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The Donald Cooper Newsletter
Volume 3, Issue 11 - November 2004
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Quote of the Month
“There's huge confusion in business
today about what a Vision is...and just about nobody 'gets it'.
Simply put, your Vision should be a clear and measurable statement of
what you're committed to become to be a profitable and responsible
market leader in 3 to 5 years. Its purpose is to inform, focus,
challenge and inspire everyone on your team about where you're going,
how you'll get there and how you'll behave along the way.”
If your company's Vision Statement doesn't do this, pitch it and start over...or call me for help!
...Donald Cooper |
Greetings ~firstname~!
1. Is your business going "anywhere"?
(time to read this article is about 90 seconds)
For a printable version of this article, click here.
Several
years ago, while driving to northern Ontario, I came across a
tragically sad situation that now reminds me of many of the businesses
that I encounter in my work as a business speaker and coach.
It
was 6 PM, late October and I was somewhere between Mac Tier and Parry
Sound ...which is to say that I was somewhere between "nowhere" and
"nowhere". There was no sign of human habitation, it was starting
to get dark, the temperature was just above freezing and there,
hitchhiking on the side of the highway, was a sad looking teenage girl
in a T-shirt and jeans, with no coat, and no luggage...just a piece of
cardboard on which she had scrawled her intended destination. The
sign said "ANYWHERE".
My first
reaction was to stop, to help, to do something...anything. But
then a small little voice inside my head, that I'm not very proud of,
said "Hey, this could be trouble." and I kept on driving; a decision
that I've regretted ever since and that haunts me to this day.
How could a person be going just "anywhere"? And yet, when you
think about it, lots of people and most businesses really don't have
any particular destination in mind. Like the sad young girl on
the side of the road, they're just going "ANYWHERE". The only
difference is, they're a little better dressed.
But, here's the good news! For the past three years I've been
working to create a simple process for helping businesses of all shapes
and sizes to create a clear and compelling Vision and Mission that that
will inform, focus, challenge and inspire everyone on their team.
This free
template, complete with instructions and an example to guide you, is
better than anything else out there, including the stuff from the
big-shot consulting firms who will charge you $30,000 for something
that no one will ever read, let alone understand.
So, do yourself and your business a huge favor! At our website, www.donaldcooper.com, visit our Free
Articles page and select Section B and print article #9, “The simple truth
about how to create an effective Vision Statement” for your business. Once you've downloaded this simple process,read it, work on it, do it...and stop
going just "ANYWHERE". If you're not a business owner or
senior manager, download it anyway. Take it to the boss, along with my
story about the girl on the side of the road, and suggest setting up a
small taskforce to create a clear direction for the business.
You'll either be fired on the spot, which could be the best thing that
ever happened to you, because if the business isn't going anywhere,
neither are you...or you'll be a vice-president by Christmas!
You can do it
yourself, or help is available. Clients are now asking me to work
with them to facilitate this transformational process and, in a very
short time, we're achieving real clarity about the purpose and
direction of their business.
2. 'Tis the season to make the world's best chowder!
(time to read this section is about 15 seconds)
I travel to both the east and west coasts of North America several
times a year and I'm always on the lookout for the world's best seafood
chowder. These chilly days of Fall & Winter are the perfect time
for this much celebrated, but all-to-often disappointing cross between
a soup and a creamy stew.
But fear not! All you have to do is click on the link above
to go directly to the Free Articles page on our website
www.donaldcooper.com for my "world's best seafood chowder" recipe (it's
in "Other Neat Stuff"). This now semi-famous recipe started off
as a scallop chowder but I've written updates to it this year to give
you some interesting variations. Last month I made a huge batch
using scallops, halibut, shrimp, lobster and clams...and it was
spectacular!
So, even if you downloaded this recipe last year (and hundreds did), you'll want this year's update. Enjoy!!!
