It should be no mystery to many of you that read this blog, get my weekly eletter, or whom are friends with me on Facebook, that I absolutely love quotes. A great quote can set the tone for the day or change it’s direction for the better when we feel like we’re off course of being challenged. In the spirit of Thanksgiving which we’ll celebrate tomorrow in the United States, I put together, as David Letterman would say, My Top 10 Gratitude Quotes.
Enjoy these gems and please make sure if one or more of them ‘Capture’ you in a positive way, to share them with others in need of a gratitude pick me up!
#1: “Reflect upon your present blessings of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes of which all men have some.” –Charles Dickens
#2: “It is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.” –Dietrich Bonhoeffer
#3: “When you arise in the morning think of what you a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love.” –Marcus Aurelius
#4: “God gave you the gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say ‘thank you’?” –William Ward
#5: “Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” –Eckhart Tolle
#6: “The highest tribute to the dead is not grief but gratitude.” –Thornton Wilder
#7: “When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.” –G.K. Chesterton
#8: “If we want to keep the blessings of life coming to us, we must learn to be grateful for whatever is given.” –Harold Klemp
#9: “Gratitude takes less energy than anger.”-Kristin Cashore
#10: “I ask not, for Divine providence for more riches but more wisdom with which to accept and use wisely the riches I received at birth in the form of the power to control and direct my mind to whatever ends I desire.” –Napoleon Hill
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( 3 / 226 )I usually don’t share much about my personal life, but I need to explain how important the impact of Napoleon Hill’s teachings has been on my thinking, especially the last few years in particular.
We all go through what he described as ‘Turning Points’ within life. I can say that without a doubt that I’ve had what seems like dozens of these within just the past few years alone. Ranging from a divorce, new relationships, tragedy, temporary setbacks, the death of loved ones, to rebirth, renewal and many new business opportunities. Father time has indeed presented me with many interesting areas for growth and I’m sure many of you reading these words can relate to the last few sentences.
What I’ve discovered that has helped me immensely the past few years through many of these major turning points is the power of the Mastermind. By seeking out and attracting great people around me, this has helped me to get out of the malaise and refocus my mind to assist me with many important personal and professional life decisions. Change is never easy, but when we have positive, supportive and wise people around to help guide us, it makes the journey both easier and more fulfilling.
The following is an excerpt from the classic book Think and Grow Rich; I would like to share the first concept, from the Ninth Step Toward Riches: The Power of the Mastermind, from Napoleon Hill’s classic book, Think and Grow Rich. That is the idea of POWER.
The Ninth Step Toward Riches: The Power of the Mastermind
POWER is essential for success in the accumulation of money. PLANS are inert and useless, without sufficient POWER to translate them into ACTION.
POWER may be defined as “organized and intelligently directed KNOWLEDGE.” Power, as the term is here used, refers to ORGANIZED effort, sufficient to enable an individual to transmute DESIRE into its monetary equivalent.
ORGANIZED effort is produced through the coordination of effort of two or more people, who work toward a DEFINITE end, in a spirit of harmony.
Knowledge may be acquired from any of these sources: INFINITE INTELLIGENCE, ACCUMULATED EXPERIENCE and EXPERIMENT AND RESEARCH. It may be converted into POWER by organizing it into definite PLANS and by expressing those plans in terms of ACTION.
Examination of the three major sources of knowledge will readily disclose the difficulty an individual would have, if he depended upon his efforts alone, in assembling knowledge and expressing it through definite plans in terms of ACTION. If his plans are comprehensive, and if they contemplate large proportions, he must, generally, induce others to cooperate with him, before he can inject into them the necessary element of POWER.
The adage that two heads are better than one is a powerful statement that most people have heard before, yet often treat lightly. We all face challenges in life, relationships, communication and especially in business. Facing these challenges alone is fool’s folly. Facing them and creating a plan with a group of like-minded individuals with a common goal or purpose to positively serve others is much more powerful and more likely to succeed.
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It’s amazing to watch the wonderful marketing job executed by Apple a couple week's ago with the launch of their new phone. They are not only a great brand, and company with highly in-demand products, but what most people overlook is just how good they are at marketing, especially with new product launches. The release of the new iPhone 5 is another marketing clinic in-action and serves as the genesis and inspiration for this month’s Marketing Spotlight.
