There’s a million dollar—no, a multi-million dollar—tip in this post. Actually there’s more than one. Get ready. I’m going to talk to you about your mindset.

We’ve been having a little discussion around here lately about coaching. Specifically we’ve been talking about the kind of coaching people want. I’ve been speaking with a lot of colleagues about this too. And surprisingly (to me) it seems most people are looking for a coach who will tell them what to do…step by step.

The online conversation is here:

What Would You Be Doing Right Now if You Had a Coach?

Your Mind vs. Paint by Numbers

So, let me throw a little gas on the fire.

And I’ll fly in the face of what most people are saying while I’m at it. Step by step coaching is nice… but it won’t turn you into a millionaire.

How you think will.

I agree that step-by-step coaching can be effective. The idea of “building success, upon success, upon success” as a good friend says, is a powerful motivator. Yet how you think, and what you bring to the table in terms of mindset, will magnify your small successes ten, one hundred, even a thousand fold.

Let’s buy an apartment building.

Think about it this way. What if you wanted to buy an apartment building but you knew your funds were limited?

Say you go ahead and hire a coach to direct you on how to buy an apartment complex. So far so good. (And I will stress that it is important to become educated in any new endeavor before blindly jumping in.)

You start looking for apartment deals with your new found real estate investing knowledge. Your coach helps you learn to run the numbers on deals. She helps you study the market. She suggests some online sites where you can find real estate listings. And ultimately, with the funds at hand, you end up buying a fourplex… a four-unit property rather than the large apartment building you envisioned.

You’re the disappointed owner of a fourplex. You hired a coach that did what you expected. She coached you on how to do everything yourself. By yourself. Step by step.

But there were limitations.

Now let’s really buy an apartment building.

Let’s say you hire a coach who understands that your psychology plays as big a role as your newly acquired fundamental knowledge of deal analysis and real estate acquisition.

This coach has you start looking at big deals immediately. And making offers on those properties. She has you start interviewing and meeting top real estate professionals in your market. Professionals dealing exclusively in multi-family investing.

You start building a team. This is not a do it yourself endeavor.

You connect with mentors in the field. With brokers. With other apartment owners. With vendors. And contractors.

Rather than find a property on LoopNet (the multifamily equivalent of the MLS) you source deals that haven’t been shopped around yet. And through your connections and networking, you find a great off market apartment deal.

But wait a minute! Didn’t I say earlier that you had limited funds? I did. You heard me right. Here’s the beautiful thing about this story. Coach number two had you thinking in terms of abundance. In terms of building a team. Not going solo. She had you connect with professionals that brought very specific knowledge to the table.

She showed you how to believe big. How to surround yourself with other people who had the knowledge you lack. She didn’t expect you to know how to do everything yourself. She didn’t expect you to DO everything yourself. She showed you that you could fund a big deal with other people’s money. The big OPM.

And here’s what a lot of beginner entrepreneurs never realize.

When you find, or create, a great opportunity (business, real estate, you name it) the money will find you. People don’t pass on great deals.

But you’ve got to believe it.

Your awesome coach helped you think in terms of abundance. She didn’t offer do it yourself, step-by-step coaching. She helped you think in terms of building a team. In terms of overcoming great fear. In terms of being more capable than you would have ever believed possible. Of doing bigger deals.

So, ask yourself this. Which coach would you rather hire? The one who is going to show you baby steps to a fourplex? Or the one who’s going to scare the cr*p out of you? And in so doing show you how to operate with a mindset that you can apply to any endeavor you want, any time in the future?

Okay… it’s your turn. Can’t wait to hear what you all think of this post!

Related posts:

1. Starting a New Business: Where Oh Where Do You Begin?
2. What Would You Be Doing Right Now if You Had a Coach?

a.k.a.

referral systems

revenue sharing

cross industry marketing

joint venturingIt’s basically I’ll reward your business for each customer you bring me as a result of your marketing efforts.

Or,

• You help me penetrate a new market.
• I help you do an add-on business (to what you already do).
• You piggyback on my sales efforts, my established goodwill and my existing relationships.

Whatever you call it, however you look at it… you should be asking yourself, “Why am I not doing this right now????” (And if you are? You are one smart cookie!)

Ready for a great story about affiliate marketing? Visit my friend Eugene’s site and read his post, Cupcake Marketing: Affiliate Marketing Beyond the Internet.

Take a look.

Leave a comment:)

Think.

Let’s make friends in business. When I love and trust you… and you recommend someone to me, I realize exactly how much time you just saved me. I’m thrilled if you get a referral fee!

Your turn. What amazing affiliate relationships have you been involved with? Care to share?

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This is the final installment of my vacation posts. I’ll catch up with you later this week:) Thanks for all of the great comments!

Related posts:

1. How to Give a Great Sales Pitch!
2. Neverware: A Great Story of a Young Entrepreneur

What does transparently competitive behavior cost you?

Here’s what I mean by this.

A person is transparently competitive when they:

• Visit someone’s home to attend a network marketing event and they promote their own networking business to the participants.
• Visit another person’s business (brick and mortar, or online) and they promote their own product or service… without shame.
• Disagree with the other guy in an attempt to demonstrate their own superiority.

