Top 3 ways to succeed in business and in life.

I have contributed to the success of major corporations, and run my own successful companies in the field of commercial and residential finance, software and new technologies, and employer solutions.  

I have successfully lead departments comprised of hundreds of team members.   I have learned over the years that, success in business depends on the very same principles as does success in life.

In fact, business can be metaphorically likened to the microcosmic model of which life is the macrocosmic, outer manifestation.  

In other words, business is like a highly focused small scale unit of which life is a vast and open ended reflection on a much larger scale.

Here are the three top ways to succeed in business and in life.  I have found that if you do nothing else but these three things, you will exponentially increase the effectiveness and overall enjoyment of your business growth and your growth and development in your personal life.

1.  

     Set Goals

If you think back upon the many achievements in your life, even as recently as the most current win, you will recall that it was the culmination of much and many efforts all directed by a single unifying goal or objective which you were able to hold firmly in mind.

This is the nature of the mind that once you impress, strongly and clearly enough, a prime objective or key goal, the universe seems to open opportunities and resources which will make it possible for you to apprehend and actualize that goal.

I believe that the RAS is the reason for this seemingly metaphysical response pattern wherein, you establish a goal firmly in mind, and then opportunity after opportunity seems to present themselves so that you can with rapidity and efficiency take all steps necessary to attain that very goal.

So, in short, set goals for yourself.  Set large goals that may at firm seem unattainable, and then set smaller, stepping stone goals live pavers which will lead you toward the larger more important goals.  Be sure to make the goals S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time specific).

2.  Activities Toward Attainment

As mentioned earlier in this writing, once you have set your goal[s], you must now take the steps toward attainment of the goal[s]. 

When I was a kid, a friend from church said he was questioning his faith in God.  When I asked him why, he reported that, whenever he would pray, God would never answer him.  Upon closer examination, I noticed that I had the exact opposite experience.  Basically, what it came down to was the fact that when I prayed for something – like a new bike – I would then take the appropriate steps to gain the goal I had prayed for.  I prayed for a bike, and then stumbled across a paper route for the local newspaper.  Because the route required a bicycle, the manager bought me the bike of my dreams and deducted the cost out of the route he had me running for him.  This was my first experience with goals and life and the understanding that, just as “God helps those who help themselves”, our goals are best attained through our efforts and actualizing them through exertion of well planned efforts.

Select a goal, and then reverse engineer what you must do every month, every week, ever day and even every hour of every day to attain that goal.  Then, you will find it very helpful to pad that plan of action so that, if due to circumstances beyond your control, you should fall short, you will still hit your desired mark.

3.  Test and Measure

How can you know if your goal is big enough?  How can you tell if the goals you are setting are getting accomplished in the first place?  And if they are getting accomplished, are they happening at an efficient pace?  This speaks to the need to test and measure all along the way.

As I hinted at, earlier in this writing, your goals should be S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time Specific).  This is because; you cannot improve what you cannot measure. 

When you set a goal, and keep it specific, you focus your mind and provide it with the clarity necessary to succeed.  When you keep it measurable (charting timelines, accurate levels of activity versus attainment, return on investment, etc.), whether in business or in life, you can correctly track success and what leads to success, and you can avoid pitfalls. 

When you select goals that are achievable, or a better way of saying it might be, when you take a realistic and achievable approach to your goals and goal setting, you amplify your enthusiasm by experiencing a greater number of wins.

Realistic refers to being honest with yourself about what you are setting out to accomplish and why.  After all, if you are working toward something which your hyper-conscious mind knows is in your best interest, and is in alignment with your ethical and moral standards, you place yourself in greater harmony with your goals and their attainment, and in this you have already secured your success.

Time specific refers to a way of keeping yourself honest with yourself.  If you set the goal to increase production by 30% by May 15^th, then you can more easily track your success, than if you were to set the goal of merely increasing profits based on more efficient production.  If you set the goal of losing 30 pounds by June 12^th, you stand a greater chance of hitting that goal than leaving it open ended with something like a plan to lose weight “this summer”.  The mind responds to positive, constructive commands, and the world around you will conform to what the mind holds strong as a goal.

The best suggestion I could think to offer anyone seeking to put my recommendation to the test would be to first begin keeping a journal.  Write down everything in that journal: First: Top 10 Goals in order of priority.  Next time you wake up, first steps in the morning, time and contents of breakfast, plan for day ahead, work day, time and contents of lunch, time leaving work, time and contents of dinner, account of the day and strategy to tomorrow.

