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E- Zine - October 2004 WELCOME to the PROTOCOL PLUS MONTHLY E-ZINE IN TODAY'S ISSUE:
"In real estate, it's location, location, location. In business it's differentiate, differentiate, differentiate." ---Robert Goizueta. How do your differentiate yourself from your competitor? Most likely there is not a significant difference between your product or service, and that of your competitor. So why should the consumer choose you? Statistics indicate that 80% of your business comes from referrals and that a referral is 15 times more likely to result in a sale than a non-referral. The best way to get referrals is to develop an attitude of "What do you need and how can I help you." It is not "WIFM" - what's in it for me? Build relationships, treat everyone with respect and courtesy, and take a genuine interest in the person and their needs. Pass along information and referrals to others. Help others succeed and notice how you get back tenfold what you give. Activate your network referrals by saying "How can I help you?" Networking skills are vital in both business and social settings. Learn to be comfortable at a networking event - and everything is a networking event. Call 405-341-3216 to learn networking skills that no one ever taught you. The Coach’s Corner – Why elephants don't run. By Jim Donovan A number of years ago, I had the rather unique experience of being backstage in Madison Square Garden, in New York, during the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus. To say the least, it was a fascinating experience. I was able to walk around looking at the lions, tigers, giraffes and all the other circus animals. As I was passing the elephants, I suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at any time, break away from their bonds but for some reason, they did not. I saw a trainer near by and asked why these beautiful, magnificent animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away. "Well," he said, "when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it's enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They think the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free." I was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they could not, they were stuck right where they were. Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before? How many of us are being held back by old, outdated beliefs that no longer serve us? Have you avoided trying something new because of a limiting belief? Worse, how many of us are being held back by someone else's limiting beliefs? Coaching questions:
Quotes of the Month – "And then the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk to bloom." --- Anais Nin "How can I know what I believe until I hear myself say it?" --- Ralph Waldo Emerson Ask the Expert - How to rein in ramblers. Back to News & Articles |