. In essence we hold ourselves to the standard of perfection, something none of us can achieve in this life.My questions to you are:- Do you expect perfection in others?
- Do you see others expecting perfection in the people with whom they deal?
- Then why do you expect perfection in yourself?
If we take a moment to reflect on the lives of those whom we know well, we realize that everyone possesses different talents and abilities. They also face different challenges. None of us comes with a complete package. The joy of living is in using our talents to help others overcome their challenges while they, in turn, use their talents to help us overcome ours. It's counter-intuitive, but moving forward isn't a question of whether or not we're qualified; it's a matter of offering the best we have to those we can help despite our shortcomings. Thank you for joining me on this weekly journey of counter-intuitive thinking. I appreciate your feedback. Let me know how I can be of greater service to you whether in this blog or in other ways. Email me at dale@furtwengler.com.
Time Is On My Side
Monday, April 23, 2007
Is it on yours?
More often than you think.When I tell people that time is on my side, their faces register skepticism until they hear the rationale. Upon initial hearing of a new idea or a solution to a problem, people generally react in the same way - they postpone action. Why? Our human nature requires us to challenge new thinking before acting. We're not inclined to trust, much less trust blindly; so we challenge what we're hearing. We postpone a decision until we've had a chance to let our minds play with the concept, to try it on for size. It's not only natural, it's healthy when done in moderation.
By understanding this aspect of human nature, I realize that time is on my side. If my idea is well-thought out, I know that in time the listener will see the merit of the idea and act upon it. After all, problems don't go away on their own and new ideas have a longer shelf life than we imagine.It's counter-intuitive. If you want others to embrace your ideas, give them a little time to get comfortable with them. If there is some aspect of human nature for which you'd like a counter-intuitive approach, email me at dale@furtwengler.com
Marketing - Logic vs. Emotion
Monday, April 16, 2007
How are you being remembered? More importantly, are you being remembered?Have you seen a really clever commercial, but couldn't remember the company's name? Then there are the hardsell commercials that have you reaching for the remote with hand speed that would have made Annie Oakley proud. How do your avoid these reactions to your marketing? First, remember that buying decisions are emotional decisions. Our natural tendency is to think that buyers employ logic in making buying decisions. A very successful sales manager once told me, "People buy emotionally, then support their decisions with logic." If you doubt that claim, think about the last time someone presented you with a compelling, logical argument. Did you buy into the idea? Not unless it "felt" right. Now, can you recall your last trip to the grocery store? If you can, it's because someone took "your" parking space or graciously allowed you to go ahead of them at the checkout counter. You remember the trip because something triggered an emotional experience. That's why your marketing messages need to trigger your buyers' emotions. It's counter-intuitive, but replacing logic with emotion will make your marketing messages more memorable - as long as you don't get too cute. Please help me make this blog even more valuable to you, let me know what challenges your business faces. Just email me at dale@furtwengler.com.
The Rule of Reciprocation
Monday, April 09, 2007
How do you generate more sales?Generate sales for others.Apparently I'm supposed to write this topic; I've seen the same message twice in the past week. Robert Cialdini in his book, Influence: Science and Practice, discusses the rule of reciprocation. Very simply, the rule states that if someone does something nice for us we feel obligated to return the favor and we will go to great lengths to remove the burden of that obligation. In a similar fashion Dr. Thomas Stanley's book, Networking with the Affluent, asks "What is the most powerful method of influencing those who influence many other affluent prospects? As a general rule, it is the dimension of networking called revenue enhancement." In other words, help others generate more revenues and they'll happily return the favor. The message is clear and counter-intuitive. If you want to generate more sales, help others generate more sales. To demonstrate the power of this concept, imagine that you've helped 10 people generate more sales. You're one person helping ten, but you have 10 people helping you generate more sales. How's that for a return on investment? If there are topics you'd like me to adddress, email me at dale@furtwengler.com.
Risk and The Bottom Line
Monday, April 02, 2007
What can the bottom line tell us about risk?
A lot.
Bottom line profits (in the parlance of accounting - net income) are the profits available to the owners of the business after all costs and expenses have been covered. Many income statements will show two measures of bottom line profits, dollars and a percent of sales.
The percent of sales measure can help us evaluate a company's risk tolerance. Let's say that two companies of similar size operate in the same industry. One company produces bottom line profits that are 2% of its sales volume; the other 12%. Which of these two can accept greater risk?
Obviously, the company with a 12% bottom line profit has more profit available for geographic expansion, research and development or acquisitions.
It's counter-intuitive, but bottom line profits not only indicate owners' immediate return on investment. It also defines the company's risk tolerance for the future.
If there are specific accounting or finance questions you'd like me to address, email me at dale@furtwengler.com.
The schedule at the St. Louis ASQ conference has changed slightly. I'm honored to be presenting two half-day sessions, 7 Steps to Becoming Invaluable and Making the EXCEPTIONAL Normal, on April 12th and a breakout session, Converting Soft Skills to Hard $, on April 13th. For more information and registration visit http://www.asq-stl.org/2007_Spring_Conference/asq_stl_qc07_brochure.pdf
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