It's probably true that most people who work with us will never care as deeply as we do about building our business and serving our clients. If they did, they'd probably be working for themselves.

Yet there's a great deal we can do to raise the level of their commitment and inspire them to peak performance. The operative word in the preceding sentence is inspire. You can demand that people who work for you be punctual, or that they perform at a certain level of output, or even that they do things reasonably well. Yet real commitment can only be inspired. And, inspiring people is what great leaders like John F. Kennedy and Lee Iaccoca did best.

How do great leaders such as these inspire others to commit themselves to their goals? It's not just that they have charismatic personalities, or that they give a lot of high-powered motivational talks. What they do is communicate their vision so forcefully that other people adopt it as their own vision.

For example, in the early sixties, President Kennedy set his sights on putting a man on the moon, and told the American people "We can do it!" He said it with such conviction that masses of people believed it, and committed themselves to making it happen. And, sure enough, in less than a decade, the first human being had walked on the moon.

Lee Iaccoca stepped into the ailing Chrysler Corporation and said "We're going to turn this company around!" With clear goals, a solid plan of action, and a strong conviction, he was able to inspire enough commitment from the U.S. Congress that he secured the largest loan ever made to a private company. Then he inspired enough commitment in thousands of Chrysler workers to enable the company to pay back the loan ahead of schedule.

That's the formula for any leader to inspire commitment -- clear goals, a solid plan of action, and a strong conviction. If you can communicate that to the people who work with you, you will have the kind of loyalty that makes them go the second mile. And the third and fourth miles if that's what it takes to get the job done.

Of course, it takes more than inspiration to run a successful organization. The people who work with you have to consistently perform at very high levels. And, to get that kind of performance, you have to gain their trust. They have to believe that you will always be fair in your dealings with them, and that you are concerned about their best interests.

One of the most helpful insights I ever learned about leading others is that people do things for their reasons, not for your reasons or for mine. So the goals, the plan of action, and the strong conviction have to be communicated in a way that directly answers the question: "What's in it for me?"

When people honestly believe they will benefit directly from their efforts, and that the more they give the more they will benefit, they will perform at peak levels. So it's crucial that you show people how they will grow as they work individually and together to make the company grow, and then back up all your promises with solid actions.

People don't back good causes. They respond to clear opportunities for personal and professional growth. If I may paraphrase the Hallmark slogan, when people care enough, they'll give their very best!

But how can you move past the empty rhetoric and translate your vision into concrete actions your people can identify with and get excited about? Let me suggest ten proven techniques for building a solid team:

(1) Tie compensation, in every conceivable way, to the income people create. Profit sharing is one way you can do it, but that tends to reward everybody equally, regardless of how much effort they put into making the company profitable. A better way is to structure all or a part of everyone's pay, from the janitor to the president, around a mutually beneficial incentive plan. That way, the better job they do, the more money they'll make.

(2) Give constant public recognition for outstanding performance. The fact is that we all like to look good in the presence of our peers.

So, if you can document that someone has done a job very well, give him or her a public pat on the back. If it's really good, throw in a tangible benefit. It will make everybody feel like giving more of themselves to the team effort.

(3) Constantly ask for input and ideas. People are usually much more enthusiastic about supporting decisions and plans they help to make. So it helps a great deal to get ideas and input from any staff person whose job will be affected by any up-coming decision. When your staff members quit talking about the company, and start talking about our company, you know you've got a team.

(4) Promote people on the basis of abilities, not just because they've performed well or have been around a long time. Make sure that anyone you promote has the skills and knowledge they need to do well in the new position.

(5) Assume that everyone needs to be trained for every new assignment. If you're lucky, you'll have one or two people who can plow into almost anything and do well at it. But most people need initial and ongoing training.

(6) Constantly play the role of coach and mentor. Encourage people to keep growing and taking on new challenges. Guide their growth in ways that benefit your organization. Deal with mistakes and problems quickly, tactfully and forthrightly.

(7) Practice good human relations. Make people feel valued and important by treating them with dignity and respect.

(8) Provide plenty of opportunities for people to grow, both personally and professionally.

(9) Keep your personnel policies simple, clear and fair -- then firmly enforce them. It doesn't help to have policies that no one understands, and it's even worse to let people constantly get away with violating them.

(10) Weed out the prima donnas and poor performers before they spoil the whole team.

It takes a lot of patience and effort to build a solid team of people who will share and help you fulfill your vision, but the results will be well worth all you put into it.

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Nido Qubein is an international speaker and accomplished author on sales, communication, and leadership. He is president of High Point University which has an enrollment of 4,000  students.  He is also chairman of Great Harvest Bread Company with 220 stores in 43 states.