And while their intentions may be noble (in their mind), their actions say otherwise. I mean, they may have no real malicious intent to do someone harm, yet actions like these demonstrate a grievous lack of good judgment.

I’m an advocate for:

• Being gracious for an invitation to participate.
• Recognizing the best in people by pointing out a job well done.
• Showing pride in your friends, contemporaries, colleagues, team members and yes, even your ‘competition’.
• Offering kindness and respect.
• Extending compliments.
• Showing gratitude for another person’s contribution to the world… whether that person be a friend, an acquaintance, or a total stranger.
• Promoting your competition.
• Giving thanks for knowledge shared.
• Being a perfect guest.

Anything less can be costly. To your reputation. To your image. And to your bottom line.

All of this is just plain good sense… or is it? I’m sometimes appalled by the behavior of others, especially so in the online world (and by extension email, texting, comments, etc.).

Perhaps it’s a wonderful idea to take a step back and do an honest introspection on how we are being. What are we trying to create?

Your turn. What would you add to my list of how to demonstrate excellence in business? And in life, for that matter?

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Wondering how this way of thinking can explode your business? Let’s talk.

Related posts:

1. On Being Elegant

“It’s the questions we can’t answer that teach us the most. They teach us how to think. If you give a man an answer, all he gains is a little fact. But give him a question and he’ll look for his own answers.”

– Patrick Rothfuss

One of my favorite coaches taught me to approach a new project by considering first how much I knew about it. It was a great exercise.

You start by drawing a circle that represents the face of a clock.

The time from high noon to around 2 o’clock represents what you already know about the project.

So far so good.

The time between 2 o’clock and around 5 o’clock represents what you know you don’t know.

This is where you educate, act and perfect.

But, here’s the most interesting thing to think about.

The time between 5 o’clock and 12 o’clock – more than one half of the clock face — is the stuff you don’t even know you don’t know.

The funny thing is, I don’t remember exactly what point he was trying make. Other than to let me know it was okay that I didn’t know everything.

But it got me thinking.

How do you figure out what you don’t know?

And how do you know what questions to ask? There is no right answer in my humble opinion. Do you remember how many questions you asked as a kid? How creative you were?

That’s a good place to start.

Shift Your Thinking

Maybe you shouldn’t be thinking at all. You already know what you know. The question is, what don’t you know? If you showed your project to your kid, what do think his or her top 5 questions would be? Can you even explain your project to a kid? Try it.

The Billionaire

If you knew you couldn’t fail, what would you be doing right now? Let’s say the project you are working on is so wildly successful you’ve just become a billionaire. Now what questions are you asking?

Hold on. Questions about your project, not whether or not your yacht should have a helicopter pad. On second thought, that might be a great question. Why do you need a helicopter?

How Would Somebody Else Do It?

Oprah, Mahatma Gandhi, Alfred Hitchcock, Walt Disney, Jack Nicholson, Darth Vader and Jon Stewart would all throw a different party. Who do you think would come? What food would they serve? What party games would they play?

How would your project look with any of these people in the lead? One thing is for sure, they would all bring a different perspective.

Be an Impostor

Do some role playing. In your chosen role what would you have to know in order to not be exposed as a fraud? What trick questions are people going to ask you? How do you look? How are you behaving? Be your own devil’s advocate. What better way to get external evidence of your competence?

Loosen Up

Elbert Hubbard said it best, “Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.”

My little brother was the “What if” kid. He had the most wacky questions. He made us laugh all the time. And he never stopped asking questions.

Sometime it’s a good thing to go back to that way of thinking.

We’ll never know it all. No one does. Some questions simply have no answers. But they will teach us how to think.

How do you look at what you’re doing in a fresh way?

What do you do to break out of habitual thinking?

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Related post: 23 Extraordinary Questions to Ask Your Mentor

Related posts:

1. Customer Surveys: Don’t Ask Your Customer These Questions!
2. 23 Extraordinary Questions to Ask Your Mentor

Although traditionally the story does not end like this, the wolf can blow down a house that has been carefully built brick by brick.

With a single puff.

Success can lead to arrogance. Self promotion is a fine line we all have to walk. The trouble starts if you lose sight of why you were in business to begin with. When you carefully built your image as someone who had a desire to serve your fellow man, you were on the right track.

When things start becoming about you, and no longer about your customer, dark winds are on the horizon. The wolf might be at your door.

If you’ve ever watched The Secret or Tapping the Source you’ll know what I mean. It is really easy to see which of the participants are authentic and which are coming from ego. It amazes me when I witness someone take themselves so seriously they almost ask you bow in praise of them. What a strange way to go about asking for respect, or for someone’s trust. Respect and trust are earned, not demanded.

The media can be a dangerous platform. Whether you’re seen through your blog, television, print advertising or any social media platform…people are buying you. They buy your personality and the ideal you represent. If you start believing in your own greatness and it shows in your voice, or in your message, you are on a treacherous path.

When stats become king.