Start blending into your journal entries thoughts and ideas about how to attain your top 10 goals, and activities to get from A. to Z. and a timeframe to do so.

Definitely include critical things which must get done every day, I call them the most important things (usually 5 in number), and then I cross them off as I accomplish them throughout the day.

Remember to include your wins, and to update your goals according to your attainment of them.  And also, remember to include celebration of your wins and time for family and friends.

90 days of this sort of goal setting, time management, and self assessment, will create a more confident, happier you – and will accelerate the enjoyment you get out of the greater accomplishments you begging to enjoy in your work and personal life.

I guarantee it.

Consultative: More than just a hipster catchphrase.

Business is relationship building.  We establish relationships in business which allow us to share products, goods and services with each other in a way that we find satisfying, encouraging and uplifting.

We are all familiar with the old adage that in business, people want to do business with someone who they know, like, and trust.  

If those three things are in place, the environment supports moving forward.  If any of the three are not present, not only will a business relationship likely not solidify, but your prospect might even pay a little more for inferior products or services from someone else who gets it.

How then, do we travel that bridge between obscurity and plenty?  How do we move from being a voice in the noise to enjoying greater favor and increase?

Be authentic and open.  Be friendly and inviting.  Like the person you hope to do business with first.  Add value before moving forward.

All of this relies on honing and developing the skills necessary to ask the right question and to be able to listen and to hear the answer within the answer.

Ultimately we must be able to approach the prospect and connect with them on the basis of who they are as a person.  See yourself in them and them in you.  Empathize.

In business as in life, having a healthy, open line of communication is often more important than the message being communicated. Just having the ability to look someone squarely in the eyes and connect with them on a deep inner level is often enough.

Openness and authentic expression is more than simply the articulation of these high and lofty notions.  It is the willingness to put yourself out there and be vulnerable.  We are in it together.

In the final equation, those of us who are most able, or willing, to reach out and make contact, we are the ones who will enjoy the greatest capacity to build strong and plentiful business relationships.

Our success is the basis upon which more success will be fostered and manifested.  Our dialogue and conversations will spark deeper dialogue and conversations.

Positive manifestation of forward moving progress in business and life is the reward for each of us who seek to access that reality within ourselves and each other.  Work for it and enjoy it.

James Chamberlain is a sales and business development professional who helps Tampa Bay businesses grow through dynamic strategic initiatives and campaigns and increase of new business revenue. James is responsible for building relationships with businesses throughout Florida and the US. Contact James at: 727.240.0890 jdc352@gmail.com or http://www.twitter.com/JDC352

FrankCrum Provides Priceless Peace of Mind.

Often the greatest challenge I meet with, as Business Consultant for FrankCrum, Inc., is that of the business owner’s own concerns and apprehensions, which may further cloud any misunderstandings of the PEO / client relationship.  Such concerns and apprehensions often include:

• Reluctance to outsource their payroll
• Uncertainty about their employees remaining their employees
• Lack of clarity regarding short and long term investment

Reluctance to outsource their payroll - FrankCrum solves problems and issues in the areas of payroll administration as well as human resource support, workers compensation, risk management, and employee benefits, which will maximize your employee productivity and increase your profitability.  A national statistic holds that companies who do their payroll in-house will actually pay 8.5% of their annual payroll to accomplish this task.  FrankCrum can often perform this same task for under half of that. 

Uncertainty about their employees remaining their employees - There is a relationship with their employees and they, the business owner, own 100% of the liability for those employees.  The great news is that when you engage a PEO like FrankCrum, we sign an agreement called a client service agreement – or CSA for short – and the CSA defines our shared responsibilities in the areas of Human Resources, Workers Compensation, Risk Management, Employee Benefits, and payroll administration. What does not change is your direction and control of your employees.  You still hire and train them – in short, you maintain 100% direction and control of your employees.  

Lack of clarity regarding short and long term investment - FrankCrum will issue the business owner a free business strategy report and within this, we will define exactly how partnering with FrankCrum makes perfect business sense for your company.  Not only will the business owner see a potential savings up front, but we will help them to see long term savings as well.

Our clients, many of whom have been with us for as much as 30 years, will attest to the fact that FrankCrum is the best business decision that they have ever made.

Call now for a free Business Strategy Report:  In order to put your mind at ease concerning how easy it is for FrankCrum, Inc. to help your company increase productivity and profitability, while enjoying a potential savings and world class customer care – just call 800.211.1620 ext. 1690.