3. If you think that training is a waste of time and money, read this!
(time to read this article is about 90 seconds)
For a printable version of this article, click here.
I overheard somebody say recently that "training
and developing your staff is the single most important growth strategy
that a business can have in this increasingly competitive and
fast-changing world." And yet, many businesses still don't get
it. Here's an interesting little story with a very relevant
message for your business.
My friend Phil Lewis started flying at the age of 15. So, he
could fly before he could drive a car. Phil has been an Air
Canada pilot for 38 years and a senior 747 Captain for 4 years.
In total, he has over 27,000 hours of flying experience. Phil
could fly a plane in his sleep!
Air Canada has just sold off the last of their 747's and Phil will now
switch over to flying Airbus 330's and 340's. Now here's the
training part. Even with all this experience, Phil will train
intensively on these new aircraft for 3 months before he'll be allowed
to fly one with customers in it. And, he has already flown Airbus
319's, a very similar aircraft, for many hundreds of hours.
Why is that? Because, as much as Phil knows about flying, there are
certain specific things that he needs to know about his new job that
are different from his old job. So, first, he has to "unlearn the
747 stuff and then he has to learn the Airbus stuff...and it has to
become automatic for him to do it right every time.
Contrast that with a large corporation whose management team I worked
with recently to create a more customer-focused and customer-passionate
organization. Several vice-presidents admitted that they have no
specific training in place when they promote someone from being a "doer
of things" to being a manager of things and of people.
Why are airlines so focused on pilot training while so many businesses
don't see the importance or the need? Probably because, in the
airline business, it's clear that people's lives are at stake...and
that tends to focus them.
Well, here's a "flash" for you...people's lives are at stake in your
business too. Maybe not their physical lives, although 1000's of
people are injured or killed in industrial accidents every year because
of bad or inadequate training. But certainly their productivity,
their careers, their emotional well-being and their health are all at
stake when people are promoted or moved without the proper training and
support. It affects them, all the people around them, it affects
the business...and it affects the bottom line.
If you're a business owner or manager, what will you do to get the
training thing right in your business or department? And, if
you're an employee who's being offered a move or a promotion, always
ask the question, "What training will I receive to ensure that I
perform this new assignment excellently for you?" If the answer
is a blank stare, you're in trouble.
Perhaps what you should then say is, "Thank you very much for your
confidence in me. What I'd like to do is to draft some thoughts
about the information and training that I'll need to be successful in
this new responsibility." If your boss doesn't agree with that,
it's time to get a new boss...because your life is at stake here!
4. A special opportunity for you and your staff, if you live in the Vancouver area!
(time to read this section is about 20 seconds)
On Wednesday, December 1st, the Vancouver Board of Trade is bringing me to that most beautiful city to present...
The 2-Hour MBA...
10 things you absolutely must know about
your business, your customers...and your life!
This
had been my most requested program this year as it delivers the
"straight goods" on how to sell more, manage smarter, make more money
and have a life!
Following the two-hour presentation folks will have the opportunity to
stay on for an informal interactive Q & A session where, typically,
some of the best "stuff" happens as we have the opportunity to chat
about how the material delivered can be most helpful to you.
So, if you're in the Vancouver area (lucky you), either click here for the registration form or call the Vancouver
Board of Trade at (604) 641-1248 and tell them
that Cooper sent you.
Go alone, take a group of your staff or, if you sell
business-to-business, invite a few of your key customers. They'll
love you for it. Tickets are $50 for BOT Members or $75 for non-Members and cheap at twice the
price!
5. Bits & Pieces:
(time to read this section is about 75 seconds)
Item (A): Eat kiwi fruit and reduce those pesky tryigylcerides!
The University of Oslo in Norway reports that kiwi fruit cuts the
amount of fat being pumped around your body, while also thinning your
blood. So, consuming kiwi fruit lowers trigylceride levels by an
average of 15%, inhibits blood clotting and improves cardiovascular
health..
