This one comes under the heading…

…what were they thinking?

As I was scrambling from one appointment to another I realized I hadn’t eaten so I stopped at a fast-food franchise that will remain nameless.  I wanted something quick – a burger and small shake.  Here’s the exchange that took place at the counter.

• “I’d like a cheeseburger and small chocolate shake.”
• “Sir, if you add fries to your order you’ll save money.”
• “I don’t want fries; I’m clogging enough arteries with the cheeseburger and shake.”
• “Sir, if you add fries you’ll save $1.70.  You don’t have to eat them, just order them.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.  They were lowering their price to give me something I didn’t want and increasing their costs to boot.  Ouch!  Ouch!

Apparently it’s counter-intuitive, but driving up costs and reducing your price at the same time isn’t an effective business model.   Giving customers a discount to take something they don’t even want is even more ludicrous.  It would seem that the intent was to help their customers feel that they were getting more for their dollar.  Even that’s a questionable goal if you’re already providing good value, which they were.  I, frankly, couldn’t find a worthwhile reason for this “pricing strategy.”

If you’re going to give up some of your price to entice a customer to try something, make sure it’s something they want or something they might not normally try.  Otherwise you’re flushing profits down the drain.  Then limit the savings to only the first order.  Once they’ve sampled your wares and like them, let them pay full price.

You’re probably wondering whether or not I took the fries.  I did and I left them on the table as the counterperson suggested.  Was that the right thing to do?  Economically, for me, only in the short-run.  Here are some other considerations?

I trained them to continue inappropriate and ineffective behavior by taking their offer.  I wasted resources (the fries, oil, energy, equipment, packaging and labor that went into preparing them).  Not to mention the costs of removing my garbage, taking it to the dump and the impact on the environment.  When I add all this up, did my actions cost me more in the long run than that immediate savings?  Probably.  Would I do it again?

Absolutely not.  I was obviously part of the problem, not the solution.

I’m not into self-flagellation.  My point in highlighting my failing is threefold.  One is to let you know that no matter how adept we get at counter-intuitive thinking, our humanity will trip us up occasionally.  Second, there are long-term gains to be realized when we evaluate our contributions to really bizarre experiences.  Finally, I hope that you’ll learn from my mistakes and avoid some of the long-term costs we’re all incurring for very small, short-run savings.

The 7 Steps to Becoming INVALUABLE program is designed to help you see more effective ways of doing business – ways that dramatically improve your bottom line while making your life easier.  In today’s blog I used Step 7, Evaluate Opportunities, to show you how the absence of an effective approach to evaluating opportunities can lead to some ludicrous “pricing strategies.”  I also used Step 1, Contributory Negligence, to demonstrate my contribution to the problem – or at least it’s perpetuation.  Finally, I used Step 5, Contrarian Mindset, to help you see that short-term savings can be very expensive.  For more information on the 7 Steps to Becoming INVALUABLE visit www.furtwengler.com/7steps.htm.

If you’d like to receive a weekly email reminder with a link to The Invaluable Leader blog or if you’d like me to address specific topics, please send me an email at dale@furtwengler.com.  Please share your experience with our readers by posting a comment.

Good news – My latest book, Pricing for Profit, is going to be released 9.9.09 in the United States, Canada, U.K., Italy, France, Germany and the Netherlands.  Prepublication orders are being taken at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. Enjoy!

Dale is an internationally-acclaimed author whose work is recommended by the University of Glasgow, University of New South Wales and the Australian Institute of Management.

How do you deal with aggressive personalities?

By violating the laws of physics.

Isaac Newton’s third law of motion says that “for every force there is an equal and opposing force.” Indeed, our natural reaction to aggression is aggression. If someone insults us, we tend to respond with cutting remarks. If the person pushes us, our tendency is to push back. If the person launches a full out attack, we’ll fight with every ounce of our being. That’s human nature; it’s the way we’re wired.

Yet, these natural tendencies fly in the face of what we know works. Mahatma Gandhi showed us how powerful non-aggression is in diffusing aggression. In a similar vein, the philosophies behind Tai Chi and Akido, two martial arts disciplines, both require that students remain calm and unaffected emotionally by the aggression around them. As, Josh Waitzkin, a World Champion Push Hands Tai Chi Chuan master so eloquently puts it “If aggression meets empty space it tends to defeat itself.”