James Chamberlain is a sales and business development professional who helps Tampa Bay businesses grow through dynamic strategic initiatives and campaigns and increase of new business revenue. James is responsible for building relationships with businesses throughout Florida and the US. Contact James at: 727.240.0890 jdc352@gmail.com or http://www.twitter.com/JDC352

Be ready to lose early!

Recently I encountered a situation where a prospect was referred to me bay a member of a local chamber of commerce.  The person in question was also in attendance of several networking groups I am involved with.  I have, on more than one occasion, enjoyed conversations of a personal and business nature with this person.

This referred prospective client began completing a Client Need Assessment with me, but, because they were presently working with one of our competitors, they asked me to wait several months to complete the Client Need Analysis.  I touched basis with them over the span of weeks and months which followed, and at every juncture when I would touch bases with them, they assured me that when that final month rolled around, we would take an honest an impartial look at what my company can do to help theirs.

When that final month rolled around, the referred prospect told me that they had decided to: “…stick it out with the company they have grown to know, like, and trust…”, I immediately saw the situation for what it was, and rather than getting into a back and forth regarding operating from a space of integrity where you do what you say and at least have an impartial review, instead, I decided that I would disengage any further contact and move on.

I let the referred prospect know that while I valued the opportunity to work with his company, that I certainly respect the decision to stay loyal to a company, even in light of superior pricing and other services my company would provide.  Additionally, I let them know that with such loyalty we encourage them to maintain that relationship, and I wished them well.

By all accounts it would be fair to assume that I had dodged a bullet, because a prospect that is going to string you along for months only to tell you at the last moment that they have no intention of looking at your numbers – is a prospect who, had they become a client, may have proven very challenging to work with over the life of their account.  One might even assume that I had taken a potential ‘negative’ situation and turned it around for the possibility of a future ‘positive’ to come of it.

One could have no rational or reasonable way of knowing that the referred prospect had copy and pasted sentences from my private business email to them, and then had selectively posted these to social media in order to mock and poke fun at their distorted meaning.

Neither could one expect that, when I went to them and explained that, to take a sincere expression of good will in closing their file, and post it to social media, that I believed it was in bad form to resort to such measures.  Mainly on the grounds that such action could only be perceived as malicious, at best and at worst - juvenile, that the referred prospect would then, stewing over my calling them on their professional integrity, email the entire chain of communication to every single member of leadership at my company, in what I must imagine was a furious effort to have me disciplined. 

Despite a flowery and verbose diatribe regarding how “passive aggressive” I had been, despite the fact that I had avoided becoming engaged in some long, drawn out, back and forth with this person, and only wished them well and dismissed them – it was made clear that their psychoanalysis really amounted to little more than projection.  Their own action in posting our private business emails on social media is not only the epitome of “passive aggression”, but also, since this person is the owner of a start up IT Managed Solutions company, these are also the questionable actions of someone who should not be handling people’s private information or computer servers.

I am glad that they did, however, resort to these measures, because it gave me an opportunity to see this for what it truly is – an opportunity to learn to deal with difficult people, and to hone my sales skills.

As Jon Spence writes in his book, “Awesomely Simple” one should be prepared to “lose early”.  In my case I should have identified the dysfunctional behavior early on and avoided buying into this person’s assurances that we just needed to give it some time and follow up in several months.  After all, why should it take several months to look at a proposal that is likely to save your company profound amounts of money? 

It also gave the leadership in my company the opportunity to see that I work diligently to help my prospects make the best buying decision possible, while urging them to maintain accountability in the process.  I don’t take “no” for an answer when it is a brush off tactic by someone, but I shake hands and part friends when doing business together simply does not make sense for either or both parties.

And lastly, it helped clarify for me and for all that I am passionate about the company I work for and the services we provide.  I believe so strongly in our company and services that I evangelize at every opportunity to build better and stronger relationships and help to rebuild our economy by helping one business at a time to better thrive and grow.

In the final equation, my only recommendation to anyone in a similar situation is to act and speak from integrity and let the person know that you intend to move forward to formalizing a relationship or to move forward toward understanding why the prospect is not the right fit for the company.  Learn to lose early – let go as soon as it is clear that any victory will be a pyrrhic victory.  By taking this honest approach, in either eventuality, both parties win. 

James Chamberlain is a sales and business development professional who helps Tampa Bay businesses grow through dynamic strategic initiatives and campaigns and increase of new business revenue.   James is responsible for building relationships with businesses throughout Florida and the US. Contact James at: 352.354.2273 james.chamberlain@consultant.com or http://www.twitter.com/JDC352.