Getting Back to Business Basics

“Tell me and I forget; show me and I remember; involve me and I understand.” – Anonymous

For the past two years I’ve noticed that there’s been a shift in the way consumers want to interact with businesses. The ‘slap ‘em on the back’ semi-patronizing approach to selling isn’t cutting it anymore. Today’s consumer is way too savvy to be snowed under by fake smiles, insincerity, and they don’t like to feel that they’re simply a number in your bottom line.

So, how do you build relationships with new clients?

By getting back to business basics.

Let me give you an example of what I mean by that statement. Do you remember going to the local grocery store with your parents back when you were a child? The man behind the counter at the meat section always seemed to know your mother’s (or father’s) name, and that they always wanted a sirloin roast, around 5 pounds, every second Friday. Or the operator of the corner bakery always knew that your mother didn’t like her bread pre-sliced – she wanted it left intact so she could cut it later at home. In that era, you knew that your patronage was valued – YOU mattered to the owner and they took concrete steps to ensure that you kept doing business with them.

People don’t do business with the ‘name’ on the door. They do business with YOU – another live, human being, and to succeed you need to incorporate “R & R” – respect & responsibility, into your interactions with others. Your own core values need to come across clearly in every aspect of your business, whether it is from the moment you pick up the phone and say “Hello! This is Cookie speaking. How can I help you today?” to ensuring that when you make promises to the customer, you deliver on time, every time. They care whether their needs are being met and that they can trust you to give them the best bang for their hard-earned buck.

Which leads me to ask you this question: Are your actions matching your values?

Here are what I believe to be the 3 key elements to running a successful and service-based business:

1. Honesty. As a consumer yourself, I know you want to deal with people who are up front about their product/service. Are you doing the same with your clients? Do you tell them exactly what you are capable of bringing to the table, or do you ‘snow’ them with empty promises that you know you won’t be able to deliver on? Yes, sometimes being totally honest means you may have to let a potential client go elsewhere, but I can guarantee you that they’ll remember you for being upfront and honest with them. And guess what? Perhaps when they do have a need for what you provide, they’ll remember YOUR name because you told them the truth. Period.
2. Trust. Have you ever walked away from doing business with a company simply because you had a gut feeling that you couldn’t trust a word they were saying? I know I have because I can’t do business with someone I don’t feel comfortable with. It is inconsistent with my core values. Fostering trust is a huge plus in my books. Do you ‘walk your talk’ or are you full of hot air? Bluffing your way through a sales pitch is a dead giveaway that you don’t trust your own product/service enough to look people in the eye and be able to sell yourself and product convincingly. If you don’t have your client’s trust, they’ll move on to someone who they can work with without worrying they’re being taken advantage of.
3. Value. Do you really appreciate your clients and for that matter, members of your own team? If so, do you tell them how pleased you are that they’re doing business with you? When was the last time you sat your team down and told them that without their contribution to your business, the company wouldn’t be as flourishing as it is today? How often have you genuinely thanked your clients for being part of your success? Better yet, when was the last time you asked your clients how you can serve them better? Two simple words used often and sincerely can go a long way to establishing your reputation as someone worthy of conducting business with, and those two words are “Thank you.”  Say them often and mean it!

If you follow these three small steps and incorporate them into your everyday business life, I can guarantee you that your customers will remain loyal to your business and you.

And true loyalty is priceless.

And if you need a fresh perspective and a partner to help you get back to basics and an action plan for 2011 and beyond, take advantage of my Complimentary Business Strategy Session. Cookie@CookieTuminello.com.

Are You Waiting on the World to Change?

“You cannot expect to achieve new goals or move beyond your present circumstances unless you change.” – Les Brown

I was listening to a song on the radio the other day by John Mayer called, ‘Waiting on the World to Change.’..

Well, good luck with that. Sitting back and waiting in resignation for The Good Change Fairy to come and sprinkle pixie dust on your business and life to make it all better ain’t happening. Here’s the deal: The world doesn’t just change by itself. It takes people to make the changes happen in the world.

The only way to change your present circumstances is to take action to bring about the changes you want. As I’m fond of saying, “You don’t get to whine if you don’t do the time.”