One of the keys is that the aggressive personality is expending huge amounts of energy while the non-aggressive personality expends virtually none. Given this reality is easy to see how aggression “defeats itself.”

So how do we overcome the natural tendency to lash out at those who become aggressive with us. Remind yourself that the cool head wins.

I recall one particularly vivid experience I had very early in my business. I was functioning as a part-time CFO for a client. The owners were involved in a wide array of businesses and kept adding more to the mix. The accounting function quickly became overwhelmed with the sheer volume of activity.

One day, two of the owners spent 45 minutes telling me how frustrated they were because they weren’t getting the information they needed to make informed decisions, what information they needed and how disappointed they were in me and my team’s performance.

It’s a wonder my lip didn’t bleed because I know I was biting down on it to avoid saying what I really felt. I allowed them to vent until they ran out of energy. Then I allowed a lengthy pause to make sure they were finished.

Finally, I said “You’re right. You should be getting this information. You do need it to make informed decisions, but if you recall I’ve been telling you for the past three months that we don’t have enough people and that the computer system is inadequate to handle the volume we’re experiencing. Until we get more resources, I’m afraid that your expectations aren’t going to be met.”

The two owners looked at one another then asked “What do we need to do, Dale?” From that moment forward I got exactly what I needed to meet their needs. My ability to keep a cool head in the face of a personal attack allowed me to win. Now when I find that I’m the focus of someone’s aggression, I call upon that experience to remind me that “the cool head prevails.”

It’s counter-intuitive, but allowing aggressors to defeat themselves is the only effective way of dealing with aggression. Once you’ve used this approach and achieved your desired result, you’ll have the strength of that experience to draw upon during future attacks. Once you develop this habit, you’ll consistently defeat those who target you with aggression.

The 7 Steps to Becoming INVALUABLE program is designed to help you see more effective ways of doing business – ways that dramatically improve your bottom line while making your life easier. In today’s blog I used Step 6, Eclectic Education, to draw from the laws of physics, the world of martial arts and India’s history to make my point. I also used Step 4, See Similarities, to relate the concepts from all these sources to both our natural tendencies as well as a business situation most of us have faced at one time or another. Finally, I used Step 5, Contrarian Mindset, to demonstrate that non-aggression is a counter-intuitive approach. For more information on the 7 Steps to Becoming INVALUABLE visit www.furtwengler.com/7steps.htm.

If you’d like to receive a weekly email reminder with a link to The Invaluable Leader blog or if you’d like me to address specific topics, please send me an email at dale@furtwengler.com. Please share your experience with our readers by posting a comment.

Good news – My latest book, Pricing for Profit, is going to be released 9.9.09 in the United States, Canada, U.K., Italy, France, Germany and the Netherlands.  Prepublication orders are being taken at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Enjoy!

Have you ever wondered why some authors are so mesmerizing…

…while others are so easily ignored?

Mesmerizing authors offer a glimpse of what’s to come – tiny tidbits of information that grab your attention and build anticipation.  You want to know more, but the author makes you wait knowing that joy lies in anticipation.

If you doubt that, recall a book that you were enjoying when the author telegraphed the ending.  Remember your disappointment as you waded through the last fifty pages or so knowing what the ending was, but afraid not to finish the book in case you were wrong.  When your suspicions were finally confirmed, you felt cheated.  The author just wasted your time by “forcing” you to read those last fifty pages.

From the author’s vantage point, the only thing worse is having you decide within the first fifty pages that his work isn’t worthy of your time.  Ouch!

What’s this have to do with you?  Whether you’re a business owner, a career business development specialist or someone with a great idea who needs the approval of others to move forward, you need the skills of a mesmerizing author to attract new customers or champions for your cause.

What are these skills?  How do you develop them?  Our natural tendency is to think that we’re logical human beings who, when presented with all the facts, make reasonable, informed decisions.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  You don’t have to trust me; simply recall the last time you presented a well-thought-out idea and the reaction you got.  Remember the dismay you felt as your audience’s eyes glazed over.  You’ve just experienced the “ouch” the author feels when his work is discarded after fifty pages.