Are you frustrated with some of the things you’re seeing around you at work? Do you wish that "those people" (whomever they might be) would just get their acts together and give you the resources, support, time, etc that you need to do what you need to do? Do you find yourself saying something like "If these freakin’ customers would just leave me alone, I could get my job done around here"?

Well…you are human. I get that. And we all have to deal with at least some people who need attitude adjustments–or maybe even lobotomies.

I get that, too.

Nonetheless, as valid as it might feel, finger-pointing is the last thing we should be engaging in–particularly if we aspire to be worthy of the handle, Extreme Leader.

There’s that old cliche that says for every finger you point at someone else, there are three pointing back at you. A little over-used, maybe? Kind of sappy? Yeah, I guess. But it’s still true. And it serves as a damn good reminder.

So, the next time you find your digit poking in some else’s direction, stop and ask yourself this (most?) fundamental of all leadership questions:

"What can I do, right now, regardless of what anyone else around here is or is not doing, to change my piece of this company/organization/world for the better?"

The solutions that pop out may very well surprise you.

Let me know what happens.

And don’t forget to watch your fingers.

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Steve Farber, author of Greater Than Yourself: The Ultimate Lesson of True Leadership, the president of Extreme Leadership, is a leadership consultant and speaker, and the author of the national bestseller The Radical Leap, and The Radical Edge, and the newly released The Radical Leap Re-Energized. To learn more about Steve, visit: http://www.speakersoffice.com/steve_farber.asp

I am still amazed at how a customer has to complain before they qualify for the "better deal". For example, I have been a customer with the natural gas utility company for over 25 years. Our payment history shows timely payment for those years. After receiving our last bill, I called to question the 100% increase from the prior month. I knew it had been colder and we had been at home more due to snow, however the large increase was still surprising. The customer service representative was very thorough in her explanation and I was a calm and receptive customer.

Here’s the issue – after coming to grips that the bill was accurate, she finally offered me the "better deal". The company has a locked-in per therm rate which would have saved me over $100 on the bill in question. The locked-in rate is offered for 6, 12 or 18 months time periods. I am a savvy customer and I had never heard of this option. I am familiar with budget billing but not a lower per therm rate for a fixed period of time.

So, exactly when does a customer find out about this? Does it really mean calling to complain, and question a bill before I get this info? Again, I am a loyal customer with an impeccable payment record, this strategy does not make sense to me. Loyalty is at stake here, there are other natural gas providers I can choose from. Don't your best customers deserve the best treatment? Your best customers deserve good information to make informed decisions.

Are you guilty of having great offers but not telling your customers until they complain to you? Is it up to the customer to have an issue before they are informed of options? Are some of those options mostly used to lure the new customer but not offered to the long time loyal one? Don’t risk losing a customer due to your reluctance to share valuable information. Customers don’t like to think you are hiding from them, or worse taking advantage of them.

Be transparent. Be proactive. Show the customer you value them.

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Lisa Ford is a speaker with over 20 years of experience presenting to businesses, associations and government. She speaks throughout the United States and internationally on topics of customer service, leadership, team issues and change.  Her recent book is Exceptional Customer Service - Exceed Customer Expectations to Build Loyalty and Boost Profits. 

 

The following is a guest blog article by Peter Winick. Peter is an entrepreneurial-minded leader who leverages the power of internal and external relationships to accelerate growth within emerging and high-potential companies and individuals that have powerful intellectual property.

In part 1, I mentioned most books published today don’t make money at all. But many authors make a lot of money, using the book as a component of a solid platform.

Here are few more ideas to think about when contemplating how to best leverage your content and your book. Obviously not every option is a viable one for everyone but the more you consider the more you will ultimately be able to use.

1) Create an Assessment Tool What will happen if people read your book? The promise of many books is that as a result of people reading or consuming it they will be able to think, act, believe, behave, perform, etc. in a quicker, better, faster, or easier way than they have before. If you can’t answer that question, put the energy and effort into being able to clearly articulate the answer to in a concise manner. Once you know the answer to that question, now you can develop an assessment tool that measures how well they are progressing or moving towards performing at a higher level. Ideally you would develop a series of assessment tools (i.e.,—a free version, say that evaluates one crucial element for improvement, and then a number of pay versions that measure individual progress, team progress and organizational progress, professional prowess). Corporate clients as well as consumers love assessment tools. They are a viable, scalable and incredibly profitable extensions of your content. They are useful products, services, and tools that allow for product diversification and intense socialization of the book content and purposes.