When was the last time you bought something from a company because they told you they were the greatest? That they had more customers than God? When a company starts throwing stats in your face, it becomes obvious things are no longer about you. Especially when the stats are transparently exaggerated.

It can take years to carefully build and nurture an image. It can take your customer 10 seconds to decide you are not who they thought you were.

All is not lost, though. You can be humble in your success by showing your customers you care more about them. Take a minute to remember that you care more about those you first set out to inspire, or to help solve a problem, than you do about your own winning numbers.

Your ego should be checked at your CPA or banker’s door. Let them count all the money your success has generated while you continue to send the message to your customer that you are in business for them.

Have you ever felt let down by someone you had a great deal of respect for? Or watched a company implode on their own success? What techniques do you use to put your customer first? How do you deal with success?

Related posts:

1. How To Run a Great Mastermind Group; Some Guidelines For Success

“A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

We are elegant when we are:

Dignified in our behavior.

Succinct in our communication.

Fair in our description of others.

Simple in our problem solving.

Graceful in our acceptance of others.

Gentle.

Creative in our approach or perspective.

Introspective before we react.

Collaborative versus competitive.

Honest about our mistakes.

Humble.

Unadorned.

A good friend.

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Elegance is a seduction. It is a grace of style. Of being in a way that attracts rather then repels.

What would you add to this list?

Related posts:

1. Kick the But: Big Blue Monsters That Hold You Back
2. Happy Holidays! A Wish For the New Year

Today I’m going to ask you to hop on over to Stacey Nobbe’s blog. You’ll recognize her as The Beginner Businesswoman from her frequent comments here.

In a word, I ADORE Stacey and I think you’ll love her too.

This week Stacey has graciously included me in her interview series Meet the Experts (read her post at this link). I’m truly honored to be highlighted on her on blog.

But this post is about Stacey.

She sums it up nicely in her ‘About Me’ statement:

“I’m a wife, mother, teacher and friend, with a dream, an invention, and the drive to make it all come true.”

Stacey is the mother of five kids (and yes, they all still live at home), she’s married and she teaches full time. Yet she made a commitment to do something every day to get her business started.

And she writes about it on her blog.

Her commitment to business and success is off the charts. I would put Stacey in the top 1% of those who are truly in action, connecting with others, setting goals and learning from every single experience she goes through on her way to building her business.

You want to be inspired? Read her blog – regularly.

She has created a wonderful space where she shares her stories in a delightfully disarming way. She has a generous heart and is inspiringly insightful.

Last week Stacey left a comment on my post Got a Great Business Idea? Why Are You Sitting On It?. I just have to share it with you.

Her comment says it all:

“For me, in the beginning, I lacked the self-confidence to believe that I had what it took to take my idea and market it successfully. When I first started my blog, I had the fear of failing in front of so many people. If I tried this business venture “quietly” and failed, no one would know about it, and I would still have my pride. Now that I’ve “put it out there” with my blog, everyone will know if I fail.

I do realize now that since I’m committed to taking action in front of my audience, I’ve increased my chances of success. I’m also finding that I’m gaining respect from many people, and I have people who are willing to help me to be successful! I’m starting to hear people talk about how their board game boxes are falling apart, and they can’t wait for me to manufacture the Game Hero. It’s still scary, and extremely exhausting, though.”

Stacey truly lives what she writes. I know you’ll love her.

You will be inspired by her journey.

***

What inspires you? How do you keep working diligently toward your goals?

No related posts.

When you have a coach you can:

• Write and publish that book.
• Make more money.
• Build and lead a team.
• Generate new customers.
• Start a business.
• Create a marketing and business plan.
• Become an expert.
• Eliminate obstacles.
• Get out of debt.
• Improve your net worth.
• Increase your passive cash flow.
• Find your purpose.
• Expand your network.
• Learn to collaborate and joint venture.
• Streamline business processes.
• Start a website or blog.
• Get rid of whatever’s holding you back.

Ready to coach? I’ve got just a few coaching time slots available. Click this link for my contact information. You can tweet, Skype, phone or email … just  do it!

Related posts:

1. Some reasons why I love being in business for myself
2. Is There a Difference Between a Coach and a Mentor?

Today’s awesome guest post is written by my friend Phil Lusted. Phil is a freelance web designer from North Wales, UK, and is one of the most generous bloggers I know. You will find him blogging over at Philz Corner where he shares his passion for the latest social media happenings and web design tips and tricks. Today he is sharing that wisdom with us. Please join me in welcoming Phil to BigFishTopDogs!

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Today the internet is a huge thing and it can be used to display information in many different and effective ways. Surprisingly, a lot of small businesses do not take advantage of the internet in order to promote their business. A lot of the time it’s because business owners don’t know what the web can offer them and the effectiveness it can have on their business today.

Are you still doubting promoting online? Here’s some examples on how you could benefit!

Sell your products online

A great importance in today’s economy! A website can allow you to sell your products online which is quite efficient and can also be less stressful to control. So instead of receiving phone call orders from customers, they can simply visit your website any time of the day to purchase products from you. There is no opening time and closing time on an online website!