How do you avoid having this happen to you?  Learn to think like a mesmerizing mystery writer.  Learn how to craft messages that engage others with intrigue and anticipation.  Specifically you want to frame your messages to:

• Avoid telling them anything – allow them the thrill of discovery
• Don’t be afraid to use misdirection
• Use language that triggers an emotional reaction
• Leave them wanting more – even when they’ve already bought

Imagine how exciting it will be for your customers and champions if they always have something new to look forward to when dealing with you.  You’ll be this endless font of wisdom from which they’ll drink without ever being sated.  That’s the feeling others will have of you when you develop the skill of a mesmerizing author.

Let’s take a look at each of the above components of an intriguing message in more detail.  First, avoid telling them anything.  All great authors use questions or innuendo that give their readers a glimpse of what’s to come without letting them know what the outcome will be.  Indeed, many will employ the magician’s art of misdirection to cause the reader to vacillate between a number of alternative outcomes none of which will be the ultimate outcome.

Use language that elicit emotions.  Logic is BORING!  I know that exercising thirty minutes a day is good for my health.  Boring.  But exercising so that I can continue to scuba dive into my eighties, that excites me.  Make sure that your language targets what they want, not what they need.  I need to exercise, but I want to go scuba diving.

Finally, leave them wanting more.  Even though you know where your idea is headed, don’t share any more than absolutely necessary to get the sale or the approval you need.  Leave a few things hidden so that you can continue to wow them well into the future.

It’s counter-intuitive, but you’ll enjoy greater, more lasting success in any endeavor you choose if you learn to think like a mesmerizing author.

The 7 Steps to Becoming INVALUABLE program is designed to help you see more effective ways of doing business – ways that dramatically improve your bottom line while making your life easier.  In today’s blog I used Step 2, The Persuasion Myth, and Step 4, See Similarities, to demonstrate how people who make their living attracting readers can help you attract more buyers or more champions for you cause.  For more information on the 7 Steps to Becoming INVALUABLE visit www.furtwengler.com/7steps.htm.

If you’d like to receive a weekly email reminder with a link to The Invaluable Leader blog or if you’d like me to address specific topics, please send me an email at dale@furtwengler.com.  Please share your experience with our readers by posting a comment.

Good news – My latest book, Pricing for Profit, is going to be released 9.9.09 in the United States, Canada, U.K., Italy, France, Germany and the Netherlands.  Prepublication orders are being taken at  amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Enjoy!

If I only criticize…

…then I’m no better than those I’m criticizing.

Those of you who have been reading The Invaluable Leader for a while have seen me rail at the media for a variety of ills – at least my perception of their ills.  I have not, however, offered an alternative – until now.

I’d like to introduce you to Community News, www.mycnews.com.   This local paper, under the guidance of Robert Huneke, publishes only good news.  It serves St. Louis and St. Charles Counties in Missouri.  They print:

• good news
• upcoming events
• health and fitness tips
• safety tips
• movie reviews
• recycling tips

and a host of other topics all designed to make people’s lives better.

Kudos to Robert and his team for showing us the inspiring side of life.  They comment candidly on the stimulus package and its effectiveness, or lack thereof, and other timely topics without either sugar coating the message or reporting with the intent to create fear or anxiety.

If you listen to most members of the media, you know that they consider Community News’ approach to be, at best, naive and, at worst, a prescription for failure.  Yet the Community News continues to thrive in the markets it serves.

The public craves good news, particularly in challenging times.  It’s why box office hits during tough economic times have historically revolved around superhero and good-triumphs-over-evil themes.  The public, at least subconsciously, seeks an escape, a respite, from the difficult reality it faces.

It’s counter-intuitive, at least in the minds of most media people, that good news is what the public desires.  Any time you, whether you’re a member of the media or not, have a chance to deliver good news, you have an opportunity to inspire others to overcome whatever challenges they face.

Isn’t that one of the reasons we’re here – to help others navigate the storms they encounter during their journey?  And if we help others in this way, aren’t they likely to reciprocate when storms cloud our vision and attempt to throw us off course?  Please follow the lead of Robert Huneke and the Community News’ staff and deliver good news whenever you can.  You never know when your message will be just what your listener needs.