2) Offer Several Types of Coaching There are several ways in which you can monetize your content via coaching.

◦ delivering coaching one to one

◦ delivery coaching in groups

◦ licensing your coaching process to others to deliver

Clearly document the coaching process you develop and utilize. Make sure it can be readily duplicated and systematized. Include procedures, content, models, metrics, reporting, tracking for accountability, desired outcomes, and other elements to ensure that people achieve real improvement as a result of the coaching they receive.

3) Offer a Variety of Workshops Your content can easily be converted into several workshops. The key variables are length (2 hours, 2 days, etc), and purpose. Workshops can be customized to meet the needs of the client and the audience (by function, role, industry, demographically, geographically, etc). Delivery of the workshops can be done by the author, by others that have been carefully selected and trained in the methodology, etc. Workshops can be done in person, by telephone, teleconference, or by video web conference. You can also vary the price a number of ways based on the time, location, and the number of people that attend.

4) Develop Strategic Processes For Leveraging Your Speaking Many authors focus on keynote speaking because it has traditionally paid rather well. However, the market has shifted dramatically and it is more difficult to manage and achieve success in speaking for many reasons. You can aim at developing a paid speaking income and business. You might need to start off speaking for free. Some authors and thought leaders continue to speak for free, (at least on occasion) particularly when the target audience is closely aligned to their target market and they can quantify the benefit as a result of all the other opportunties they receive from being there. No matter where you are at in your career, do not view a speaking gig as a transaction. This is a very expensive mistake. A speaking event should be the beginning of a long term relationship with all the people at the event. It should not end when the applause dies down.

Whether you are being paid or not, develop a plan that covers the pre-event, event and post-event phases. You have a unique opportunity to learn a lot about your sponsor, the client, the audience members, and the people they work and communicate with. Your plan needs to be specifically designed to allow you to develop a deep understanding of their issues, struggles, culture and concerns and therefore be in a great position to offer specific solutions that will have a vital and positive impact on them. Identify their pain! Deliver help for the needy! Give them ways to reach you later! Capture their contact information! Follow up with them later.

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Peter Winick has over twenty years of experience and has worked with a variety of thought leaders. In addition, he has built and managed several consulting and professional development organizations. He lives in New York and has two children. To learn more, visit http://thoughtleadershipleverage.com/

After giving a lecture at a large tech company, I got into a cab bound for the airport along with one of the attendees. As I searched for my seatbelt in the bottomless crevice of the back seat, I noticed that my fellow passenger was not wearing his seatbelt. I said something clever like "Afraid of seatbelts?" and he replied, "Nope, I'm an optimist."

That's not optimism. That's insanity. Optimism is good for many things, but it will definitely not keep other cars from hitting you, nor keep you from flying through the windshield. That is irrational optimism.

In The Happiness Advantage, I define rational optimism as "a realistic assessment of the present, while maintaining a belief that our behavior will eventually create a better reality." This is the type of leadership we want to develop at our companies and reward in the political sphere.

Unfortunately, most people do not distinguish between rational and irrational optimism. As a result, we have three fundamental misunderstandings about the role optimism plays at work.

First, "you're being an optimist" should not be an insult. What we should be saying is "you're an irrational optimist!" We are trying to say that person has a warped vision of reality, which is based on desire, not how things actually are. And that definitely should be an insult. Irrational optimism is why financial bubbles form, why we buy homes we can't afford, and why we prematurely put up banners that say "mission accomplished." Irrational optimists attempt to put on rose-colored glasses first, and therefore even their initial steps are Pollyannaish and flawed. You can't sugarcoat the present and still make good decisions for the future.

You probably know people who are irritatingly optimistic. That guy who talks about how great the weather is while people are being fired, or the pilot who seems chipper as she reports another hour delay on the tarmac, or the person who says "don't worry, be happy" when he shows up an hour late to pick you up at the airport. Don't be that guy. We find ourselves wanting to pop their bubbles because they affront our conception of reality.

None of this is the type of rational optimism we are referring to in positive psychology research. If people find you to be annoyingly cheerful, don't lose the optimism. Try today to first communicate that you recognize the existence and scope of a problem, then proceed to communicate your gratitude or hope that things will change. This approach will help other people to accept your mindset as both palatable and authentic.

Second, "I'm not a pessimist nor an optimist, I'm a realist" is a nonsensical statement. Both optimists and pessimists can make realistic assessments of the present. The difference between an optimist and a pessimist is how they then deal with the reality they perceive. According to researchers like Martin Seligman, pessimists see problems as "permanent and pervasive." Optimists see the problems, but they perceive them as "local and temporary." In other words, the problem is only one part of reality, and there are lots of other good things going on in other domains of our life. And if we continue to believe our behavior matters, we believe this too shall pass.