Save time by having a FAQ page

Do customers contact you regularly by phone asking you questions? With a website you can set up a frequently answered questions (FAQ) page allowing people browsing your business website to read. You could also setup contact pages for customers to contact you rather than using the phone. Once a contact page has been filled in and submitted you will receive the query via your business email address.

Create A Blog Page

Every business website should have some kind of blog. This will keep customers up to date with the latest happenings of the business. Sometimes customers like to read company blogs as it keeps them educated and gives them the urge to check the website more often.

Offer Newsletter Subscriptions

Instead of having customers visit your store (if you have one!) regularly for product or business news updates, you could create a monthly newsletter for the business, keeping customers up to date with new product updates. Customers who visit the business website will have the ability to subscribe via email for these monthly newsletters.

Customers voices are important!

With an online website you also have the ability of setting up a feedback page which could help you improve your business by receiving customer feedback and thoughts. Remember that your customers voice matters!

Social Network Promotion

Once you have a business website setup you can promote it through Facebook and Twitter. They are two of the most effective tools of online promotion and it’s all free to use! Both of these networking sites allow people to keep updated with business news. It’s also a very good way of getting your name around. Customers can also promote your business through Facebook and Twitter.

Are there any other important reasons why a business should have a website?

Your comments are always welcome!

Related posts:

1. The #1 Most Important Learnable Skill in Business Networking
2. Should Your Business Have a Blog?

Yesterday I received a text message from a tenant who was so over the top with anger I was simply floored. My first reaction was one of seriously hurt feelings. I wondered, “What on earth did I ever do to her to cause such a hateful reaction?”

In truth … I did nothing. But wow, was I ever the recipient of my tenant’s bad day.

A reply to her text message was expected. I had to think long and hard about this one. I knew any knee jerk reaction I had would be the wrong move. I was angry. I was hurt. I was shocked. My first reaction was to lash out with a snarky reply. Or an angry one. Or a defensive one.

Instead, I typed, “I apologize.”

I’ll admit it felt like I was typing with broken fingers … it was so hard to type ‘I apologize’ when I felt I had done nothing wrong. But, something I heard once guided my response. And that was,

If your reply has a ‘you’ in it, it had better be, “You’re right.”

“You misunderstood me” makes it their fault.

“I’m sorry I made you angry” makes it about their reaction — something they might not want to be reminded of.

So, I typed “I apologize.” When I received a response from my tenant she sounded like a completely different person. She was nice. She was thoughtful. She even wished me a ‘wonderful and blessed weekend’. I’ll probably never know what was going on with her. But do I need to? Not really.

The customer is always right. Oh, really, you ask? Yes, really.

Except when you don’t want them as a customer. Or, if you’re apathetic about your reputation.

Let’s hear from you. I expect some of you might disagree with me. That’s cool. Let me hear it. And if you’ve had a similar experience I’d be curious to know how it was resolved, or if it was resolved. Sometimes you never can win.

No related posts.

Jonathan Hefter is a 25 year old self-taught computer whiz with a revolutionary idea. An idea that might mean you never buy a computer again. And it could be a budget saving miracle for schools.

Take a look at this remarkable story of a ‘kid’ with an innovative idea, tremendous perseverance and no quit in him despite hearing “No” from almost every corner.

In Jonathan’s words (as quoted in the article referenced below),

“Perhaps it was a little naive of me to think that these companies would want to hear about ideas that could hurt their businesses… but to me, if you’re just protecting the status quo, if you are no longer concerned about innovation, then you don’t deserve to be setting tech policy for the rest of us.”

I love Jonathan’s story for a lot of reasons. If you have a minute, check out the article by Ben Popper (twitter @benpopper) by following this link over to the oberserver.com:

Neverware Means Never Buying a New Computer Again

You’ll be inspired.

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I wanted to take a minute today to thank the commenters here at bigfishtopdogs.com. The conversations have been extraordinary. Thank you for your humor, your ideas, your questions, and for sharing such wonderful anecdotes. Anecdotes that bring life to what I write.  Your contributions have been remarkable! And, I love how you engage each other socially and visit each other’s sites. You guys rock!

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If you haven’t checked out my blog roll under “Blogs I’m Following Today” (also on the sidebar), please do. You’ll discover some great people by following the links. Here’s a little disclaimer: these blogs are not all about business. Some are just funny and not all are PG rated.

If you have some favorite sites, please let me know! I will definitely check them out and consider them for inclusion.

**********

And, finally…

For the past couple of weeks I’ve been talking about Extreme John. For a reason. ExtremeJohn.com is the perfect example of why your business should have a blog. John’s blog is a showplace for his tanning salons, but it is much, much more. John supports local businesses and he gives back to his community through fund raising. His blog provides the perfect platform for doing this. He also writes great articles where he shares what he’s learned through his entrepreneurial adventures.  If you are thinking about starting a blog for your business, you’ve got to visit his site.

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And speaking of bloggers who own businesses, Marcus Sheridan over at The Sales Lion is another guy who shares great information about sales, marketing and owning your own business. Along with other stuff. Take a look at his post 13 Guaranteed Ways to Blog and Be Totally Miserable. I loved this post! Marcus took a delightfully humorous approach to business, and life, with his article. It’s worth a read.

