Geez.

Politics are everywhere nowdays – or at least they seem to be. I wouldn’t consider myself all that “political” of a person – but I couldn’t find much I disagreed with in Steve Wynn’s recent interview for CNBC.

About to undergo a major change in your life?

Something lurking in your future that seems larger-than-something-you-can-handle-without-complete-meltdown?

Keep this phrase in mind:

It’s all what you get used to.

Like most parents, I try to worry too much about my kids and what is in their best long term interest. Mostly, I have an idea that it is my absolute duty to raise my kids to be independent humans and I think that it is probably safe to say that most parents probably have similar feelings.

And so when I am bumping down the road of life and see a fork ahead that will impact my kids world in one way or another, it causes me more than just a few seconds of concern.

It isn’t like I spend too much time thinking what will happen to them if the ice cream man doesn’t show up next week due to the recession, but it is probably safe to say that I at least think about their well-being on a regular basis. And I often wonder if I am doing everything I can to promote the idea that they need to learn to become independent.

And not that long ago my kids switched schools — from a the private school to a public school.

And I was a little worried about it.

How would they react to it? Would it cripple them for life? Would it make it where they would hate me forever because I made them go to public school?

These were just a few of the thoughts I had.

This new school had brick walls.

And a cafeteria with public-school-lunch-tables.

With the little white cartons of the semi-warm milk that go with your apple-green lunch tray if you opt for the hot lunch option.

Their old school was the Taj Mahal of education in Gilbert and had catered lunches, a party for pretty much every holiday, PE every day and even heated toilet seats for the comfort of the kids (ok, maybe not the heated toilet seats part).

But after working through some of the initial fears about going to a new school, I was reminded again of that simple phrase I picked up somewhere along the road of life…

It’s all what you get used to.

From time to time as I wander around this planet doing whatever-it-is-I-do, I get to sit in front of a small business owner and talk about his business in general and then specifically about his marketing efforts.  Even more specifically what his options are when it comes to some subset of marketing related to the web – like SEO for instance.

And each time, the conversation is friendly, cordial and all business.

Each time I sit across the table from a small business owner, I am reminded that they take their small business dead serious.

No jokes.

No “well, we might want to try this and see if it works and if it doesn’t, oh well…”

Dead. Serious.

We talk about budget, ROI, effectiveness, lifetime-value-of-the-customer, customer-acquisition costs, customer retention programs, and probably a handful of other topics like this — but no matter what element of business we are talking about, I can’t help but relate the conversation to more of a medical procedure.

I liken it to me being a surgeon talking with them about an upcoming surgery – on their child.

And if you put it into these terms, it isn’t hard to see why they would pay attention.

Full attention.

You see, what I have learned is that for pretty much 99% of the small business owners I have come across, their business is their child.

It loves them.

It hates them.

It rewards them.

And it keeps them up at night.

It is with them for life (either physically or mentally or both) and it is pretty much their plan for retirement.

So just keep that in mind — no matter what you do for a living.

When you are speaking with a small business owner about helping them with some aspect of their business…

It is essentially as if you were talking to them about operating on their child.

Want to test this theory?

Go ahead and tell a small business owner that their business is ugly and watch what happens.

Darin Persinger: The Best In The Business

Have you ever wondered what made up a good coach? What was the difference between someone who could really help you realize bottom-line-improvements vs. just another bag of hot air?

You are not alone.

I have often wondered what makes a great coach when it comes to productivity and technology and it wasn’t until I met Darin that I realized what was possible.

(Side note: Darin Persinger also saves lives when he isn’t busy…)

So if you find yourself in a situation where you just don’t know who to listen to when it comes to productivity and how to use technology to grow your business… look no further.

Dairn Persinger is the real deal and when he speaks, smart people listen. Ever wonder how those certain people get ahead when it comes to the web? Now you know… they work with a proven expert like Darin Persinger and are watching their bottom line grow as a result.

If you have any questions about Darin Persinger, please feel free to contact me directly, but be forewarned: my comments are going to be 100% positive and generally directed toward how lucky you are to even know Darin in the first place.

Call me anytime, I like talking about people like Darin who are such a pleasure to speak with and know.

Susan Baier…

If you Googled “Susal Baier” and came upon this post, you should be so lucky.

I will tell you the truth.

Like no one else will… or at least like she won’t.

If she has even casually mentioned that you could be so lucky to hire her to help you figure out whatever-it-is-that-you-are-trying-to-figure-out…

Hire her.

Now.

Because if you don’t, someone else will.

She is one of the brightest minds in the business and surrounds herself by the most amazing people possible. And then in her free time, she goes ahead and volunteers her time for stuff like Laid Off Camp Phoenix to help other people who may be in a situation where they have recently been laid off and are now just wondering what to do.

Susan Baier.

Don’t just take my word when I say you are simply lucky to know her in the first place, go ahead and ask some real professionals on the web — people like Jason Baer, for example.

So if you happen to run into Susan and are wondering “what in the world is she *really* like?” — if you call me, I will tell you…

She is actually better than whatever you think about her right now.

And if you currently think she is amazing?

Yep, she is better than that.

Call me anytime about Susan Baier. But be forewarned: my review will be 110% positive.

Justin

Looking for more information for some reason about Lori Gilson?

She is amazing.

And if she has applied for a job with you for whatever reason, don’t just take my word for it, I have a number of people she has worked with who can back me up.