The 7 Steps to Becoming INVALUABLE program is designed to help you see more effective ways of doing business – ways that dramatically improve your bottom line while making your life easier.  In today’s blog I used Step 1, Contributory Negligence, to see that my criticisms of the media wasn’t well balanced and to rectify the situation.  I also used Step 2, The Persuasion Myth, to ask a few questions to allow you to form your own judgment about our purpose in life and Step 5, Contrarian Mindset, to show how the Community News‘ approach is contrary to conventional media wisdom (group think).   For more information on the 7 Steps to Becoming INVALUABLE visit www.furtwengler.com/7steps.htm.

If you’d like to receive a weekly email reminder with a link to The Invaluable Leader blog or if you’d like me to address specific topics, please send me an email at dale@furtwengler.com.  Please share your experience with our readers by posting a comment.

I’m pleased to announce that AMACOM, a Division of the American Management Association, has set September 9, 2009 as the release date for my new book, Pricing for Profit.  The book shows business owners and leaders how to free themselves from the bonds of industry pricing.  Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com are both taking prepublication orders.

When you don’t have all the facts…

…be very careful what you say.

When asked about Harvard professor Henry Gates’ arrest by Cambridge police, President Obama said, “I don’t have all the facts…”

Subsequent actions indicate he wishes he’d stopped there.  The rest of his answer had people taking sides on the debate over race relations in this country.  Having observed President Obama for some time now, I’ve seen the effort he puts into building bridges between competing factions in every arena in which he operates.  To lob a grenade onto an existing bridge, especially a tenuous structure like race relations in the United States, just isn’t his style.

Each of us can relate to President Obama’s faux pas this past week.  Who among us hasn’t been asked to comment on things about which we have little, if any, information?

Fortunately for us, our missteps don’t happen in front of millions of viewers.  What can we learn from the President’s comments?

Let’s begin with an exploration of why we, human beings, have this natural tendency to comment on things that we know little about.  Here are a few thoughts:

• we enjoy the fact that others value our opinion
• we don’t want to be perceived as dodging difficult issues
• we have opinions and we want to be heard

Let’s be honest, we’re flattered when others seek our opinion.  We sense that they hope to learn something from us.  Human nature being what it is, we don’t like to disappoint people who think highly of us.  So we wade (or jump headlong) into those murky waters of incomplete information.  Unfortunately, our lack of knowledge of all the facts usually prevents us from providing any real value to those who seek our opinion.

The previous scenario assumes that the other party’s interest in our opinion is genuine.  That isn’t always the case.  There are times when we feel trapped by a question.  We sense that no matter what we say, our words are going to come back to haunt us.  “No comment” is going to be as damning as whatever else we might say.  I suspect this was the position in which President Obama found himself during the press conference.

Finally, despite the fact that we don’t have complete information on the question posed, we often have thoughts on related issues and we want those opinions heard.  All too often these opinions are dismissed because they’re not relevant to the question being posed.  Not only are our efforts for naught, we risk being viewed as someone who either isn’t paying attention or is a little slow on the uptake.  Either way we lose credibility in the sight of those involved in the discussion.

So what’s the solution?  None of the outcomes in the three scenarios outlined above does us or our listeners any good.  So how do we avoid these pitfalls?

It’s counter-intuitive, but refusing to comment when you have incomplete information is the most effective way to protect yourself and others.  You’ll gain respect and enhance your credibility with those who truly value your opinion by saying “I don’t have enough information to add value to this discussion.”

You’ll also minimize the damage that those who are trying to trap you can inflict upon you.  It’s much easier to defend a claim that you’re dodging a difficult question when you can honestly say “I don’t know how I can be expected to form a judgment when I don’t have all the facts.”  Again, this kind of response enhances your credibility at a time when others seek to diminish it.

Your ideas are also likely to get a better hearing if you say “I don’t have enough information to comment on this particular situation, but I’d be happy to share my thoughts on the broader issue of…”  If the listener(s) take you up on this offer, feel free to share your thoughts with them.  If they don’t, let them continue the discussion.  Either way your integrity and credibility remain intact.

