“While You Were Out”
September 3rd, 2014 // 12:49 pm @ Scott Manning
I’m not sure if you have or are in a “brick and mortar” office, these days you just never know. But. If you have a Desk or Receptionist or still take and listen to actual real voicemails then you have surely seen or put your hands on the stack of Pink Slips of Paper at the office store that say “While You Were Out”…
A note taking, message keeping, tracking method for calls that were missed or things that occurred that have to be addressed when you were away from your post or otherwise occupied from normal responsibilities.
While I don’t miss having a “real office” like I did for the first 12 years or so of my entrepreneurial life I do miss the old fashion pen and paper things flying around. Stacks of OBVIOUS productivity and workflow moving here to there and all over the place.
I like motion, momentum, movement. So does Money.
It irritates me that people mistake productivity with technology. I respect leverage, I teach leverage, I am leverage. Yet if I were to summarize the core essence of our business it boils down to one word – Relationships.
Always has and always will.
To me, there is no separation from Money and People – thus from exchange of value from relationships. Sure, there are technology businesses and websites and software and things that at the face value of them have no personalities.
But. If you were to look closely there are always relationships making it work. One example comes to mind, Amazon, no personal contact, no people talking to you, no mascot or otherwise direct connection with the customer.
Not true. First of all, they have all the companies that they sell their products for, the buyers who are independent and people who build businesses off of Amazon. All of those people represent relationship.
And they have their employees, which many people don’t realize and actually ignore the first line customer of every business is the people who interact with the customer, who make the business work.
Yes, it’s true, I have an advantage over all. I would say my team, my brother that makes everything work, my Executive Assistant (for lack of a more globally describing word) who takes care of everything tied to me, and a host of other professionals and team members are the best.
You must invest in your people, those who do the “selling and servicing” as much if not more than you do those who do the “buying and consuming”.
This is critical. If they are not happy, educated, motivated, passionate and inspired and HAVE REASON TO SUCCEED and thrive and do well and push push push regardless of who’s watching you are destined for mediocrity.
Often – my private clients and the initial relationship I begin with someone new during my Business Development Marketing Blueprint Consulting Process there is a gapping hole in one of the four areas, usually more than one…
The fact that Investment and Experience and Growth is needed and essential for all FOUR levels of Influence you have over people.
First, obviously, your customer.
Second, your employees or referral partners or those who impact your relationship with your customer.
Third, your circle of influence, those you lead, or need support of or who support you.
Fourth, YOURSELF. Obviously if you aren’t growing and achieving new levels and being ambitious everyone knows, your customers know, they feel the energy, if you have employees THEY KNOW and they stop caring too. You have to lead by example in all that you do.
The question of the day is – what are you doing TODAY, what is going on RIGHT NOW in your company to make sure that you are connecting to your relationships, all four levels listed above. How are you progressing forward with each one.
These are your leverage points.
Not just your next website, or your automated software, or your marketing campaign…improve, enhance, invest in the BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM first – before you worry just about the “systems”.
To prove my point.
I thought I’d bring this full circle and give you a little taste of what happened “WHILE I WAS OUT” on my working vacation from Mexico.
And as soon as I wrap this up, I’m going to enjoy one more breakfast on the beach before we head back to the airport and on our way home which I can’t wait to get back to see our four legged children…they usually go EVERYWHERE with us, but this time they stayed back for a little play vacation for themselves away from mom and dad.
Next week, I’m going to bring you a report from Mexico, exactly what I did, why I did it, and what resulted from my travels. Last week I explained the power of the working vacation, I’m going to illustrate to you the most powerful planning, organizing, and money creating exercise you have ever heard of – literally – I seriously doubt you can top this with anything.
I will illustrate it step by step – I do it every year – the good news is, we still have 4 months to go, so you have plenty of time to take what I give you next week and profit and plan out 2015 to be your best year ever.
My message to you today is really quite simple.
Don’t forget the relationship. Don’t get so lost in technology that you loose touch with Reality. Perhaps you should head down to the office store and go get some of those Pink Papers that say “while you were out” just to remember not to be out too long and when you are, you’ve got to know what’s going on.
Your business has a pulse. Most are barely beating and breathing even though there might be a flow of money – it could be a raging river or the massive waves in the wind of the ocean (that I’ve been around for 8 days).
You can be a bystander waving from the shore or you can be in the midst of it all, riding the waves, having a blast, and swimming in profits and prosperity and lifestyle.
It’s really your decision and in your control, your behavior determines your success, you can coast or you can prosper. Success can mean whatever you want, I don’t judge. But I do promise that it IS NOT a passive thing.
You must know and always be working on and working for those FOUR levels of influence in your life. While you are out, they’ll make magic happen, if when you’re in – you are really present.
Here’s to independence from all things, except relationship, because there is no life or money without it. Your ecosystem, not just your system, makes your life and business and everything in it.
Category : Blog