If you are a boss of something-or-another and you find yourself in a situation where you need someone who can pretty much do everything that you don’t want to do… look no further.

If you have Googled the name “Lori Gilson”, then you have come to the right place.

Consider this my recommendation of Lori and consider me a raving fan.

Here are just a few of the things that in working around her, she has amazed me with:

Her sense of humor. Do not under-estimate this.

Her ability to “learn fast”. She is not someone that you have to explain things twice to.

Her ability to manage assertively. She isn’t passive. She isn’t aggressive. She isn’t passive-aggressive. She is assertive. And she is consistently assertive.

Her ability to get it r-i-g-h-t. I have been working with her for a while now… take a guess at how many times I have sent something back to “try again”? Zero.

Her ability to get along with others.  I haven’t heard a negative thing about her… ever. That means the most effective people in the organization can count on her. And those people who probably need to be fired for whatever reason? THEY LIKE HER TOO.

Lori Gilson.

Certainly, if you have any questions about her ability to perform, her ability to perform under pressure or any other question about her… contact me anytime.

But be forewarned – it will all be positive.

Justin

PS This is way better than a Linked-In recommendation, no?

Chances are, somewhere along the path of life you have heard the phrase:

In life, you can’t take out more than you put in.

Heck, they even teach it in Kindergarten these days – the other day I heard my 5-year-old say:

Mom, Sam is being a bucket-dipper!

And when I did a double-take, I couldn’t help but think: “They are actually teaching 5-year-olds the concept that there are buckets in life and you have to put stuff into the bucket before you take stuff out — and not only that, but that once you start taking stuff out, you can’t take out more than you put in.”

And as a result of this momentary outburst by a 5-year-old, an idea was hatched.

One that is combined with the concept of “free markets are always better than benevolent dictators” (not everyone agrees with that one including one smart guy I know) that… just. may. work.

And so it goes.

Another project is born.

One where the participants can’t take out more than they put in and is governed by the rules of a free market.

I wonder if it will catch on.

Someone has said it better than I ever could.

Way, way better.

My version was the 2-4-6-8 version. This version? The rest of that story.

Well worth the 10 minutes…you’ll see.

If you are authentically great at something, people will put up with a lot of your personal quirks…

if  you solve their pain.

If you are the worlds greatest brain surgeon and I have a brain tumor, I could care less what you look like, smell like or sound like…

I want you cutting my head open and fixing my brain.

If you are the worlds best forensic accountant and I am a major shareholder who feels like someone is stealing my company away from me…

I want you examining my books.

And in cases like these, I could care less about how much you cost.

It is literally (and figuratively) a matter of life and death.

So if you are slightly quirky and do things like wear shorts everywhere, say crazy stuff and generally march to the beat of your own drum…

You had better be great at something that someone considers a matter of life and death.

Either in the human element or the business element.

Otherwise, chances are that you are dressing up for work M-F and playing cubicle army soldier hoping that payroll clears next week because your company didn’t go broke.

And if you are not great at something?

Spend 10,000 hours doing what you love and get to be world class at whatever you love.

And when the time comes when someone needs brain surgery or their entire business rides on your abilities and you happen to be the best in the world at solving their pain…

They won’t ask why you smell like garlic and don’t tuck your shirt into your shorts.

I travel.

Sometimes, I travel a lot.

And when it comes to the ins-and-outs of hauling my carcass from city to city – I have learned a thing or two.

So when I come up against a bright and shiny, newly-trained, cross-selling boy scout car rental clerk, it isn’t very often that the grizzled road warrior comes up with the short straw in this interaction.

I recognize that every car company probably compensates their people differently — but some of them make it so blatently obvious, I almost feel bad for the boy scout car rental clerk in that position.

Apparently at least one training program trains their boy scouts clerks on the use of FUD. As in Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt.

Basic 101 sales strategy.

From a recent interaction:

Him: Sir, it looks like we have you in a two door Yaris.

Me: Yeah, that is fine.

Him: Sir, are you sure you want the Yaris? You are in town for more than just a few days and many people report that with the Yaris, they wished they would have upgraded.

Me: Kid, when you travel as much as I do, you could care less about what kind of car it is. But since the money that I am about to give you for this Yaris is mine, as long as this thing gets me from point A to point B, I am good with that.

Him: Ok sir, would you like buy our complete coverage protection?

Me: No.

Him: Ok, you do realize sir that you will be responsible for all chips, dents, dings and any damage to the car, correct?

Me: Yes.

Him: Ok sir and would you like to pay $2.47 per gallon for gas here or buy it on the outside where it is $3.00 or higher?

Me: Ok, you got me on that one. I want to bring it back empty, so I will take the gas.

Him: Ok, here you go – you are in spot 205.

Me: Thanks.

And as I walk out to spot 205 expecting to see a two-door Yaris parked in my spot, what do I see?

A Nissan Maxima.

Check Mate.

I won.

Grizzled road warrior: 1. Young cross-selling boy-scout: 0.

Moral of the story is this: if some rookie comes in with the FUD, make sure you send him packin’ with the FUDGE (FUD didn’t work, and now I Get Even) home until he learns to start benefit selling.

Because when it comes to closing sales guys, FUD rarely works.

Try ego-gratification.

All old sales guys have bald spots they don’t want to admit to.