Friday, May 23, 2008

TGIF: How to say "Happy birthday"

Pat McBride used to bake birthday cakes for us.
Pat worked with us at the Philadelphia Bulletin.
When one of us had a birthday, Pat baked.
Her speciality: A Harvey Wallbanger cake.
I made one this week for our crew at the Chronicle.
It was my wife’s (our publisher’s) birthday.
Here’s Pat’s recipe, with one small amendment.

Harvey Wallbanger cake
1 pkg. Duncan Hines Yellow Cake Mix Deluxe
3-oz pkg. vanilla instant pudding
4 eggs
4 oz. oil
2 oz. vodka
2 oz. Galliano
6 oz. orange juice
1/4 lb butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Galliano
Preheat over to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour bundt pan. Make batter with first seven ingredients and pour into a bundt pan. Bake 50 minutes. While cake is baking, melt butter in saucepan. Add sugar and stir over moderate heat until sugar dissolves. Mix in Galliano and set aside. Remove cake from oven and punch 100 holes in top with a toothpick. Pour warm sauce over cake, cover and allow sauce to penetrate over night. Turn cake onto serving tray and slice. Pour coffee. Enjoy.
Pat shared this recipe with us. Thanks, Pat.
Next week we’ll talk about finding friendly business models.
See you then.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

What you say is truly important

Please repeat after me: Business people are teachers.
What do I mean? That it’s our job to educate.
Who? Customers, clients, patients, employees.
Among many things, we teach English.
We teach the impact and importance of words.
Sales trainer Tom Hopkins taught me this.
He wrote the classic "How to Master the Art of Selling".
It was the first sales book I ever read — 25 years ago.
Tom taught me:
It’s not a cost or a price with the customer.
It’s an investment.
It’s not a contract.
It’s an agreement.
Words are important.
They can be friendly — or intimidating.
Investment and agreement are friendly.
Cost, price and contract are not.
Never forget that.
For more sales tips, see "How to Peel a Green Banana".
Click here to read about it.
Tomorrow we’ll talk about a special birthday cake.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Separate the gifts from the givers

Yesterday we talked about your list of those you know.
If you missed it, just scroll down and read it.
Why would you compile a list like this? That’s easy.
Some people you can help. Some can help you.
If you are in sales, almost all of them can help you.
You can help them — to make sound buying decisions.
If you are in another line of work, they can help you.
All are potential customers, clients or patients.
How do you market your services or products?
You now have a great prospect list. Work it.
It helped Jerry Fowler sell prospects their dream homes.
It helped Joe Girard sell prospects the vehicles they wanted.
It will help you sell whatever you’re selling.
Never forget: If you’re in business, you’re in sales.
For more on sales, see our "How to Peel a Green Banana".
Click here to read about it.
Tomorrow we'll talk about the importance of language.
See you then.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Make your list and check it twice

Santa Claus had the right idea. Make that list and check it twice.
Joe Girard started with 150 names and added to it weekly.
Joe’s list enabled him to set car sales records for 11 straight years.
Jerry Fowler built a list with more than 5,000 names.
Jerry sold a lot of homes to prospective home owners.
He also used those names to win school board elections.
Here’s what Joe and Jerry had on their list. You can, too.
First, everybody you know. And everybody who knows you.
It takes time to compile this list. And you will add to it.
Then their contact information. Email and mail addresses.
Phone numbers. Cell. Office. Home phone numbers.
Who they are and your relationship to them.
Finally what you can do for them or they do for you.
What do you need all this information for?
We’ll talk about that tomorrow.
For more tips, see our "Doing More With Less" workbook.
Click here to read about it

Monday, May 19, 2008

It’s not just who you know

I was reminded of an important business principle Sunday.
At a celebration of the life of a deceased friend, his campaign manager said the first thing he asks his candidates to do is to bring him a list of friends with contact information.
Some bring lists of 50 names. Some 100. A few 200 names.
The deceased had a contact list of more than 5,000.
"That was my first clue we might win this election," the campaign manager said.
Contacts are just as important in business as in politics.
It’s not just who you know. It’s who knows you.
Who trusts you? Who will help you? Do business with you?
Do you have a list? How many names are on it?
If you don’t have one, you’d better get busy.
For more tips, see our "Doing More With Less" workbook.
Click here to read about it.
Tomorrow: Who and what needs to be on your list.