The 7 Steps to Becoming INVALUABLE program is designed to help you see more effective ways of doing business – ways that dramatically improve your bottom line while making your life easier.  In today’s blog I used Step 1, Contributory Negligence, to show you how our natural human tendencies create problems for us.  I also used Step 4, See Similarities, to show how President Obama’s misstep is one that each of us has made from time to time.  Finally, I’m using Step 5, Contrarian Mindset, to show how we can protect ourselves from the dangers of incomplete information.  For more information on the 7 Steps to Becoming INVALUABLE visit www.furtwengler.com/7steps.htm.

If you’d like to receive a weekly email reminder with a link to The Invaluable Leader blog or if you’d like me to address specific topics, please send me an email at dale@furtwengler.com.  Please share your experience with our readers by posting a comment.

Appalling Lack of Security at Federal Facilities

What’s the solution?

July 8, 2009 newscasts cited alarming examples of security breaches at Federal facilities.  One report mentioned that a guard had allowed a baby in a carriage to pass through an x-ray machine.

So what’s the solution?  The one offered was “more training.”  Please!

I offer education programs as part of my business and one of the things I’ve learned over the years is that you can’t educate people who aren’t interested.  It doesn’t take training to know that sending a child through an x-ray machine endangers the child’s health.  Nor does lack of education explain why some guards didn’t even watch the screens as bags passed through the x-ray machines.

More plausible explanations are:

• poor hiring practices
• inadequate job rotation to minimize boredom on the job
• clear expectations
• a tracking system that allows the guards to measure their successes

Training is often the scapegoat of poor performance when, in reality, there are a whole host of factors that should be considered.  Ascribing failures to poor training leads to a larger investment in training with a very low probability that you’ll get a return on that investment.  I hope that the Congressional committee investigating these failures will realize that huge sums of taxpayer money are about to be wasted on training that won’t produce the desired result.

Although it doesn’t seem that it should be, it’s apparently counter-intuitive to understand that training can’t generate interest where none exists.  If you’re experiencing poor performance and the early indications are that employees just aren’t paying attention to what they should be doing, investigate the root causes of their disinterest.  You’ll save yourself a lot of the time, energy and money that’s typically wasted on training.

The 7 Steps to Becoming INVALUABLE program is designed to help you see more effective ways of doing business – ways that dramatically improve your bottom line while making your life easier.  In today’s blog I used Step 1, Contributory Negligence, to see that knee-jerk reactions to problems often lead to waste.  For more information on the 7 Steps to Becoming INVALUABLE visit www.furtwengler.com/7steps.htm.

If you’d like to receive a weekly email reminder with a link to The Invaluable Leader blog or if you’d like me to address specific topics, please send me an email at dale@furtwengler.com.  Please share your experience with our readers by posting a comment.

As much as I believe in an eclectic education…

…sometimes gaining one is a challenge.

Over the years my attempts to broaden my education have hit a wall when it comes to poetry.  No matter how often I’ve tried I just can’t seem to get interested.  I expressed my dilemma to the members of my mastermind group, Joe High, 4th Quarter Financial Coach and Dr. Sean Lynch, Zero Balancing Chiropractic Practice,.

Sean said “Why don’t you try it in small increments – 10 to 15 minutes at a time?”  Don’t you hate it when people feed your own advice back to you?

I took his advice, went to the library and chose two poetry books, one on Haiku and one based on the Blues.  While I did get some enjoyment from both, I still wasn’t a raving fan.  Then I say Bill Moyer’s interview of Pulitzer Prize winning poet, W.S. Merwin, on PBS.  I found Merwin’s comments inspiring and suddenly found myself at the computer writing a poem.  Here’s the result.

Reflecting on Time

What a wondrous invention, time
A mirror wrought by the soul

Filled with joy and sadness
Confidence and fear
Anticipation and relief
It’s a reflection of me

Who am I?
Time will tell
Whether slow or fleet
It’s a reflection of me

When time moves as a gentle stream
Slowly to the sea
I know great confidence and joy
It’s a reflection of me

A new rain swells the stream
It’s banks under pressure
So like times of fear
It’s a reflection of me

The mighty river’s plodding style
Like times of sadness and loss
Or childish anticipation of the man of the North
It’s a reflection of me

As the raging flood subsides
So does the passage of time
As relief replaces fear
It’s a reflection of me

Who am I?
Time will tell
Whether slow or fleet
It’s a reflection of me

And if I don’t like it’s tale?
I’ll choose another
For you see
Time is a reflection of me

Why am I sharing this poem with you?  Because I overlooked the fact that, in gaining an eclectic education, doing is just as educational as studying.  We’ve been conditioned to view education as classroom training, reading, studying a new topic or watching Nova and Discovery.