Item (B): A quick tip to make your emails more effective: When
you send Emails, make the Subject Line in the header specific enough to
make it quick and easy for the recipient to find it...and refind it
when necessary.
We all get so many emails now and it's such a waste of time searching
for a particular one in an inbox full of 200 emails when the subject
line is "Hi Donald". Do everyone a favor ...get specific!
Item (C): What can you learn from the 100 best companies to work for?
The October issue of Maclean's magazine reported on their survey
of the 100 best companies to work for in Canada. Whether you're
Canadian, or one of our thousands of international readers, this survey
is valuable reading. Companies pay HR consultants tens of
thousands of dollars to tell them the same stuff that appears in this
report for free.
In just a few minutes of reading you can find out what the "best"
businesses, large and small, (including some of your competitors) are
doing to attract, motivate and keep the best people. If you're a
business owner or manager, rate your own performance in the people
department against those who really "get it". If you're an
employee, how could you gently help the boss to see the wisdom of
creating a more "employee friendly" environment.
You can get the report by going to www.macleans.ca and scrolling down about 12 inches and clicking on the box that says "Top 100 Employers".
Item (D): How good are you at finding what your business needs? I
hope that you're better at finding what your business needs than the
world's biggest oil companies. To succeed in the long term, oil
companies must constantly find new oil deposits but, apparently,
they're not very good at it.
According to a study just released by the Financial Times, in 2003 the
world's top 10 oil companies spent $8 billion hunting for oil,
but found only about $4 billion worth of the stuff in the
process. So, what they're now doing is curtailing their
"prospecting" budget and using the money to buy up smaller oil and gas
companies with proven reserves.
I guess the lesson here for all of is that if we're not particularly
good at doing something that's really important to the success of our
business, we'd better go out and buy (or rent) what we don't have, or
can't do.
What is it that you need to grow your business that you're not good at...and what are you going to do to make sure you get it?
Item (E): Are you building relationships and growing your business with Newsletters?
One
of the smartest things we've ever done to deliver on-going value, build
relationships and grow our business is to create this free monthly
E-newsletter. We couldn't have done it without the services and support of the
wonderful Jason Stoll at Motion4.com. Jason knows his stuff, he's passionate about helping clients
produce effective, low-cost E-Newsletters...and he's uplifting to do business
with!
If you aren't communicating with,
and delivering on-going value to, your customers and prospects on a regular
basis, you're missing the boat! If you'd like to find out how easy it is to do,
just contact Jason at jstoll@motion4.com. It could be one of the
most important calls you'll make this year.
6. A powerful marketing lesson from Starbucks!
(time to read this article is about 90 seconds)
For a printable version of this article, click here.
Starbucks is one of the great marketing success
stories of the past 10 years! They've created, delivered and marketed
the "coffee experience" in a truly remarkable way and there's much to
learn from their success.
One of the things that we can all learn from Starbucks is the art of
creating premium products and then romancing them with a compelling
story that makes customers feel that they're part of something very
special.
Once a year Starbucks® creates a "Special Reserve" coffee, then packages
it beautifully and prices it at over $20.00 (Cdn) per pound. To
put that price into perspective, according to a recent issue of
Consumers Report magazine, you can buy a very good 100% Columbian
coffee with "floral and earthy notes" for $6.00 (Cdn) a pound.
But here's the wonderful story that Starbucks® tells us about their
premium coffee. Read this story and, as you do, see how you start
to understand that this coffee is worth the 20 plus dollars a pound
that they're asking for it. Here's what they tell us...
Starbucks®
Special
Reserve
Harvest 2004
Once
again, coffee farmers of the world participated in our annual Special Reserve
competition by sending us their finest beans. Though many farmers experienced difficult growing conditions, hard work
and perseverance helped them overcome the odds to present us with some truly remarkable
coffees. From these we selected four
that stood above the rest, then roasted them into Starbucks® Special Reserve Blend 2004 – a rare and enticing coffee we created to
honor farmers for their dedication, and reward you with a wonderful experience.