Third, the idea "it's good to have pessimists so we know what the problems are" is false. I've heard business leaders try to make a case that their pessimism was evolutionarily selected. But remember, both optimists and pessimists see the approaching saber-tooth tiger; there is just a difference in opinion about whether it can be dealt with. Some well-intentioned writers have railed against positive psychology because they mistakenly assume that optimism means turning a blind eye to injustice or ignoring loss. Only irrational optimists overlook problems and think that reality has no bearing upon the future. Rational optimists see problems, but unlike pessimists, they think they can do something about them.

On a related note, I have encountered a couple people who have read books like "The Secret" and erroneously become irrational optimists. They start to believe that mindset is all that matters. Rational optimists believe that mindset matters, but they also recognize that reality is part of the formula. You must change reality, not just wish it away.

Pessimism causes paralysis. Irrational optimism causes delusion. Only rational optimism allows us to actively confront the injustices and ills in society. Rational optimists see the tragedy in Japan, or understand the difficulty in treating breast cancer, or recognize the racial injustices in our educational system...but they are also the ones who search for ways to help the survivors, or believe a cure can be found, or continue to work to invent a better system.

To read more about how to become a rational optimist, check out Part 1 in The Happiness Advantage

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Shawn Achor is the founder of Good Think, Inc. and the author of The Happiness Advantage. In 2006, he was Head Teaching Fellow for "Positive Psychology," the most popular course at Harvard at the time. He holds a Masters from Harvard Divinity School and has spoken in 45 countries to a wide variety of audiences, including bankers on Wall Street, students in Dubai, and CEOs in Zimbabwe. Watch Shawn Achor’s TEDxBloomington video on TED.com, The Happy Secret to Better Work

When I was challenged by my good friend Dave to prove that the questions I pose for audiences in my speeches work, I never had any idea where it would lead me, but that’s exactly the point. We often think we’re paid for knowing the right answers. However, I believe that knowing the right questions to ask is far more important. It also taught me that sometimes "thinking outside the box" is not enough - you might have to throw it out of the window!

In my presentations, I talk about finding niches and filling unserved customer or market needs with a product or service. I challenged my friend to come up with a business and I would start with the questions: who, what , when, where, how and why? I told him to pick a business people said you’d be crazy to start, so he chose the restaurant business.

The who and what became a part of our initial journey, as we traveled across the country to the headquarters of more than half dozen concepts, but we always found they were not right for the Twin Cities market. Many of the concepts were not new and offered nothing special - burgers, chicken, pizza, subs and tacos were all prominent in the market.

One Sunday morning while enjoying a cup of coffee, I noticed an ad in the business section of the newspaper for a food show at the Minneapolis Convention Center. I immediately called Dave and told him I would pick him up at noon. He was perched in front of the TV, ready for the kick-off between the Vikings and Packers. I informed him that he was the one who made the challenge, I was on my way over, and he’d better be ready.

We wandered the convention center passing one trade show booth after the other. Finally we saw Dickey’s Barbecue Pit. We walked right passed the booth with no regard on our way out the door to check out the second half of the game when something told me to turn around. When I did, the Dickey’s rep was waving at me to come back. So we did, chatted for a while, and left with an arm full of literature. Later that evening, it hit me! There’s little or no barbecue in the Twin Cities. The only competitor with more than one unit was Famous Dave’s. I looked at the price points, the value proposition, the quality of the food, and knew I was on to something.

The next questions became where, how, and when. The very next Sunday while going through my coffee ritual, the newspaper read "Starbucks closes 37 stores in the metro area." I thought, "It couldn’t be!" I immediately phoned a broker and started looking because I knew Starbucks only chooses the very best locations, what’s known in the business as an "A" site - usually end caps, in high traffic areas. No demographic studies would be needed. Howard Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks, had a clause in their leases that they could close any location with six months notice without penalty. When he saw the impending disaster coming in our economy, he decided to reorganize in order to keep the company healthy. The three most important things I learned early on in my real estate investing career are location, location, location!

Our first two stores were former Starbucks. They already complete with bathrooms, electrical, plumbing and related fixtures. The only thing we had to do was move walls, make cosmetic changes, and install our hood system. The real clincher was that we were able to negotiate with the landlord to give us most of the money in what’s known as "TI" or tenant improvement dollars to set the stores up. We subsequently opened up two more stores using the same process.

We set a company record by opening up four stores in an 18 month period, something no other Dickey’s franchisee has done in the 60 year history of the company!

