Where do you belong?

My years in Corporate America felt empty. Management battled with the unions. Competition was often intense.
Not much socializing nor team spirit.
Turnover was high.
There was an occasional Christmas party. But it was rarely attended by the suits.
They usually had their own Christmas party.
Suits, like the Cabots, only mixed with suits.

It's different working in family-owned businesses.
We feel respected, appreciated, even loved.
We have a feeling of being part of something bigger.
It’s the foundation of all religions.
The foundation for civic and social clubs.
The foundation of successful organizations.
At our little family-owned businesses:
• We often get together for a cook-out.
• We make lasagna, spaghetti or chili for lunch.
• We do 99% of our planning together.
• We wind down together at 4:30 each Friday.
Beer, Cokes, wine, popcorn, small talk.

We work to create a sense of belonging.
We have low turnover. People help each other.
Our sales people even trade accounts.
If you get nowhere with one, someone else may.

Competition is aimed at our competition.
We don’t compete with each other.

Make sure your teammates feel that way.
You can’t put a price tag on high morale.
It‘s the secret to peak performance.

Want a free peek at my new peak performance book?
"What It Costs to Be the Boss" may change your life.
Just email me at this address.
Please send mailing address and phone number.
I’ll send you a four-chapter sampler from the book.

The best gift of all

Norman Vincent Peale's stories made points.

Good stories always do.
In one, a young Swedish girl lived with and helped an American family.
She had little money for Christmas gifts.
And the Americans already had so much.
Then came a divine inspiration.
She bought baby clothes with her money.
She sought the poorest baby she could find.
A Salvation Army bell-ringer helped her.

He found the family.

Together they delivered her gift.
On Christmas morning, she told the family about the gift.
She revealed that she had done it in their name.
Everyone felt blessed by the spirit of the gift.
The family felt blessed for seeing her in a new light.
The poor family felt blessed by her unexpected gift.
Giving and receiving are both blessings.
But the love behind the gift is the best gift of all.
Think about that as you do your Christmas shopping.

And now a few words from our sponsor.
Looking for a gift for someone who has everything?
Consider our new book on success. It’s called:
“Killer Secrets of Successful Entrepreneurs”.
It’s written by 22 of us who share our secrets with you.
Email me for personally autographed copies.
JerryBellune@yahoo.com

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Dance with the one who brought you

Welcome to my Tuesday morning Business Blog.
Today we’ll talk about dancing and dancing partners.
What’s that got to do with business? Hang on.
You’ll see the truth behind the metaphor in a moment.
In high school, some boys neglect their dates at the dances.
Bad move. Really stupid move. Don’t do that in business. Ever.
Remember your clients. They’re the ones who got you here.
One of my clients always reminds me of my wife’s birthday.
She calls before Valentine’s Day, Christmas and anniversaries.
With her markup, I’m sure I’m buying her a second yacht.
Another client holds special "customer only" sales.
She also has a ‘men only’ night with an open bar and great food.
We have a great time. She makes a fortune — on male business.
Even my son, no fashion fan himself, buys on ‘men only’ night..
How can you adapt their strategies to your business?
Think about it. Work to build relations, not just sales.
Go out of your way for your clients. They’ll appreciate it.
Want to share a relationship builder of your own?
Please click on "comment" below.
To watch my Business Tips videos, click here.
For a look at my new book, "Selling by the Numbers". click here.
Next Tuesday we’ll talk about 'flying into the future'.

Watch what you say

Last time we talked about your two most valuable assets.
Today we’ll talk about the impact our words can have.
I met Carol Riordan more than 20 years ago.
Carol was a young editor at the Capitol Times in Madison, Wisc.
I was visiting as a writing and editing coach at her newspaper.
The other day Carol dropped me a note with this postscript:
"You gave me kudos for a headline — ‘Autumn Gold’.
"I’ve never forgotten that moment! It meant the world to me."
Carol has gone on to the American Press Institute.
In her role, she teaches other editors to become their best.
I remember when I was a young editor in North Carolina.
Our managing editor was a gruff, no-nonsense kind of leader.
He would demand to know who wrote a specific headline.
I would self-consciously admit it, expecting to get bawled out.
"Good headline," he would say and stalk back to his desk.
I could go for a week on those two words of praise.
We never know how much a few words can mean to others.
At this time of year, remember those who encouraged you.
Pay it back by encouraging others to become their best.
If you’re in sales, find a way to compliment your clients.
If you’re a leader, find things to praise instead of finding fault.
Words have power to inspire, to light a fire in others.
By the way, you’re invited to our holiday drop-in.
Drop by our Lexington newspaper office Saturday 1-4 p.m.
Pick up some Christmas cheer and a copy of my latest book.
If you need directions, call me at 803-331-6695.
For more on motivation, click here.

A test of faith at the Hanoi Hilton

Yesterday we talked about a modest Level 5 leader.
Today we’ll talk about a POW and his test of faith.
Admiral Jim Stockdale was shot down in Vietnam.
He was held eight years in the Hanoi Hilton.
He was tortured more than 20 times.
He lived day to day, believing he would see his family again.
He didn’t despair. He shouldered command.
He did everything he could to help others survive the horror.
His captors wanted to videotape him as a "well-treated prisoner."
So he slashed his face with a razor to disfigure himself.
He exchanged intelligence with his wife through their letters.
He set rules to help other prisoners deal with torture.
His communications system helped others endure their isolation
Which prisoners did not survive?
"The optimists," Stockdale said.
They said, "We’ll be out by Christmas."
But Christmas came and went.
They said, "We’ll be out by Easter."
But Easter came and went.
After a while, the optimists lost hope and gave up.
Stockdale survived with this philosophy:
You must have faith that you will prevail in the end.
Yet you must face the brutal facts of your daily reality.
With that faith, Jim Stockdale found a great purpose:
To survive his captors and see his family again.
Tomorrow we’ll take a break for some TGIF fun.
For more on your own great purpose, click here.