If you are going to go about making changes in your business or your life, you’ll need to incorporate the following 3 components:

1. ACCOUNTABILITY – Look around you. Have you ever noticed that every time something happened in your life you were there? You can’t play the blame game if something is not working in your business or life. YOU are accountable for your actions or inactions. It’s no one else’s fault if something doesn’t turn out the way you wanted it to. YOU are accountable for everything you do: your words, your thoughts, your interactions with people, your own feelings, and the results you produce. If things aren’t working out the way you want, then YOU take a look at what YOU could do differently to make things better.
2. RESPONSIBILITY – You have a responsibility to conduct your business (and your life), from a place of honesty, integrity, and reality. If you create problems then it is your responsibility to rectify and resolve them… period. As Abraham Lincoln once said, “People are as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Notice he didn’t say that “People are as happy as OTHERS make them feel.” So, if you or any of your clients has expressed their displeasure with your products or services, then it’s up to YOU to clean it up. Same principle applies to the people you interact with in your personal life. If you’re not happy with the way a relationship is going in your life, then is up to you to register a complaint and make a request to change it.
3. CORE VALUES – If you are making bad decisions or second guessing yourself a lot, then in all probability you are making ones that are not in keeping with your core values. If you are making decisions based on what you or others think you SHOULD do instead of what you WANT to do, in all probability you’re being inconsistent with your core values. Once you realign your actions to be consistent with your core values, then you will achieve the level of productivity, effectiveness, confidence, and success you want in your life.

The bottom line is this: If you don’t like your present circumstances, change them. You can’t sit around waiting for someone else to do it for you, like the aforementioned Good Change Fairy. YOU are the catalyst and change agent extraordinaire for your life. Go ahead, make a difference in YOUR world today. And don’t be surprised if the world starts bringing you more of what you want out of life as a result of your actions.

And if you’re having trouble figuring out what your core values are and how to use them to make the right decisions every time, give me a call or email me to schedule a time to chat at Cookie@CookieTuminello.com.

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© 2010 Cookie Tuminello – Success Source, LLC

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Cookie Tuminello, THE Team Builder of the South, has been empowering teams and igniting productivity since 1999. Learn more about how Cookie empowers CEO’s, managers, business owners, and team members in her FREE Report “50 Ways To Go From Overwhelmed to Empowered” and receive monthly Success Tips at www.CookieTuminello.com.

WANT TO SEE MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE? See the Free Resources Page on Cookie’s Web Site

Are You Working On Or In Your Business?

“You have to see the pattern, understand the order and experience the vision.” ~ Michael Gerber

Yes, I know. The title of this article may sound confusing, so let me clearly state what the difference is between working ‘in’ your business versus working ‘on’ it. Working ‘in’ your business means that you’re handling everything all by yourself: all the accounting, sales generation, product/service development, website maintenance, writing, running errands and making coffee. In short, you think you’re Wonder Woman, flying around wearing your bright red cape while searching for that 25th hour in the day.

Working ‘on’ your business means that you’re in charge of making sure that you actually have a business to run! You have a clear vision of where you want your business to go and spend your time developing new strategies to get there. You aren’t afraid to delegate or hire additional personnel to help you achieve your goals as you know your own strengths (and weaknesses!), and focus your attention on growing your company.

Let me give you a clear cut example. I am not a numbers person and as such do not like accounting. That does not mean that I didn’t know what was going on in my business because I did, I just didn’t like the detail stuff. I decided early on in that this was one area which I wasn’t going to waste my time working on. Since it took me three times as long to get my month-end accounting and paperwork done as it did an accountant, I knew my dollars and time would be better spent hiring someone else to perform this function in my business. By contracting this function out, I spared myself from making 2 very costly mistakes: 1) I could now schedule my time to work ‘on’ my business by developing new programs, and 2) I avoided spending hours doing my accounting and kicked my procrastination on completing this task to the curb.

When you are starting out in a business or a new position of leadership, you do the little things because you have to. At some point, (and sooner than later I hope), you wake up and realize that your actions are costing you money, clients, and growth in your business. If you have been working ‘in’ your business and not focusing ‘on’ your business, you will wake up ‘out of business.’

Here are 3 strategic steps that will totally shift your business model for the better, make the most of your time, and keep you focused on your big picture.