What made the difference?

We took a totally unconventional approach.

First, we never build from the ground up because it’s too expensive and totally unnecessary. There are so many commercial properties available and landlords who are desperate to rent space. They will make concessions that would have been impossible 10 years ago when there was not enough commercial property to meet the demand. For that reason, we only do conversions.

Second, never use the average unit volume of a franchise company when considering any concept. Usually the stores that create this number have been in the system for a long time, have little debt and help inflate the number. I gave our average unit volume of $1.3 million a 60% haircut and based our P&L numbers upon that scenario. My thinking is if I can live with the worst case scenario, the best case will take care of itself.

Third, we negotiated a four month free rent period, which gave us plenty of traction and allowed us to be profitable from day one. Had I known then what I know now, I would have asked for at least six months! Why? Because it’s needed and landlords will not risk losing a tenant for a 10 year period over a few months rent. Never be afraid to ask! It is critical to your initial momentum. Also, make sure that you ask for a generous TI package and get as much as you can up front, because once you sign your lease, you’re on the clock.

What has also made us successful is adhering to the Dickey’s standard. Many franchisees fail because they try to reinvent the wheel. This will cost you dearly in wasted time, dollars, and could ultimately cost you your business. Do it the way the parent company teaches and ask for help. Many franchisees fail because they don’t communicate until the wheels are coming off the wagon. We are constantly on the phone with the various people at headquarters asking for help.

Remember to do the following:

1.) Constantly interview new potential candidates -The one unpredictable thing about human behavior, is often unpredictability. Be clear on your standards and hire to that standard. We modeled ours after Chipotle. They have 13 characteristics and interview 13 people to hire one.

2.) Hire slowly and terminate quickly - A hint is sufficient to the wise, meaning once you see that a person is not going to work out, do both of you a favor and end it quickly because chances are it won’t get any better. As Flip Wilson’s character Geraldine would say, "What you see, is what you get!"

3.) Train, train, train and don’t become tired by the process -The restaurant business is detail oriented, fast paced, and delicate. Never assume that people get it because you mention something a single time. Always act as if you are saying it for the first time and if you’ve hired good people, you’ll find yourself saying it less. We also pay a bit more than most, that way people aren’t always searching for the next thing.

4.) Coach desired performance and reward it with positive feedback - I’m constantly reminding my team that we are not in the barbecue business, we are in the experience business and barbecue is how we provide that experience. The little things matter from our greeting, "Good afternoon welcome to Dickey’s!" During the meal, "How’s your food tasting today? Would you like to join our Big Yellow Cup Club?" At the end, "Thanks for coming, please join us again!"

Fortunately I won the bet, otherwise I would have been a few thousand dollars lighter. By the way, Dave paid the bet off by becoming my operations manager and has a piece of the action to boot! Each day we answer the question: Why? It is the most important question of all. Why is the question I pose to all the groups I work with. Why is what gives you the juice to do it when it hurts. It’s been said that people can do remarkable things if they have a strong enough reasons.

At a time when some are quick to point out the desperate times we live in, I’m here to remind them that opportunity also abounds! It all depends upon the questions we ask, answer, and the appropriate action we take on a consistent basis. Action will provide feedback and results and those experiences will teach us valuable lessons and those will ultimately lead to our desired outcome.

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Business speaker Desi Williamson has led a diverse career as a corporate executive, real estate entrepreneur, motivational coach for the Minnesota Vikings, and restaurant franchisee. To learn more about him or find additional articles, please visit:
http://www.speakersoffice.com/desi_williamson.asp

 

Ok…I will admit it…right off the bat.

I do not think much of those economic forecasters whose only message is, and nearly always has been, that U.S. economic and global collapse is just around the corner.

They do sell a lot of books and high-priced newsletters…after all, "bad news does sell newspapers".

A recent story in USA Today noted three authors or writers (I won’t insult them by referring to them as economists) who all predict economic devastation pretty much just around the corner.

Harry Dent, author of the new book, The Great Crash Ahead, says another stock market crash is coming because of a bad end to the global debt bubble. While he did predict some major stock market hits last fall (didn’t happen), and had focused on a domestic and global meltdown in 2012, he now sees the crash coming in 2013 or 2014.

Dent suggests the combination of aging Baby Boomers exiting their big spending years and a shift toward debt reduction and austerity around the world will cause the economy to suffer another leg down, making it more difficult for the government and Federal Reserve to avoid a new meltdown. Surprisingly, Harry used to be on the other side, writing The Great Boom Ahead in 1993, as well as other books focused on stocks going to much higher levels.