It’s counter-intuitive, but any activity in which we engage has an educational aspect to it. If we don’t enjoy the studying, we always have the option of doing.

You’ll be relieved to know that I do not envision writing a book of poetry any more than I would display my amateur attempts at pencil sketches.  Yet I’ve learned from both of these experiences and will, from time to time, engage in them as a way of continuing my eclectic education.  I encourage you to do the same.  Begin doing things that you’d never imagined or only given a passing thought to.  Do them for the sheer joy of doing.  For the joy lies not in the greatness of the result, but in the experience itself.

The 7 Steps to Becoming INVALUABLE program is designed to help you see more effective ways of doing business – ways that dramatically improve your bottom line while making your life easier.  In today’s blog I used Step 1, Contributory Negligence, and the advice of some dear friends, to understand why I was struggling to enjoy poetry’s benefits.  Step 4, Seeing Similarities, helped me see that poetry, like some other art forms, afford me greater satisfaction and a better learning experience when I engage in the activity than when I just read about it.  For more information on the 7 Steps to Becoming INVALUABLE visit www.furtwengler.com/7steps.htm.

If you’d like to receive a weekly email reminder with a link to The Invaluable Leader blog or if you’d like me to address specific topics, please send me an email at dale@furtwengler.com.  Please share your experience with our readers by posting a comment.

For it’s through the losses…

…that we find the path to success.

My Dad was a great encourager.  I had failed miserably at an academic endeavor.  He could see my pain and the doubt I was experiencing.  That’s when he said “It’s a temporary setback.  What are you going to do now?”  It was all the encouragement I needed.  I quickly established a plan and followed it to great success.

Over the years as “failures” and disappointments challenged my resolve, his words echoed in my mind “It’s a temporary setback.  What are you going to do now?”

As I’ve studied the lives of those who have achieved exceptional success, I’ve noticed that they don’t just have a solid methodology for overcoming their temporary setbacks, they position themselves to experience those setbacks.  Why?  Because it’s through challenging themselves beyond their current capabilities that they learn how to become better at whatever it is they do.

If we don’t position ourselves to lose we cannot grow – personally or professionally.  Of course we need to be prudent in how we position ourselves for loss.  We don’t want to bet the farm when we’re positioning ourselves for that next growth spurt and the initial loss we’re likely to experience.

There is another advantage to positioning ourselves for loss.  The more frequently we experience temporary setbacks, the less likely they are to rock our world.  The more of them that we experience, the more mentally and emotionally tough we become and the easier it is for us to overcome adversity.

It’s counter-intuitive, but if you want to be incredibly successful, regularly position yourself to lose.

The 7 Steps to Becoming INVALUABLE program is designed to help you see more effective ways of doing business – ways that dramatically improve your bottom line while making your life easier.  In today’s blog I used Step 1, Contributory Negligence, and Step 5, Contrarian Mindset, to demonstrate how our natural avoidance of “losing” limits our success.  For more information on the 7 Steps to Becoming INVALUABLE visit www.furtwengler.com/7steps.htm.

If you’d like to receive a weekly email reminder with a link to The Invaluable Leader blog or if you’d like me to address specific topics, please send me an email at dale@furtwengler.com.  Please share your experience with our readers by posting a comment.

Productivity enhancer…

…or creativity killer?

Over the years I’ve heard conflicting advice about rituals.  People who employ them, without exception, tell me that they achieve their goals more quickly.  That’s why people who:

• build time for exercise into their schedules, enjoy good health
• devote some time each day to personal reflection, enjoy greater self-awareness
• spend as little as 15 minutes a day reading, expand their knowledge

I’ve also been told to:

• take different routes to and from work
• mix up my daily routine
• do things for the sheer enjoyment of doing them

The latter advice is purported to help me avoid boredom, enhance my powers of observation and creativity.

So which is true?  Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz in their book, The Power of Full Engagement, say that “Far from precluding spontaneity, rituals provide a level of comfort, continuity and security that frees us to improvise and to take risks.”

