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Posted on Tuesday, June 18, 2013 2:43 PM
The fact is, everyone is in sales. Whatever area you work in, you do have clients and you do need to sell.
Jay Abraham
"U" = Underestimate the Profit - Overestimate the Cost. When someone is new to marketing and selling a product they many times focus on how much money they can make rather than how to produce a product that sells because of its quality and price. And pricing a product can be the hardest part of selling. Mr. Stanley Switlik, the parachute making pioneer and self-made multi-millionaire (a first generation immigrant) said this about his success in sales. "I rather sell many at a small profit than wait to sell one or two for a big payday." During World War II his company that he started for $400 sold 865,000 parachutes to the U.S. Army Air Corp. In the book "How to Make a Living as an Artist" the author advises - "Sell twenty paintings for $200 dollars and that will bring in much more than having one "cherished" work by an unknown painter hang in a single place @ $2500 . Get known - that is the key to success. Don't love you paintings too much (or price them like masterpieces) - nobody will ever see them. Picasso sold drawing for a glass of wine at the beginning. Tip: When preparing a proposal or bill of services mentally underestimate the profit you need to make and overestimate the cost of the job. Now here's the key. When the job is done - present the customer with a lower bill than expected and report how you saved them cash while keeping up quality! And you just may make a long term customer who will trust you; who will be back for more and who will be doing some "free" advertising for you and recruiting new customers. |
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Posted on Saturday, June 15, 2013 11:16 AM
Dell Computers was started by a 19 year old with only $1,000. This attests to the fact that good ideas will not be denied. However, one must add - Hard work and Passion - then give it time to grow and prosper. P.S. Michael Dell's net worth today is $16 billion; founder, chairman and Chief Executive Officer (or CEO) of the computer company Dell Inc. |
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Posted on Monday, June 10, 2013 12:24 PM
"You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make it." 1946 - Charles Bixton, screen actor/writer "T" = Time: Something we all have, that many waste and few make the most of it. Ben Franklin said that time was our most precious possession; "...it's what life is made of"! A typical manager watches time closely. Thus they are true clock watchers! They judge employees on punctuality rather than performance. They insist that their workers put in every minute "on the job." No loafing is tolerated - even if the down time may be thinking of better ways to do a job. And usually the manager ends up with workers who just punch in and punch out and then count the minutes until their work day is over. I worked in a glass factory - a good summer job for a college student. One day the machine I tended was down. The foremen, who walked the floor trying to catch "loafers" - saw me watching the repair and handed me a broom. He ordered me to clean out a storage area and take all stuff to the other end of the plant. This took an entire shift. The next day my machine was still being repaired - the "boss" found me and ordered me to move all the junk back that I carried the day before! Sublime "time management" in his eyes and to me it was the highest level of the factory mentality. TIP: A true leader gives employees the time they need to think and be. They create time for experiments and new ways of doing old tasks. And most of all, they understand that their reports are not machines - but human beings who need to occasionally take a break physically or mentally - and that downtime is not necessarily wasted time. The usual result of true time managment = happy, trusted employees who come to work wanting to work and ready to put in the time necessary to get the job done well. Don't you think it's about time ! In more ways than one...! |
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Posted on Saturday, June 08, 2013 9:37 AM
Sorry for being a day late - got rained out yesterday :) American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one olive from each salad in first class. What do you think? Was saving $40K really a savings for American? Simple acts can get big results but also open up bigger questions. |
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Posted on Monday, June 03, 2013 1:35 PM