Gerald Celente, a trend forecaster at the Trends Research Institute, says Americans should brace themselves for an "economic 9/11" due to policymakers’ inability to solve the world’s financial and economic woes. The coming meltdown will lead to growing social unrest and anti-government sentiment, a U.S. dollar with far less purchasing power and more people out of work.

He won’t rule out a panic that could spark enough fear to cause a run on the nation’s banks by depositors. That risk, in his opinion, could cause the government to invoke "economic martial law" and call a "bank holiday" and close banks as it did during the Great Depression.

Note: My view would suggest that a bank run is a virtual impossibility. As long as the Federal Reserve has the ability to "create" money, banks WILL have sufficient access to funds.

And then there is Robert Prechter. He is always bearish, and makes a very nice living scaring people all of the time. He says today’s economy has similarities to the Great Depression and warns that 1930s-style deflation is still poised to cause financial havoc. Prechter predicts that the major stock indexes, such as the Dow Jones Industrials and the Standard & Poors 500, will plunge below their bear market lows hit in March 2009 during the last financial crisis.

The Consensus View

Note that these doomsayers obviously do not represent the more optimistic view of dozens of seasoned forecasting economists. Yes, risks are out there. Yes, the European sovereign debt crisis could end in a very ugly way. Yes, Iranian actions to destabilize oil flows in the Strait of Hormuz could impair the economy by forcing oil prices temporarily higher. Yes, an Israeli orU.S.(or coordinated) attack on Iranian nuclear facilities could sharply raise global tensions.

Here is a mostly useful piece of advice. Ignore the forecasts of economists. After all, forecasting the future is not easy. Economists make forecasts of the future not because we know what is going to happen, we make forecasts because we are asked to…

…big difference

But do look at what the stock market is saying. This is where the real brains are. The stock market, with the Dow Average at 13000, a four-year high, suggests that there is enough underlying strength in the U.S. and global economies to weather the storm…weather the risks that the market can see.

Very bullish views of Dow 15000, or Dow 17000, or even Dow 20000 are starting to appear. Perhaps these overly optimistic views should be rubbed against the "doomsday" view of the few.

Predicting the Great Recession

It is amazing how many economists, and stock market watchers, and people I meet on airplanes, and people who come up to me after I speak, tell me they correctly predicted the timing and the depth of the Great Recession, which officially ran from December 2007 – June 2009. As you know, the Great Recession led to the Dow falling by more than one-half, with an economy losing more than eight million jobs. Housing prices are down 35% from the 2006 peak.

I have traditionally been an economist who thinks of myself as "realistic and long-term optimistic." Yes, we have some very major decisions to make inWashingtonDCabout reining in the growth of government spending and associated damaging budget deficits.

While I live in the Salt Lake Cityarea, one of my banking clients is a top Colorado bank. As a result, I get called frequently by The Denver Post newspaper for quotes or analysis on news stories.

Over the years, the Denvermedia would many times contrast my reasonably optimistic view against those of the "Duchess of Doom"… a very nice, now largely retired economist whose views were always negative…whose constant forecast was that economic disaster was just around the corner.

She was right…finally…in 2008 and 2009. Without any disrespect intended, even a broken clock is right twice a day.

Back to the "Doomsayers"

While each of the three aforementioned "doom and gloomers" have similar views, their recommendations differ like night and day. Harry Dent says to invest in short-term U.S. Treasury bills, where the current annual return is effectively zero, as well as the U.S. dollar, whose value will benefit from safe-haven cash flows.

Prechter simply says keep your powder dry and buy when things get really bad. No doubt he will let us know when that is, for a princely sum.

Celente’s advice centers on survival. He says buy gold so you don’t lose purchasing power when the U.S. dollar plummets. Buy a gun to protect your family against desperate people in search of food and money. He says plan a getaway to places with more stable finances and governments. Again, such places can most likely be had for a fee. Not sure if the airlines will be running in such devastating times, but maybe he knows something.

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As an economic futurist, Jeff Thredgold has been helping people understand the tangled maze of the economy and financial markets for over three decades.  He is the only economist in the world to have ever received the designation of CSP, or Certified Speaking Professional.

Today's post is from guest blogger, Peter Winick.  Peter is an entrepreneurial-minded leader who leverages the power of internal and external relationships to accelerate growth within emerging and high-potential companies and individuals that have powerful intellectual property.

Everybody is doing it. With easy-to-use, off-the-shelf publishing software, even producing a good looking book isn’t that difficult. Books are being written and published at the highest rate in history.