1. Take a hard look at where you are spending your time. For example, how many networking events do you attend a week? Being involved in your community is one thing, but joining every organization for the sake of exposure is a whole different ball game. Here are some questions that will help you quantify your involvement. Are you strategically connecting for your business or are you just chit chatting? Are you committed to participating in this organization or are you just showing up? Can you quantify a Return On your Investment (ROI)? If not, you may want to rethink your perception of networking.
2. Set business development hours/days. I set aside one day of the week for business development. This is the time that I am planning, working on projects/articles, developing new products, scheduling workshops, or contacting potential clients. The whole day is spent in my office. I don’t schedule any appointments outside my office. I’m a woman on a mission.
3. Set hours/days for outside appointments/meeting with clients or networking. This is huge. You can’t concentrate on your work if you are interrupting the flow of your day. In other words, it’s real hard to stop the flow of energy and re-start it later.

Keep in mind we all get the same amount of hours in a day. No more, no less. You can work harder or you can work smarter – the choice is yours. The object of the game is to create long term sustainable foundations and results that are in accordance with your vision, values, and purpose of your business. And that, my friends equals success.

If you are having trouble creating a business model that creates more success and less stress, email me at Info@CookieTuminello.com to schedule a Get Acquainted session today.

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© 2010 Cookie Tuminello – Success Source, LLC

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Cookie Tuminello, THE Team Builder of the South, has been empowering teams and igniting productivity since 1999. Learn more about how Cookie empowers CEO’s, managers, business owners, and team members in her FREE Report “50 Ways To Go From Overwhelmed to Empowered” and receive monthly Success Tips at www.CookieTuminello.com.

Want To Go From A Good To Great Leader in 2010??

“A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader, a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves.” – Author Unknown

Being a terrific leader takes commitment, confidence, and clarity. It doesn’t matter if you’re a supervisor, CEO or entrepreneur – the steps you need to know in order to motivate the people who work with you are the same. The old school method of employing ‘scare’ tactics, i.e. “If you don’t do what I TELL you do, then there’s the door!” doesn’t cut it anymore in today’s business world. Besides, if you still subscribe to the “It’s my way or the highway” way of thinking, you’re going to alienate everyone who works in your company or organization and nothing will be accomplished except for making enemies out of your staff.

Here are 4 steps that will take you from good to great leader.

1. Set a clear direction for your team. Clarity begets desired results. If you aren’t clear about where you’re going, do you think your team will be? As a leader, your role is to be the visionary who paints the picture for them to follow. If you aren’t clear about the necessary steps your staff need to take to accomplish a goal, then a lot of time is going to be wasted running around in circles. Create a clear action plan – one that shows exactly how and what you want to get done. If needed, draw a roadmap diagram on paper outlining the full process, starting with the objective and detailing what each person is responsible to complete. The better your directions are, the easier it will be to get the goal finished.

2. Make sure your actions match your intentions and visions. You, as the leader, need to know what you envision being the final outcome of the project/task you’re asking your employees to work on. Do you want to ‘wow’ a client with an exceptional product presentation? Can you see the final project completed? What does it look like to you? Are YOU excited about this task? Your own level of commitment and enthusiasm needs to come across loud and clear to your team. If you’re ho hum about the outcome, then guess what – that’s the attitude that will be adopted by members of your team. Some of us are ‘big picture’ thinkers. We forget about all the details on how to get to that big picture, but as the leader you can’t allow yourself to let those minute details slide. If you do, then the final outcome will definitely not be to your liking.

3. Create a cohesive team. You must have confidence in your team and their abilities. Knowing who fits in where in your team is crucial to creating success. You need to assign the ‘right’ people to the ‘right’ tasks. If Suzie doesn’t like concept writing, but loves to work on graphics, then make sure you assign her that portion of the job. Knowing the strengths of each member of the team is crucial in achieving a super end result. No one likes to work on something they detest doing. By forcing them to take on duties they absolutely hate creates resentment, and resentment either slows down the entire project or provides a poor performance.

4. Work smarter, not harder. I know you’ve heard this phrase a million times, but it bears repeating. By learning to delegate the workload to the right person will lift some of the weight of turning in a top-notch end result off your own shoulders. Your role is to be the visionary – not the micro-manager! You role model what it means to be a leader and a follower, and in turn you inspire and create great leaders for the future. And isn’t that the purpose of being a leader?

If you want to go from good to great leader in your business and need some direction and support, email me for a Get Acquainted Session today at info@cookietuminello.com.

2010 is almost here!

