PRODUCTIVITY
Fear Can Be Motivating
Use fear to get your work done. Grant Cardone, author of The 10X Rule, puts it well. “Whatever I’m afraid of doing, I do it quickly as possible. I actually look for things that I don’t want to do. The things that I don’t want to do the most — the call I don’t want to make, the visit I don’t want to do, the letter I don’t want to send, the email I don’t want to send — those are the first things on my list. I literally use fear like a trampoline — I want to jump into it and hope I get some bounce out of it.”
ADVERTISING
Conjure an Angry Elf
Want to write convincing ad copy? Jay Conrad Levinson, author of Guerrilla Marketing, suggests you imagine an evil elf sitting on your shoulder, screeching, “I don’t believe that!” every time you write a sentence that tests credibility.
STAFF
Time for Fine Whine
What do you do when a staff meeting turns into a bitch session? Roll with it — for four minutes. As Steve Errey writes on Lifehack.org, “When I’m in a coaching session with someone, it’s pretty obvious if they’re in a bad mood. When that happens I say to them, ‘Right. You have four minutes to Bitch, Moan and Whine all you want. When the four minutes is up there’s no more moaning, deal?’ Then they let rip for four minutes. Taking just a couple of minutes for a BMW (as I like to call it) can get everything right out there, everything that’s bubbling away. The key is not to pause or think; a BMW session is just getting it all out there. Often you’ll find that you run out of steam before the four minutes is up and sometimes you’ll just end up laughing. Either way, when you’re done you’ll feel lighter.”
STRATEGY
Expand Your Competitive Set
A reminder from author Doug Stevens to not get too cocky, just because you are confident that you’re doing a better job of serving customers than your main competitors. Writes Stevens, “You are not just facing off against other (businesses in your category). You are facing off against every shopping experience your customers have in their lives.”
SIGNAGE
Remove the Assumptions
You should never assume your customers know all the services you offer. Print a sign — or write one, neatly, on a chalkboard — that lists the different things you do — e.g. grooming, dog washing (DIY baths?), nail clipping, training, day care, etc.
SALES
Try to Avoid “No”
People are used to getting what they want. Do whatever you have to in order not to give customers a flat “no.” At popular New York City drink spot Please Don’t Tell, staff are instructed to always try to find a way to say “no, but ….” “No, we are all booked up at 8:30, unfortunately, but how about 11?” or “No, we don’t have brand X, but we have brand Y. Would you like to try it?”
HIRING
Get a Better Interview
Where do you conduct job interviews? You might get better results doing it outside of your office, says Harvey Mackay, author of the best-selling business book We Got Fired … And It’s the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Us. Adds Mackay: “If they are golfers, I’ll play with them; if they are bowlers, I’ll go bowling. If they like the opera, I’ll take them to the opera. I want to see them in a different territory.”