“You are the only real obstacle in your path to a fulfilling life.” ~ Les Brown Leslie C. "Les" Brown is a motivational speaker, former Ohio politician, popular author, radio DJ, and former host of The Les Brown Show. As a politician, he is a former member of the Ohio House of Representatives. As a motivational speaker, he uses the catch phrase, "It's possible," and teaches people to follow their dreams as he learned to do. "S" = Stay the Course - In the language of ships and the sea, "stay the course" means no matter how the wind or sea tries to move the ship off its progress to port, the direction is set, the helm is firm and the goal is clear. Many managers however miss the boat. They continue to sail on without a clear goal in sight for them and their crew. They fear changing the routes even though a new way may be a better way. The business leader sets a course with input from his team. He explains the goal, reviews the risks and reveals the rewards of accomplishing the task at hand. And most of all, the true leader is not afraid to admit that the "ship" is off course and may need to come about, trim some sail and reset the business compass. Tip: Be a captain and take command! |
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Posted on Thursday, May 30, 2013 5:05 PM
Amazon sells more e-books than printed books. If you are still "print-bound" its time to kindle your imagination and find a new nook for your down-time self. |
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Posted on Monday, May 27, 2013 9:47 AM
"R" = Rely on Teamwork - According to "Managing Teams for Dummies these are the Ten Qualities of an Effective Team Player and THE ISZARD GROUP approach to making teamwork a success: Demonstrates reliability - To be reliable - a employee must be given the time, trust and the skills to work on a task - without micro-management! Communicates Constructively - Employees need the opportunity to speak up and express their thoughts without being afraid that their opinions will "get them into trouble". They need constructive criticism from "bosses" not verbal brow-beatings. Listens Actively - Team members need to see the leader's example - the discipline to listen first and speak second - this leads to meaningful dialogue rather diatribe. Functions as an Active Participant - To have active employees the leader must "engage" and encourage them to participate. They must be given the opportunity to contribute before getting their "orders from headquarters". Exhibits Flexibility - Teams in today's business world are dealing with continuous change. Good team players roll with the punches. They must be given the time to experiment and create successful responses - and most of all not be punished for trying solutions that might not work the first time! FOR THE OTHER FIVE QUALITIES - BE AN ACTIVE TEAM MEMBER - GOGGLE THE SOURCE ABOVE AND SEE FOR YOURSELVES - THE LEADER SHOULDN'T DO ALL THE WORK FOR THE TEAM!!!! |
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Posted on Friday, May 24, 2013 2:16 AM
Every wonder where companies get there names? SEGA for instance is shorthand for Service Games of Japan - a company that first supplied pin ball machines to American military base clubs after the war. And the rest is history! |
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Posted on Monday, May 20, 2013 9:17 AM
"This started it all...The optimist says the glass is half full.The pessimist says the glass is half empty.The project manager says the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.The realist says the glass contains half the required amount of liquid for it to overflow.And the cynic... wonders who drank the other half." source: businessball.com
"Q" = Quality vs. Quantity This has been constantly discussed since cavemen started trading pretty rocks for bowls of grub. The "boss" or "typical manager" is a numbers cruncher. Get the work out is the mantra. He/she watches the clock and judges employees on their punctuality not their functionality. The product may be secondary as is the testimony of the giant number of returns to a big box store each day.
Recently in a fast food "restaurant" - I asked for the manager and he came from his confines with the look of "now what" on his face. I said, "I would like to compliment you on your service - your employees must be well trained because they are preparing food as if they had to eat it themselves." He beamed and said - "Would you call the 800 number and tell them that" - which I did.
And that's the secret of a successful business. To be in business for the long haul - one must pay attention to the quantity of sales and all that goes with it - but one must also offer a product that is intrinsically "good" - being proud of one's work is the payoff of a job well done for all concerned.
Tip: Take time to balance your Q's
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Posted on Friday, May 17, 2013 9:36 AM
First thanks for the many compliments and posting comments - appreciate your participation. Many have asked about THE ISZARD GROUP website and blog. It was created with tools available from www.vistaprint.com - check out this company they offer everything a start-up business needs to market and improve you appearance in the marketplace. Of course we are not novice in the design aspect of our website - THE ISZARD GROUP helps every business act and look like a "big business". That's our job! |
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