Tony note: I do not own shares of Apple, but I am a fan of many of their products. And, before you ask or send me emails, I do not own an iPhone.
Okay, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and prepare yourself as I reveal three key marketing lessons from Apple that we can all learn and benefit from.
#1. They are masters at engaging their customers. This is so hard to find, especially within big companies. Often times large firms become prisoners of politics and ‘company policy’ when it comes to making customers ‘Raving Fans’ as leadership guru Ken Blanchard would say. Apple has been masterful at tuning into the pulse of its loyal customers and internal team members to identify entirely new markets that have made them a fortune. This almost, “cult-like” fanaticism by both customers and staff is rarely seen and often the standard that many large firms shoot to model and replicate. Conceptually this sounds easy, but in the real-world it’s often difficult to pull off.
In the age of massive choice, advertising overload, and instant communication, Apple clearly has its ear to the ground to gather customer feedback –good and bad- to help them distance themselves from any competition. While listening to customers should be common sense and a top priority, for far too many businesses of all shapes and sizes it’s not the case. Apple knows, and leverages the power of true customer engagement. I have a quote to sum up this point: “Don’t tell people what you intend to do. Show up each day and prove to them that you walk your talk!”
#2. They create cool products that get people talking. It seems that almost everything Apple touches turns to gold. They design not only great products but they understand how to design and make products cool to be seen with. From the iPod to the iPhone, they have a decided edge in this area that gets people talking and the cash register ringing and their merchant account singing with incredible sales and profits.
Here’s another overlooked example of what Apple does better than most that so few people really grasp and see the massive value contained: their retail stores. For example, I was amazed by what I witnessed when walking by their Spokane, Washington store a few months ago near closing time. As the doors were being closed I noticed a couple of rent-a-cops clearly positioned near the front store entrance. My mental perception and first reactions were, this place is valuable, what’s going on here, and step back from the entrance right now. I was floored and made a mental marketing note and here’s why: It demonstrated not only a posture of importance, but it also showed that this store takes its image and reputation to a whole different level.
Having a retail location is no cake walk. It’s a tough business to compete in –especially for small retailers- and every little edge or unique idea can make or break the bottom line. It’s easy to see that Apple understands this and the design, feel, and look of their stores screams of uniqueness and style. If I owned a retail store, I’d make it a point to mystery shop an Apple store with my staff and observe the many things they do well, that we could borrow and adapt for our in-store experience. In marketing circles we call this S&D which stands for Swipe and Deploy. Again, so few businesses understand this powerful strategy, yet alone employ it on a regular basis.
#3. They are masters at leveraging free publicity. I’ve sometimes wondered if Apple secretly pays off the global press for the amazing hype and coverage they receive before, during and after they launch a new product? I pose this question, because any other large, publicly traded company would trip over themselves and consider offering up their first born child as a sacrifice, if they could achieve even a fraction of the free publicity and positive press Apple gets time and time again. Like clockwork, you can almost set it to the day that when they ‘leak’ to the global and industry press they’re working on something new or an upgrade, and then watch the free media frenzy begin.
Why do I bring this up you might be thinking? It’s simple: what’s the marketing lesson to be learned here. I’m a student of persuasion and marketing and again the quote “Success leaves clues” as Tony Robbins famously coined, years ago, and here’s why: I love to learn from good marketing and see what steps my clients, associates, and my own business can glean and use from it.
Apple not only has a great reputation but a smart marketing plan for attracting media coverage. It’s not an accident folks, but a clear, well executed and deliberate marketing plan. From well timed media releases, product release dates (can you see the people lined up outside the stores already?), to well-staged product release announcements and events, no PR stone goes unturned. I occasionally am brought into a client to advise on media strategy and I often look at what Apple does as they ‘gold standard’ for optimizing media coverage.
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This afternoon a friend of mine Paul Guyon, forwarded me over an email to remind me of what what was really important in life. He was clearing out his inbox today and came across this holiday message which went out to the Mind Capture Nation email list dated 12-31-10 and thought it would be appropriate.
After reading it again, I felt it timely to post it here and in the present moment versus waiting until the Christmas season to share it again. I hope you enjoy it and that it helps give you a different perspective on what matters most.
This past week as my family prepared for the Holidays I was watching one of my all time favorite Christmas stories; "A Christmas Carol."