Only 16 days until Christmas. Wow! I can hardly believe it’s almost here. This is the time of year when I’m winding down while I’m wrapping presents, baking Christmas goodies, and spreading cheer. It is also a time when I start reflecting on what I want to create in 2010. I’ve already starting making notes, setting my goals, and thinking about what I want to go on my Prosperity Board. What about you? Have you starting planning for 2010? No need to procrastinate any longer. If you’re having trouble getting focused, give me a call. I can help. Call me to find out more about my VIP 1 Day Coaching Package to jumpstart your 2010 business year and put you ahead of the competition.

I want to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year for you and your families. Take time to enjoy the season and all of its blessings.

Team Up With Cookie will return January 5th, 2010. See you then.

This week’s Success Principle

I know a lot of you have seen this week’s Success Principle before, however, a little kick in the pants is not a bad thing. I know it can feel very overwhelming with all these deadlines at work and at home, so stop stressing and get moving. I’ve got some strategies that will help you get out of procrastination and into focused action immediately. Read more…….

Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year to you!

Love ya,

PS:  Keep up with Cookie during the week… Join my Facebook family!

Let The Holidays Begin!

I’m back. I got to spend quality time with children and grandchildren for Thanksgiving. I even braved Black Friday and finished my Christmas shopping. Now I get to kick back and enjoy my holiday season with family and friends. Who says you can’t have it all? All it takes is a little planning and staying focused on the end result.

Speaking of planning… how many of you have got your plan of action in place for 2010? One of the reasons I get so much done and get to enjoy my holiday season too is PLANNING and IMPLEMENTATION. Check out my 1 day (that’s 8 hours with me) Business Strategy Session for those who want to get a head start on 2010.

I want to extend a warm welcome my 3 new clients who chose to get their plan in place now for 2010.

Congratulations! I’m so excited to be working with you.

This week’s Success Principle comes in the form of a question from one of my readers.

You know every now and then I get questions from my readers about how to handle breakdowns in their business or life. This has prompted me to add another dimension to my newsletter called Ask Cookie. Occasionally I will be posting readers questions (with permission, of course) and answering them so that you all can benefit from the challenge.

So, if you have a question or challenge and you would like some feedback, email it to me at Cookie@CookieTuminello.com and I’ll share my response in my Ask Cookie section.

Have a prosperous and productive week!

Love ya,

5 Steps For Taking Calculated Risks To Succeed

**ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED – July 28th, 2009**

“Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash.

~ General George S. Patton

A few years ago, I was asked to teach a workshop called, “Dreams Never Die – How to keep your dreams alive after 50”. It is true that dreams never die, but they can wind up fading into the woodwork of our lives if they aren’t cultivated and nurtured into reality. What I realized is that while all of us have dreams most people aren’t sure how to actualize those dreams. We tend to keep them in a ‘Someday file’ and someday never comes, because the fear of taking a risk and making a mistake is too scary and overwhelming to us. Hence, the reason a lot of folks die with regrets.

The same theory applies to building a successful business. While most are content to maintain a status quo and a stable bottom line, those who dared to take calculated risks and step outside their comfort zone to create new possibilities are those who often achieve the greatest success. A truly passionate leader, who invokes feelings of anticipation and inspiration within their team, can turn dreams into reality.

The web definition of ‘calculated risk’ is “A risk that has been given thoughtful consideration and for which the potential costs and potential benefits have been weighted and considered.” I’m not suggesting that you spend months, (or even years), trying to determine the pro’s and con’s of changes you’d like to implement in your business. What I am suggesting is that you make the decision to take a risk – to think of alternative possibilities – and start putting new, fresh ideas to work in your company and team.

You will never know what you are capable of until you let go and take action. Think about it. How far are you willing to go to have the business you want and deserve? When was the last time that you presented a fresh idea or perspective on how to achieve a specific goal to your team? Or better yet, when was the last time you were open to receiving a new idea from your team members?