What Loehr and Schwartz are suggesting is that, once we’ve established a ritual, our subconscious minds take over allowing our conscious minds the freedom to deal with whatever we’re facing.  By freeing the conscious mind we are able to respond more quickly and creatively to any challenge we’re facing.

As I reflect on the wisdom of their words, I realize that rituals help us avoid wasting time and energy by limiting the number of choices we make each day.  If I’ve built time for exercise into my schedule each day and have made it a ritual, I don’t waste time or energy trying to decide whether I should be exercising, making a few more phone calls or writing next week’s blog.  The decision is already made.

It’s counter-intuitive, but rituals allow us more time and energy to devote to creative pursuits because they’ve taken the decision making out of things that should be daily routines

The 7 Steps to Becoming INVALUABLE program I offer is designed to help you see more effective ways of doing business – ways that dramatically improve your bottom line while making your life easier.  In today’s blog I used Step 6, Eclectic Education, to gain insights into how Loehr and Schwartz help world-class athletes and performers enjoy even greater success through rituals.

I also used Step 5, Contrarian Mindset, to demonstrate that the common belief that rituals (routines) limit creativity is a myth.  For more information on the 7 Steps to Becoming INVALUABLE visit www.furtwengler.com/7steps.htm.

If you’d like to receive a weekly email reminder with a link to The Invaluable Leader blog or if you’d like me to address specific topics, please send me an email at dale@furtwengler.com.  Please share your experience with our readers by posting a comment.

Are you having a difficult time closing sales?

Do you feel guilty because you know you can help the prospect?

If so, you’re problem lies in your inability to say “No” to people. This tendency could be the result of:

• a sense of scarcity
• a passion for helping others
• a desire to please others

A sense of scarcity makes you look hungry during the sales call. Buyers sense your need and naturally withdraw. Who wants to work with someone who is struggling?

A passion for helping others often causes you to overlook the prospect’s desire to change. Just because you know that you can help someone doesn’t mean they’re interested in being helped.

If you’re a pleaser, if your goal is to make others happy and you’re willing to do whatever they ask, you’ll cave to the prospect’s demands – often to your detriment. Again, buyers sense your need and take advantage of your nature causing you to do a lot of work with little compensation and even less customer satisfaction.

Regardless of the reason, your inability to say “No” sends mixed messages to the market. If you’re experiencing scarcity, buyers sense that and find it difficult to believe that your offerings are as great as you say they are. When your passion for helping others causes you to say “My offering can help anyone,” buyers become skeptical – they know that there are no panaceas, no one-size-fits-all. If you’re a pleaser and you keep changing your offerings to accommodate buyers, you cause then to question the value of your product or service.

What’s the solution? The secret is to say “No” to people who don’t value what you have to offer. You know which of your customers bring you great joy and which drive you bonkers. Discover what those delightful customers have in common and use these characteristics to define your ideal customer. Then learn to graciously say to the others “I don’t think I’m the right person to meet your needs.”

Indeed, you can take this one step farther by telling prospects, in the sales call, who your ideal customer is. Amazingly, when I use this approach, some people have asked “Do I qualify?” This simple question allows me to have a candid conversation with the prospect that allows them to participate in a self-evaluation that helps them and me make a more informed decision about whether or not we should move forward.

It’s counter-intuitive, but if you want to:

• attract more business
• close more sales
• become more effective in serving your customers

learn to say “No.”

Buyers want to do business with people who:

• demonstrate confidence and success by their willingness to walk away from business that doesn’t make sense for them
• have a clear understanding of who their ideal customers are and communicate that information clearly and effectively
• who aren’t willing to compromise the value of their offerings to please others

The 7 Steps to Becoming INVALUABLE program I offer is designed to help you see more effective ways of doing business – ways that dramatically improve your bottom line while making your life easier.

In today’s blog I used Step 1, Contributory Negligence, combined with Step 5, a Contrarian Mindset, to demonstrate how our inability to say “No” makes us less attractive in the marketplace. For more information on the 7 Steps to Becoming INVALUABLE visit www.furtwengler.com/7steps.htm.

If you’d like to receive a weekly email reminder with a link to The Invaluable Leader blog or if you’d like me to address specific topics, please send me an email at dale@furtwengler.com. Please share your experience with our readers by posting a comment.