It Is Never Too Late For People to Change Their Ways
The story was first published in 1843 by Charles Dickens and it was an instant hit. I believe it was, and still is, so popular because of its message; "it is never too late for people to change their ways and improve the lot of others."
This Is True In Life, and I Believe It Is Also True In Business
While watching the movie with my kids I got to thinking about the current state of the economy and how the media is selling doom and gloom at every turn. Indeed, it is especially gloomy here in Michigan where, the US 2010 census reports, we are the only state in the nation to see its population decline in the past decade.
Is THIS a Report From the Ghost of Christmas Past?
I think it is. We are a product of past choices. But we don't have to be a prisoner to our past, do we, Mr. Scrooge?
What of the present? Things don't seem to be getting any better. Local food banks are reporting all time high patronage. Is that YOUR next door neighbor struggling to put food on the table? Sad but true...
Time to Come to Our Senses
Do we need a visit from the "Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come," like old Ebenezer, before we come to our senses? We need to make some changes... FAST...
And it will take more than action this time. Time to come to our senses, just like Scrooge, and change the way we THINK about doing business, how we conduct ourselves and how much value we provide to our clients.
We need to keep the "Spirit of Commerce" at the top of mind each and every day, become known for the value we provide and conduct business better than our competitors, (on shore and off); else we are certainly doomed to mediocrity.
It starts with an idea or dream, then action, then faith and conviction to carry out your plan.
May the spirit of the season inspire and strengthen your heart, and may you renew all those around you.
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( 3 / 393 )The term ‘Other People’s Money’ is a common saying in business circles, yet few people really grasp the significance of what it means. In this week’s lesson I’d like to share with you three “OP’s” that can help any business when thinking about how to grow and expand.
#1. OPM: Other people's money. Yes, the classic term, but here’s why it’s important. If any business or non-profit wants to grow and scale, it simply must have access to capital. If marketing is the oxygen of the organization, then cash is the blood which keeps the body moving and functioning properly.
If you’ve been in business for a while you may know this. If you’re just starting out, you’ll quickly realize how important cash flow is as it will either allow you to grow, or hold you back from the chance to act on new opportunities and serve more people. In the age of the Internet, there are many options available for seeking out and finding capital beyond the traditional routes of 5-10 years ago.
#2. OPC: Other people's credibility. We live in an age of celebrity worship. To deny this is foolish and if you need proof, either check out the flood of ‘reality TV shows’ or pick up any magazine at the check-out stand the next time you exit any grocery store to see visual proof before your very eyes.. With that in mind, it’s amazing how many people do not fully leverage third party endorsements with local or industry celebs that know, like and already trust them.
A commonly overlooked way to leverage OPC occurs with businesses and non-profits that have well respected clients or business associates that do business with them. In the non-profit world, it’s leveraging key donors and firms that currently support the cause. By asking and getting testimonials from these key stakeholders, it helps to not only build a solid reputation, but it also builds something even more difficult in the age of intense distrust of any marketing related messaging: trust.
#3. OPR: Other People's Rolodexes. Business is and will always be about networking. In many cases, it’s not always what you know, but who you know. Call it unfair, but it’s something that smart business and non-profit leaders leverage and use each and every day to catapult them to greater success and higher profits.
With the intense costs of time and dollars spent on traditional marketing, the smartest way to move ahead of the competition and get things done faster is to utilize the power of other people’s contacts. Once trust has been established, the simplest thing to do next is simply ask your best clients, and referral partners for “introductions” to people within their networks. This is infinitely easier than ever in the age of email and social media where peoples Rolodexes are blanketed all over the Internet, especially within their LinkedIn and Facebook accounts.
Now, there are many nuances to this, but I share this simple strategy of asking for “introductions” (aka: referrals) because so many people either never get around to asking, or they chicken out and simply don’t ask. I’m not kidding with the last statement. I’ve been in sales and marketing for over 20-years at a wide range of levels and I still see it day after day with countless clients from all sorts of businesses and non-profit organizations. Remember: you don’t get, unless you ask!
Here are few quick things you can do immediately to maximize the three OP strategies we just discussed:
*Pick the top 10 people you do business with and seek out a written or video testimonial from them
*Look at your top referral partners and seek ways to expand the scope of the relationship within their Rolodex as well as yours
*Seek out joint-ventures with current business partners and vendors to co-op both marketing dollars and to save you time
*Make it a daily habit to be asking for “Introductions” as the benefits are many
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