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Thanks again to all of you who support me by visiting, by commenting and just by being around. You are the inspiration that keeps me going.

Related posts:

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2. You Want To Be An Entrepreneur? Start Today

I follow a lot of bloggers. One of my favorites is Extreme John. I want to take a minute today and introduce him to you.

John is an entrepreneur extraordinaire. He is very prolific in his blogging. He’s sometimes really out there and always entertaining and informative. If you are an entrepreneur looking to grow your business both offline and online, you’ve gotta check him out.

Not only does he write killer posts, he shares business tips, entrepreneur ideas, blogs, social media marketing know how and fun stuff from around the web. He’s one of the most generous people I know.

I suggest you start with his recent post, 15 Best Business Articles Featured in 2010.

John, you rock! Thanks for your support and for the wonderful entertainment and ideas! Here’s to an awesome 2011.

Related posts:

1. Vote For Me! Rookie Blogger of the Year 2010
2. 2010 Global Entrepreneurship Week

Last week I spent several entire days reacting to everything and being proactive about nothing. Don’t you just hate days like that? I replied to emails. I answered phone calls. I had requests that had to be dealt with immediately. Mistakes needed correcting. People asked me questions all day long.

Not one thing got done that furthered me along the path of reaching my goals or working on my strategic planning for my businesses.

Let me tell you why I hate days like this.

If everything you do during the course of conducting business is reactive… your business owns you.

If you are spending more than 90% of your time reacting to the world… you are not in control.

Over the next 48 hours pay attention to what you do during the day. If you need to, put a little sign on your desk that says “Proactive? –or– Reactive?”.

Make a note of what you’re spending your time on. Over the next several weeks we’ll talk about how you can plan for 2011. About how you can be sure you’re going to be in charge. I’ll give you tips and inspiration to get the New Year started off on the right foot and a plan to sustain it. Be sure to subscribe by email so you don’t miss these posts.

But first, you need to see where you are right now, not where you want to be.

Click this link to read: The Difference Between Reactive and Proactive Activities. This is a list that will help you plan for the New Year.

Are you willing? Let’s play! You know I love your comments.

Related posts:

1. What Can You Learn From a Team at Harvard Business School? A Lot.
2. Perseverance: Getting Off the Ground

Would you like to know how many times I’ve thought of abandoning this blog? And why I haven’t?

Are you doing something right now that you want to see succeed more than anything? Do you ever think of quitting? Or wonder if you’re on the right track? Do you second guess whether or not your time is being well spent or if you are chasing impossible dreams?

Well… I understand those questions and feelings. I think of them sometimes. But mostly I think about where I’m going and where I’m going to be. I trust in my plan. I realize I can’t make my business a success overnight – that’s a big thing to remember.

Of course, a miracle could happen. My blog could go viral overnight. It could. But I won’t bank on it.

Instead, I’ll persevere… with a sold plan backing me. I know exactly where I want to be in 1 year. In 2 years. In 5 years. And I’m meeting my benchmarks. What I don’t know yet is where or when I’ll need to course correct.

But there’s one thing I’m completely sure of. The plane is in the air. I got off the ground. I can alter the flight plan as necessary. The destination won’t change.

If you have a plan and you are working it consistently – congratulations! Stick with it and hang in there. If you want to course correct I can coach you on it.

If you haven’t started your own flight don’t be discouraged. You can persevere just as well. By working on your fears, acknowledging your value, and finding a support system that will hold you accountable. Stop waiting until everything is perfect… you can course correct as needed.

It starts with a vision – backed by goals and a solid plan. What are you working on?

I love sharing ideas with you! Will you leave a comment below?

No related posts.

Have you been wondering if your business should, or could, have a blog?

Meet Donna McCord, of Dean’s Automotive. She is an amazing entrepreneur and blogger. Donna commented on a post I wrote this week about the Art of Competition. Her comment inspired me to write this post and it is definitely worth checking out!

Donna should be an inspiration to any business that questions whether or not their business should have a blog.

Donna is passionate about changing the perception about her industry in the marketplace and one of the great ways she’s achieved this is to have a blog as a part of the company’s website. Yep. An automotive company that embraces social media and blogging… thanks to Donna’s inspired contribution to her company.

Do you want to know how powerful a blog can be in generating new business? I read a single post Donna wrote and I immediately wished we lived in the same town because I wanted to bring my car to her.

I don’t get the opportunity very often to hang around jawing with my auto mechanic. If I did, I’d probably take better care of my car. My husband does a good job though.

Reading Donna’s blog (click the link) is as good as having a monthly visit with my mechanic, all without leaving my own home. And what she’s accomplishing is remarkable… with customer loyalty and retention at the top of the list.

Your turn! What business are you in? Do you have a blog or an interest in starting one? Please let me know in the comments below. If I hear from enough of you, I’ll post more on the topic!

Related posts:

1. How to promote your blog, website, product or service
2. What Can You Learn From a Team at Harvard Business School? A Lot.

There are an infinite number of buyers and sellers in the world.

Infinite.