It’s selling books that is the problem. Many authors write a book and simply expect the sales of the book to propel them towards riches and financial success. But alas, Oprah is no longer on the air, and even getting a spot on The Today Show isn’t easy. In fact, the one shot grand slam strategy is pretty much the highest probability way of striking out at your first and only chance at bat. Most books published today don’t make money at all. But many authors make a lot of money, using the book as a component of a solid platform.

So what is an author to do? Very simply, you must go beyond the book.

To be successful with a book today means that you have to leverage certain specific business concepts and leadership content in a transformative fashion. I looked over the strategies that our best and most financially successful authors and thought leaders adopted to build their platforms this past year. The book is just one component to success.

The strategies identified clearly reveal that if you approach your publishing and marketing with a can-do attitude and adopt new methods with multiple income streams to reach the right target audience with refreshing value-added content and services, you will maximize what you get out of your time, efforts and investment.

1) Target Your Media and Your Market Carefully

The best way to start is to develop a targeted and focused outreach strategy to reach your target market and the media that serve them.

Step 1 — Define your Target Market— Who is your book really designed to help, serve or entertain? Create at least two or three different personas describing the age, sex, education, location, income level, work focus, role, title, job function, social groups and orientation of the people who make up your target market(s).

Step 2 – Determine where they "hang out" both online and offline—what blogs are they reading? What other authors do they follow? What trade magazines are they reading? What associations or industry groups are they members of? What do they do to reach their people?

Step 3 – Value-added Outreach—Deliver content that is of value to these people. Feel their pain. Champion their cause. Fulfill their highest desires. It could be with excerpts from your book, tools, articles, videos, or it could be fresh new material that is simply from you.

It’s easier to find 100 blogs that your target market is following and get 70 of them to run your content than it is to try like crazy to get on The Today Show. A single problem solving tips article or a feature story in the right magazine, or trade journal may be worth much more than a short talking head interview on the major networks. You will be more effective to offer value-added content to the right media every time.

2) Develop and Leverage Testimonials

The value of a single testimonial (be it from a fellow author, business person, or an academic or professional colleague well known blogger, columnist, etc.) is significant. It helps convert browsers into a buyers. The trusted evaluation and endorsement bestowed sways someone that is on the fence to move from browsing to buying. However, you need more than just a few testimonials.

Tremendous leverage comes having a dozen really great testimonials. It’s important that the people you get to endorse your book have a following much greater than yours. The action plan you develop and implement getting these testimonials can be designed and deployed so that the person who endorses you helps spread the word to their followers. For example 10 authors that have a following of 100,000 people each is a million targeted people with a much higher propensity of buying your book. This way, each testimonial becomes an endorsement that is directed to an audience that has the same circulation as many of the top targeted media you might seek coverage in. To do this you must think ahead and plan to do much, even all, of the work for them—meaning you have to create a variety of collateral, properly formatted communications for them to use (tweets, announcements about the book, press releases, videos etc etc). Be disciplined in asking them when to spread the word about your book and always, always offer to do the same for them.

3) Give Plenty of Books Away – But Only to the Right People!

For most authors and thought leaders the book is just one format that their content exists in (and quite frankly one that usually isn’t that profitable for the author). Be crystal clear about who your target market is. Identify the ways to get those books into those people’s hands. Now think of who can influence them if they were to send them a book. You can send them out with a personal note or ask them if you can send books to them if they would them deliver them to the type of people you are trying to reach. If you want to get a book to an executive for an endorsement, you don’t send one book to the executive directly. You send two or three or even four books to the executive’s secretary, or executive assistant, asking them to pass it on to the executive. You can yet reach out to your network to see who personally knows the type of people you are trying to reach and offer to send a copy out on their behalf. If you want a speaking engagement with a large company, or organization, you don’t send one book to the president. You send a dozen books to the Presidents Executive Assistant with a request to give them to each of the reporting Directors and Vice-Presidents and meeting planners and their staff. Then you follow up with a business proposal to try to close a major deal.

This article is part of a three part series. Look for parts two and three in the next few weeks.

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Peter Winick has over twenty years of experience and has worked with a variety of thought leaders. In addition, he has built and managed several consulting and professional development organizations. He lives in New York and has two children. To learn more, visit http://thoughtleadershipleverage.com/

Procrastination is NOT for everyone!

"Don’t put off for tomorrow what you can do today." (My Mother – ever since I can remember).

Procrastination is like a virus. It creeps up on you slowly, drains you of energy, and is difficult to get rid of if your resistance is low. Procrastination is a close relative of incompetence and a first cousin to inefficiency, which is why their marriage is taboo. These suggestions will help you conquer the virus:

1. Give yourself deadlines. In moderation, pressure motivates. Extreme pressure debilitates. Set appointments, make commitments, write out your goals, and otherwise develop the determination to succeed.