This
year’s Starbucks® Special Reserve is a perfect melding of four distinct
coffees into one extraordinary blend:
From
Kenya, a coffee that’s unusually full-bodied with striking grapefruit notes.
From Costa Rica’s
Naranjo region, a coffee with stunning citrus notes and a delightful sparkle.
From Guatemala’s
Huehuetenango region, a coffee that’s perfectly balance; and,
From Chiapas, in
Southern Mexico, a coffee with a heady floral aroma.
Combined, they offer a
phenomenal taste with unmistakable citrus notes, a luxurious mouthful and a
seductive finish.”
OK, now go back and read it again. Be mindful of their choice of words...
- "coffee farmers of the world "
- "hard work and perseverance"
- "overcome the odds"
- "truly remarkable coffees"
- "rare and enticing"
- "honor farmers for their dedication"
- "reward you with a wonderful experience"
- "stunning citrus notes" ...and finally, my personal favorite,
- "a seductive finish"
This is brilliant story telling! I don't even drink coffee and I
want to go out and pay 20 bucks for this stuff. They've created a
world-wide competition. They picked the best of the best, blended
them together, created a distinctive package...and told the story
wonderfully.
So, what can you learn from this? What special, world-class,
award-winning, premium product, service or total experience can you
create? How can you package it distinctively and then price it
accordingly? Then, how and where will you tell your wonderful story in
a way that "grabs" the minds, hearts and wallets of your most
discriminating or demanding customers?
Not only can these effectively marketed premium items make big money,
they also create a wonderful "halo effect" that adds emotional value to
your entire range of products or services. That's why Chrysler
has the Viper, why Nissan has the magnificent 350Z roadster... and why
Britain still has the royal family. They class up the place!
7. The latest update on our speaking tour of New Zealand, Singapore, Australia and Hawaii.
(time to read this section is about 10 seconds)
In case you have contacts or
Divisions of your company in any of these locations who will
benefit from one of my business-changing presentations, here is how our
Spring 2005 Tour looks...
1) New Zealand from March 24 to 30th.
2) Singapore on April 1st and 3rd.
3) Australia from April 4th to 9th.
4) Maui, Hawaii from April 10th to 13th.
For more information, contact Sharen, our "director of all things" at sharen@donaldcooper.com.
8. Chuckles & Hugs:
(Time to read this section is 20 seconds)
Here are “7
Thoughts to Ponder” sent by one of our readers…
1. If at first you don't succeed, shouldn't you just try
doing it the way your wife told you to?
2. Is there ever a day when mattresses are NOT on sale?
3. Why is it that no matter what color of bubble bath
you use, the bubbles are always white?
4. How do all those dead bugs get into sealed light
fixtures?
5. In winter, why do we try to keep the house as warm as
it was in summer when we complained about the heat?
6. Why is it that inside every older person there’s a
younger person wondering what the heck happened?
7. When someone rams our ankle with a shopping cart
in the supermarket why do we say, “Oh, it's all right.”? It isn't all right, so why don't we tell
the truth and say, “That really hurt, you stupid idiot!”?
9. That’s all for this month!
"Thanks" for all of your great feedback and suggestions! We especially love to hear of your successes using our insights.
Don't forget to visit the Free Articles section on our website for
lots more valuable info on how to sell more, manage smarter and make
more money in your business. And don't forget to try our Chowder Recipe.
Finally, if you know of others, anywhere in the world, who will
find value in this E-Newsletter, we'll appreciate your sending this
along to them and inviting them.
Kindest regards!!
Donald Cooper, MBA
Canadian Speaking Professional
Member of the Canadian Speaking Hall of Fame
For
information about booking Donald for your company or Association,
contact Sharen Skene our wonderful Director of Marketing at Sharen@donaldcooper.com.
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