When you think in terms of abundance you clear your plate for a heaping serving of whatever you desire. Nature abhors a vacuum. Just be clear about what you want to receive.

To give freely to the needy and less fortunate, step outside the confines of a competitive mindset. It’s that simple. Believe in enough for everyone.

The world is not your competitor. In order to form partnerships, you cannot hold a life view of adversaries in every corner. Think of all the wondrous things that would remain undiscovered if you hesitate to share or create relationships.

When you collaborate for good, the possibilities are infinite. Collaborative competition brings out the best in everyone. Even in the Olympics, the world’s largest stage for individual and team competition, it’s less about beating the other competitor and more about bringing out the best in the individual performers and teams.… with a wonderful side benefit of inspiring millions.

Imagine cooperative competition. You’ll win before you even begin.

Your turn! I’d love to hear how you would fit this concept into your competitive activities. Please leave a comment below.

Related posts:

1. Entrepreneur… a mindset more than anything
2. What the TV Show Undercover Boss Knows – And You Should Too!

When I came across Blog Action Day on the Web yesterday, I wasn’t immediately sure I would participate. First of all it’s really short notice. Secondly, how would I write about clean water and keep on topic with my blog’s message at the same time?

Then I discovered Imagine H20, and everything fell into place.

An opportunity to talk about innovation, entrepreneurship and clean water in the same breath.

First a little information on Blog Action Day (@blogactionday): BAD2010 is an annual event that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day. This year’s focus is clean water.

I’ve decided to write about an inspiring team with a focus on solving water problems through an entrepreneurial approach.

Imagine H20, a not-for-profit company, was started by a group of entrepreneurs at Harvard Business School to support collaborative efforts from public and private sectors by hosting prize competitions for water innovation.

“We saw the world’s water crisis as an opportunity for new ideas, new businesses, and new ways to help people and the planet. We just couldn’t figure out what to do about it.”

What can we as entrepreneurs learn from Imagine H20? A lot. Read what they have to say about their beginnings:

“We were surprised to find it hard to answer some basic questions any entrepreneur should know – what does the water market look like in dollars?  What problems need solving?  Which of those are the best commercial opportunities?  Who should we connect with for help, advice, and partnership?”

The questions are brilliant. If a group of leaders at Harvard Business School find these questions challenging, it’s no surprise we do too.

But ask them we must. These are the perfect questions to ask yourself when starting out… before you invest mega dollars and time on a venture that might not pan out. And while I’m really tempted to dissect each one here (I will if you ask me to), I encourage you to make note of them, read each one carefully and act or course correct as necessary.

We can also learn from their mission and vision statements which are remarkable in their clarity and simplicity:

“Our mission is to inspire & empower people to solve water problems. Our vision is to turn water problems into opportunities.”

I’ve rarely seen such perfectly written mission & vision statements. Writing these statements can be an elusive challenge at best. Try it. You’ll do well to use these as a model for your own!

OK… I know, I know. I’ve strayed somewhat from the idea behind BAD2010, which is to focus on a single important issue. I tend to get off track when I start talking about entrepreneurship done brilliantly. In this case, of course, it was intentional, but still…

So, let’s talk bout clean water… and the rest of the story.

Imagine 2010 was created as “as a launch-pad for water innovation to the world”. This is a prize competition to help entrepreneurs develop businesses that address critical water needs world wide.

They offer both cash prizes and incubator programs (another brilliant strategy that includes business plan coaching, mentoring, consulting and networking for new entrepreneurs). The deadline for this year’s entries is November 15, 2010.

You can check out future Imagine H20 prizes here.  These include prizes for innovation, youth innovation, policy and developing world.

“You ain’t gonna miss your water ’til your well runs dry.” – Bob Marley

Almost a billion people on the planet don’t have access to clean, safe drinking water.  In honor of the cause, here’s some things you can do to help today. Start a fundraising campaign or directly donate to help people in need by visiting this site. To learn more about Blog Action Day, watch this video:

Blog Action Day 2010: Water from Blog Action Day on Vimeo.

What actions, ideas or thoughts do you have around clean water? Or, about innovative business ideas? Please share in the comments below!

Related posts:

1. 8 Secrets To Delegating Tasks and Empowering Your Team
2. Starting a New Business: Where Oh Where Do You Begin?

Do you survey your customers after they’ve contacted you with a complaint or problem? It’s a great idea and it’s really not that hard to do. There are many free and inexpensive survey services available online. I’ve used surveymonkey.com in the past and there are plenty of other services available.

There’s definitely a right way, and a wrong way, to handle customer surveys.

Here’s a surprisingly bad approach to customer service surveys from a very well know company:

My blog has been down three times this week. So, yesterday I called GoDaddy because I figured this was due to their server problems. It was. And, their response?

“We’re working on it”.

Not a super satisfying response… but what can I do? Well, as a negotiator I did ask for some incentive to keep me from moving my blog to another host. The tech was kind of helpless there too. (Here’s a tip: Always ask for customer incentives… like a free month of service or free products. It doesn’t always work… but you would be surprised sometimes with the response you get.)

Anyway, almost immediately after my call with the customer service tech, I received an email asking me to take a survey about my recent experience with GoDaddy.

