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A Real Paper Letter?

February 5, 2014
Writing on a Notepad

Photo Courtesy of Dr. Stephen Dann

Real paper? Yep, it still exists. Send some of it out!

In the world today we have so much electronic communication.  Texts, e-mails, social media, and, yes, blogs.  Due to all of this written communication is getting less and less.  Even celebration cards are going digital.

The digital world has certainly changed our lives.  Because of this you can change someone’s day by going back to 10 years ago – write a letter or card by hand and mail it.  I try to do this a few times per month to various people thanking them for something or just saying hi.

Writing the card only takes a few moments.  It can create a huge impact in a person’s day because they probably haven’t gotten anything like that in quite some time.  It is such a rarity for most people that you become the stand out and are remembered as the person who did this.

Another reason for this is after applying and interviewing for a job.  Send a card thanking them for the opportunity to apply for the position.  Simple and easy – the goal is for them to see your name.  Then, after you have an interview, send a thank you card to the interviewer for giving you some of their time.  Again, simple and easy to keep your name in the mix.

The written word is still incredibly strong.  Choose one person today that you can send a card or letter to and see how it changes their day!

Filed Under: Business, Careers, People Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Serve Them Well

July 24, 2013

Serve others.  If you have read self development materials for any length of time you have heard this and for good reason – it is the root to many good things in life.

“You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.” Zig Ziglar

When you serve other people you are able to release stress and get out of a depressed state.  You can do many things to serve:  be in the military, donate time to a non-profit, or even creating a product that fills a need and makes you rich is still an example of serving others because you have filled a need and brought it to the marketplace.

Recently our car was totaled in an accident when a vehicle hit ours from behind (nobody was seriously injured).  Of course, it is can be a nerve racking experience.  Questions are up in the air and you are lost if you have never been through one before on what to do about getting your vehicle repaired, rental cars, etc.  However, it was made a lot easier thanks to my agent who took the time to explain things to me and the other person’s insurance adjuster who was there to serve us.  They should both feel good about what they do and the help they provide in moments like they deal with.

The more people you serve the better your life and those around you can be.  A service animal serves the need of their owner but the owner, in turn, provides for the needs of the animal.  Along with that service comes a bonding friendship between the two.  This can be achieved with people as well as animals.

Figure out a way to serve many and go do that.  Impact millions and make life better for everyone around.

“Service to many leads to greatness-great respect, great satisfaction.” Jim Rohn

Filed Under: Business, Careers, Customer Service, Leadership, Life Coaching, People Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Self Education

February 27, 2013

self educationCollege isn’t for everyone.  I think it is obvious but we are still being encouraged to go to a traditional college after high school.  While I highly believe in education I think there are other ways of getting it.  20 years ago a traditional school may have been your best option, however, there is such easy access to material that self education can give you more knowledge than going to college.

If you want to go to college for the experience then go for it.  If you want to go because it is necessary for the path you want to live in life then go for it.  If you are going “because I’m suppose to” then do yourself a favor and take local classes and read books in the field that interests you.

Walt Disney didn’t go past his freshman year in high school but continued to educate himself through books and experiences his entire life.  Let me stress – FINISH HIGH SCHOOL, but explore all of your options for higher education and choose the best for you and not what is expected of you by others.

Filed Under: Careers, Goal Setting, Life Coaching, People Tagged With: , , , ,

Overcomplicated

February 19, 2012

overcomplicatedOne of the worst things you can do for your customers is to make things overcomplicated for them.  Take a look at the picture to the right of the school sign in Michigan (source).  Do you think this is good “customer service” to the tax payers?

I recently had a problem with my cell carrier.  My wife’s phone had a battery problem.  Granted, the phone was four years old but all I wanted to do was pay them for a phone and sign a new contract extending my time with them.  The problem being we were not eligible for an upgrade on that line for 14 days!  When I called customer service they told me they could upgrade me to another phone but not the one she wanted to get.  That one would have to wait.  So I call one of their stores and am told we can upgrade as long as it is in the same month – GREAT!  The upgrade as coming in on the 29th, oh, wait, because it is a leap year they moved us to March 1 meaning we were not in the current month.  Hmmmm…

So, I went to Twitter and within ten minutes got a response from someone who was customer friendly and helped us upgrade the phone, pay them for the phone, pay the upgrade fee, and sign a contract.  It took three different customer service reps and five phone calls to get approved to upgrade a phone two weeks early.  I was literally asking them to allow me to hand them money and it took this many steps to get someone who could take care of it.

This is a simple issue of over complicating an issue in an organization.  The first person I spoke with sh0uld have had the authority to make a two week decision.  Do your customer service people have the tools and power to take care of your customers?  If not, why not?  If you can’t trust them then you have the wrong people in that position.

Of course their should be limits and boundaries.  I have been involved with customer service for over a decade and some of the requests from customers can be quite outlandish.  You must put barriers up somewhere but you have to give enough freedom for your reps to make decisions and exceptions when needed.

Bottom Line:  Allow those that have direct contact with your customers be able to serve your customers.  You will be rewarded many times over with happier employees and much happier and loyal customers.

Filed Under: Careers, Customer Service, Leadership Tagged With: , , , , ,

It Is Never To Late To Try Again

November 12, 2011

Never To LateI hear people talk about how they wish they had done this or that. So, why not now? Is it really ever to late? As long as you are breathing I don’t see why it has to be.

mental_floss recently put up an article with 10 people who did not start their careers or what they became known for until late in life.  This included people such as Colonel Sanders who didn’t open KFC until he was 65, Grandma Moses who was 76 when she did her first painting, and Takichiro Mori who left teaching at the age of 55 to be a real estate investor and died with a net worth of $13 billion dollars.

No matter what it is that you wish you could do in life it is never to late to try.  If you are 40 years old and wish you had a degree then go get one.  60 and want to be a professional wrestler – I can show you how to do that as well.

“Don’t dream it.  Be it.”  Rocky Horror Picture Show

Photo Credit:  Terry-Anne

Filed Under: Careers, Goal Setting Tagged With: , , , ,

Are you feeling trapped?

October 22, 2011
Trapped

Photo Courtesy of Walt Stoneburner

Do you sometimes feel you are trapped in your current job? You have to pay bills so you fear that if you quit you will not find another place to work thus you fear not being able to pay those bills.

You may feel trapped but you need to get yourself out of that mindset.  There are things you can do to transition to another position within the same company where you may be happier.  You can create a plan to create your own business or to make a move to another company without the risk of quitting your current job first.

If you want to know how to do this I recommend you pickup a copy of Jon Acuff‘s book Quitter.  It will show you how to transition from jobs so you are not being left hanging if nothing else comes along.

“Once a manager, in front of everbody said to me “You aren’t the only person who can do this job”. And I replied, in front of everybody, “And this isn’t the only place I can do it either”.” A comment by a user named Artful Dodger at bnet.

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