2. Don’t duck the difficult problems. Every day we are faced with both difficult and easy tasks. Tackle the difficult ones first so that you can look forward to the easy ones. If you work on the easy ones first, you might expand the time that they take in order to avoid the difficult ones waiting for you.

Many people put off difficult or large tasks because they appear too huge to tackle in a reasonable time frame. They feel that if they start and complete the "large" task at one sitting, it will prevent them from accomplishing any of the other tasks they have to do on that day. The answer to this problem is to break all large or difficult tasks into their smaller subparts. Then, you can do each of the subparts of the larger project over a series of days, if appropriate.

3. Don’t let perfectionism paralyze you. This is a problem which many writers have when writing articles or books. They sit with pad and pen in hand waiting for the "right" words to come out. What they are doing is avoiding the process of writing. Be prolific in your activities. You can always go back later and polish those things you’re unhappy with. Better yet, you can delegate the polishing to someone else.

Because humans are so susceptible to procrastination, you must work at building up your immunity to it. Effective action is the best medicine.

What tips and tricks have you used to stop procrastinating? Share your comments below.

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Dr. Tony Alessandra is a behavioral and communication expert, and author of 17 books including The Platinum Rule, Collaborative Selling and The Art of Managing People. Today he is a leading business motivational speaker on communication, customer loyalty and sales.

When a medical practice gets customer service right, it is worthy of examining and applauding. Unfortunately, I found myself having this positive service experience at Resurgeons Orthopaedics of Atlanta. I say "unfortunately" due to a nasty break and injury to my arm and shoulder. The brief back story is, I had a fall in Mexico, got to visit the international hospital, knew the injury required surgery (which I preferred happen in the states) after stabilization of my arm we left on a flight about 15 hours after the fall.

A friend back in Atlanta worked hard at securing an appointment with an ortho surgeon.

Within three hours of arriving back home, I was at Resurgeons. Fortunately, I had no reason to have a relationship with them until this accident. My surgeon, Evander Fogle, his assistant Mary Bligh, R. N., and the front office impressed even in the face of my incredible pain. Here is what worked so well in this large busy orthopaedic practice.

Warm Welcome. My husband and I were met with eye contact and friendliness.
The front desk was responsive and attentive. The area was open with none of the
usual barriers of glass windows and clipboards slid back and forth between the
patient and hidden away staff.

Expressive and Engaged. The team was personable and treated me as a real
person or should I say customer. The receptionist immediately asked what
happened, acknowledged my pain and then assured me they would take care
of me. The sling from the Mexico hospital visit caught her attention and she
humorously let me know they could do better to alleviate the pain. After all this,
she moved to the required paperwork. Most medical practices are concerned with
paperwork first and foremost, concern for the patient/customer is usually a distant
second.

Dr. Fogle and Mary continued the warm welcome and engagement. They
were efficient but did not give the impression they must get moving to another
patient. Both continued the banter of the poor sling and were impressed with
my "undermedication" for the last 20 hours and how I seemed to handle it.
The conversation and examination showed their medical skills and expertise.
The medical profession does not require customer engagement; however
they choose to do it.

Responsiveness and Reassurance. Dr. Fogle and Mary listened to my needs –
and arranged for fast surgery so the healing could begin and I could work
with clients for upcoming some engagements. I pleaded for permission to travel
within an unreasonable amount of time. The doctor (and my husband) prevailed
on forbidding that short timeline.

However, the doctor was responsive with a fast surgery and then reassured me
of a recovery that would accommodate work within 5 days. Both offered phone
numbers for easy access and reached out with personal calls to check on me after
release from the hospital. Again, there were real human connections with me
the patient/customer. For years, I have talked about "processing the customer
vs. serving the customer". This team really serves and connects which creates
positive lasting impressions.

Dr. Fogle and Mary know the customer comes first and is the reason for the existence
of their practice. Exceptional medical expertise and surgical skills are the given and the
expected, yet they go beyond to making the customer experience count. My preference
would have been to never need Resurgeons however things happen. In this case, I was
fortunate to fall into the able hands and care of this medical team.
Customer service is definitely good medicine.

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Lisa Ford is a speaker with over 20 years of experience presenting to businesses, associations and government. She speaks throughout the United States and internationally on topics of customer service, leadership, team issues and change.  Her recent book is Exceptional Customer Service - Exceed Customer Expectations to Build Loyalty and Boost Profits.