Customer surveys are an excellent idea, for many reasons. I was happy to hear from GoDaddy – it gave me an opportunity to speak. Your click through rate with a survey can be phenomenal. People like to be heard. And you can learn what your customers want by asking the right questions. This is your opportunity to show your customer that you really care about what they think.

But these guys only asked me two questions:

Was the issue you called about resolved on this call?

“No.”

Would you recommend GoDaddy.com to family and friends?

“Uh, not right now.”

Their survey asked two questions that could hardly fail to elicit anything but a negative response. Do you see what I mean? I took the survey and I walked away with two thoughts in mind:

My problem wasn’t resolved and I probably won’t refer them to my friends and family. Wow… that just seems stupid to me.

Will I refer them? Will I send them more business? This is wrong on so many levels. It’s so about them and so not about me.

Now, let’s look at a different, more positive, approach to customer relations:

First of all, thank your customer for their business. Make your customer feel valued.

Ask questions that elicit thoughtful and hopefully positive responses. If your customer service team is well trained and has the right skills to serve the customer this should happen every time.

Ask questions such as:

• Was our staff courteous?
• Were they willing to help?
• Were they knowledgeable?
• What can we do to make your experience with our a company a positive one?
• What can we improve on?

You get the idea. You can place your business hands above the competition by showing your customer that you are poised to respond positively to their needs. And, always ask questions that your customer can answer in a positive manner so they walk away with a good feeling! Show your customer that their opinion matters.

By the way – after taking the survey, I never heard back from GoDaddy — even though they provided a comment field where I asked them a direct question. They did not close the loop on our correspondence with a reply. They missed an ideal opportunity to interact with me. Always thank your customer for their time – why not? It’s a perfect opportunity for some positive PR.

And one final comment from me while I’ve been waiting 3 hours to post this… but I can’t because the server at GoDaddy is down (ironic, isn’t it?). This is the error message I get while trying to login:

“Please contact the server administrator, support@supportwebsite.com and inform them of the time the error occurred, and anything you might have done that may have caused the error.” These guys just don’t get customer service, do they?

It’s your turn… are you ready? What positive experiences have you had with companies? Please share in the comments below — we can all learn from the experience of others!

Oh! If you haven’t done so already, subscribe by email to bigfishtopdogs.com over on the right sidebar of this blog… you’ll be the first to receive new posts hot off the press!

Related posts:

1. Who Else Has Your Customer?
2. What the TV Show Undercover Boss Knows – And You Should Too!

Do you know what your client experiences when he or she hires you for your service or buys your product?

You do realize this would be a great thing for you to know – and to experience for yourself, right?

I have some ideas for you.

For 10 years, or more, I owned a graphic design company. Our team did design work for hundreds of clients. We bitched about them, we loved them, and sometimes we hated them (OK, “hate” is a little strong). But, does this sound familiar?

They had impossible, unrealistic deadlines. They sometimes balked at our prices. They were frequently clueless about what they wanted… they were… typical clients.

I spent literally over a decade with this interesting love / hate relationship with my clients. I often approached my work with a cavalier attitude. I’d complete design projects on behalf of my client’s thinking,

“OK, here’s some really great designs, you’re probably not going to choose the one I recommend and you’re going to ask for endless revisions.”

In other words, I looked at things only from the business owner’s point of view.

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If you’ve been following my logo project you’ll know that it was about being in action and seeing what we can learn from it. It was a fun project.

Little did I know a huge ah-hah! was in store for me. I love it when this happens.

For the first time, ever, I hired a graphic designer – three firms in fact – to design a logo for me, and I blogged about it. I wish I had done this years ago. And, it’s a lesson I’ll never forget.

Lesson number one:

Even though you have been in business for years and have completed your service for your clients hundreds of times – it is most likely your client’s very first time. I never dreamed how exciting it was going to be to get new logo designs. The anticipation was so cool… it was almost like waiting for a really great holiday or gift. And, I couldn’t wait to share them with you on my blog!

Hmm. So, the boss was cavalier. The client was… excited? Wow. Who knew?

If you are offering something that will improve another person’s life, make things easier for them or solve a problem — they are always going to be excited to do business with you.

Lesson number two:

Whatever business you’re in, make an effort to experience your service or product from the client’s side of the table. Take the initiative.

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For example, if you’re a CPA, hire a CPA this year rather than do your own books and returns. I can think of very few professions where this might be impossible (brain surgeon?). Here’s a tip: Don’t hire a colleague, hire a complete stranger. This way you’ll be forced to start from scratch. How do you find someone? Yellow pages? (I don’t think so.) Word of mouth? Craig’s list? You need to know what your clients face when presented with this dilemma.

If you sell a product, go out and buy your competitor’s product. Say you design and sell the iPhone… then go out and buy the Droid and the BlackBerry Storm (Steve Jobs probably already knows this). Experience the process and the product.

(In the rare case where doing this is impossible, like the brain surgeon, have an impartial third party follow up with your client or patient after they’ve used your service and ask the questions below.)

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Here are the questions to answer once you’ve hired your competitor or purchased your competitor’s product.

How difficult was it to actually find and hire the person or business?

How can you make this easier for your clients?

What’d they do well?

What’d they do that you would never do to your own client?

What was the experience of working with the individual or company?

Did they develop a relationship with you?

Did they exceed your expectations? How?

What questions did they ask you?

Did they attempt to get to know you?

Make notes of what your “competitor” did really well and failed miserably in. Critique the service you received. Look at the product or service from the viewpoint of the client.

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And finally, what ideas can you get from this experience?

This will help you define your customer.

What does your customer really want and need?

What is your customer expecting?

How can you provide it?

What changes do you need to make to attract and keep your preferred clients?

Can you develop a competitive advantage by improving on your customer’s experience?

What do you do really well?

What is your vision of excellence?

Where do you excel in terms of excellence?

The experience of putting yourself in your client’s shoes is priceless. I’ll bet your competitors are not doing this. They should. The TV show Undercover Boss takes a different twist on this. The company owner — CEO or top brass — actually goes out in the field of his or her own company and works, undercover, as a regular employee of the company. Hmm. Not a bad idea either!

Will you step out of your own little world and comfort zone and experience your business from another angle?

How about it? Are you willing to take the challenge? Please leave a comment below on how you see this working in your business!

Oh! If you haven’t done so already, subscribe by email to bigfishtopdogs.com over on the right sidebar of this blog… you’ll be the first to receive new posts hot off the press!

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Boring title, I know. Sorry.

If I got too clever with the title you might miss the fact that this article is about empowering those people who work for you, or with you. It’s about knowing how to delegate.

Empowerment… what a great concept. Do you realize how creative and innovative people are? That it’s not just you who has the great ideas?

One thing you probably do know, for sure, is that you may be doing a million things that could, and should, be done by someone else.

But… did you know the act of delegating will be easier for you when you learn to empower your team?

Simply put… you cannot micromanage a business and expect it to thrive. You’ve got to let go of those tasks that keep you from growing your business. When you put a team in place, and give your team members the power to excel, you’ve just become a leader who thinks and acts like an entrepreneur.

Here’s how to empower your team through creative delegation:

Delegate the work. For this article I’m going to assume you realize you should delegate all the tasks that keep you from working on your business. Those tasks that keep you from developing and implementing new ideas and innovation that will explode your business. The tasks you should delegate are typically those involved in the daily operation of your business. Not sure how to determine what those tasks and projects are? Do this exercise.

Describe the end result. Demonstrate a clear vision to your team. Be a storyteller when describing the big picture. Let your team know what you are planning, strategically, to accomplish over the long run. Empower your team to innovate if it supports the big vision. Encourage the use of imagination.

Get out of the way. This is the best way to provide opportunity for growth and challenge to your team. This means you allow them to have discretion in the completion of the task. It also means you are no longer doing the work, they are. Get out of the way. Give your team members decision-making authority and take yourself out of the picture. It shows respect and it demonstrates trust. They gain a greater sense of ownership and they become invested in the outcome.

Maximize others contributions. If you want your team to take initiative, set some guidelines for your accessibility when problems occur. Ask that they recommend solutions rather than bring the problem to you and ask you to make a decision for them. Let your team find the answer when it is already clear to you. The more you delegate, the more your team will continue to learn new skills and develop their personal talents.

Don’t underestimate the ability of your team. This a judgment call on your part and depends largely on how well you evaluate your team member. Involve your team member from the beginning in establishing what tasks or projects they will take on. You both need to be clear that they understand their responsibilities and the deadlines for completing the task or project. You should discuss how comfortable they are handling unexpected obstacles or problems. Ask them if they feel they can handle the job assigned and if they have ideas for completing the job — ideas you might not have thought of.

Create an environment where motivation can thrive. Let your team members make decisions on the processes for getting the task completed. As long as the end result is met, in the time frame established, make it clear to your team that you are flexible as to how they get there… within reasonable, ethical and moral methods. In other words, let them know that innovative ideas are welcome – you may be surprised by how creative your team is. There’s more than one way to get a job done and your idea might not be the best one.

Give credit where credit is due. Let your team know they will be rewarded for a job well done and supported if they run into difficulties. Make sure your team feels valued. By making periodic checks on progress, you’ll give yourself a great opportunity to let your team know a job is being done well. Or, to course correct if necessary.

Be consistent in your personal style. Be cool in a crisis. Be honest about your own mistakes. Don’t make speeches. Approach your role as leader with humility. Suspend judgment when listening to others. Don’t let your feelings cloud your decision-making. Keep your promises.

Whatever your style… be consistent. Show your team you have a steady hand and a commitment to the success of your team and to the success of the business. Your team will learn to emulate you when you show strong leadership qualities.

When you learn to successfully delegate the repetitive daily tasks necessary to operating a business, you free yourself up to working on your business. For some ideas on how entrepreneurs innovate, read my article New Ideas, Innovation and The Entrepreneur… A Practical Article for Breaking the Rules.

How about you? It’s your turn. Can you share the successes you’ve had in delegating work to your team? Please leave us a comment below!

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