Here are some questions to ask yourself to begin turning your dreams into visions, visions into goals, goals into action, and action into fulfillment. These steps will help you clarify your thoughts and turn them into reality:

1. Is my goal/dream in keeping with my company’s values? If your new vision doesn’t quite feel right or goes against your mission/values statement, then drop it.
2. What are the action steps I need to take to achieve this dream? How will you fund this new idea? Does it fall into place with your long term gains for your company?
3. What support will I need to stay focused and committed to my dream? How can you get your team to buy into your dream? You’re going to need their input as well as their own ideas of how to take your thoughts and turn them into reality.
4. By what date will I achieve this dream? Be very realistic when choosing the timeline of when you’d like to be see your goals put into action. If you try and rush genius, you could end up looking like a fool.
5. How will I feel when I achieve this dream? Visualize how you will feel once your dream has become grounded in reality. Are you seeing an increase in your bottom line? Are your customers raving about your new offering? Are your team members happy and committed? Picture how satisfied you’ll feel once everything has fallen into place and your sales are soaring.

Go ahead, dare to dream big. You will never know how far you can go until you do!

If you are having trouble creating a vision and a plan of action for you and your team and need some direction, email me for a Get Acquainted Session today at: Info@CookieTuminello.com.

6 Steps to Get Out of Procrastination and Into Action

**ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED – July 21st, 2009**

“Procrastination is the bad habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday.” ~ Napoleon Hill

Most people love to procrastinate on completing things that they just don’t ‘want’ to do or plain old dislike doing. Constantly telling ourselves, “I’ll get around to that … soon” is just like a dog trying to catch his own tail. We end up going around and around in circles accomplishing nothing. What a vicious cycle! The way I see it, we have two choices: we can mentally press what I call the Procrastination Pause button, or we can start NOW to work on our personal ‘wish list’ and not waste time doing absolutely nothing.

With all that being said, about 2 months ago I started taking a look at my goals for this year. Although I was quite pleased with my accomplishments made so far, there was one goal that I kept pushing aside. I had been saying it was time for me to take my business to the next level with the addition of new programs that I had been talking about for a long time. This was like the “What’s next?” for me. Even though I knew that, I still procrastinated. Not only was I holding myself back, I was holding my team back. Their work depended on me doing my work first. Procrastination is a pesky little devil that hangs on tenaciously, and I wasn’t quite ready to do a whole shift in my business.

However, I knew that if I didn’t put the wheels in motion to bring about the change in direction that I wanted for my business – and soon! – then I’d probably be beating myself up mentally with the shoulda, woulda, coulda conversation.

Since everybody I know dwells in ‘procrastination land’ on occasion, here are 6 important steps to get your engines revving at full speed ahead and dump procrastination from your work life.

1. Make a clear list of what you want to do and set a time frame. You have got to know where you are going before you can go there, and set a definite finish date. This keeps you accountable to yourself.
2. Check off what is an absolute priority. When I say priority, I mean an absolute “must do”.
3. Determine what can be realistically delegated. Contrary to popular belief, there are things on your list that can be handled by others. For example, gathering data for reports, copying, phone calls, etc. Asking for support will allow you to get farther, faster and with less stress.
4. Take a look at what is left on your list. Ask yourself if this is a “must do” or a “should do.” If you have some “shoulds” on your list – dump them! Oh, I can hear the “buts” coming up now. No Buts! If you have items on your list like that, you are probably not committed to doing them. So why put yourself through the agony of defeat and invalidation? Let them go!
5. Make a plan of action. Determine what you will do daily to achieve your goal and what support you will need. The intention is to design a plan that will work for you, not stress you out more.
6. Focus on the present and what you have to do today. This step will keep you from going into overwhelm.

So, let’s see, the choice was mentally press the pause button or finish what you started. You have now got a plan. All it needs is for you to provide the action. Remember, it’s not about finishing, it’s about starting.

If you are having trouble creating a vision and a plan of action for you and your team and need some direction, email me for a Get Acquainted Session today at: Info@CookieTuminello.com.

Write Your Daily Manifesting Script For Rapid Results!

“A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader, a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves.” – Author Unknown

Write Your Daily Manifesting Script For Rapid Results!
~ Mariana Cooper

As my business has grown and most recently seems to be growing very rapidly I have noticed something that is very common as you are growing your business. We start to lose our way because we are trying to do so much and meet the needs of so many. It begins to feel like we really have no say in what is going to happen next!

Even though we hear that we create it all, that we can have it all, etc etc it seems that circumstances have a way of getting the best of us! We notice what is going on around us and start to label it as truth. And for that moment it is the truth.

The “truth” is whatever you are focusing on the most right NOW.

So if you are focusing on all that is going wrong, your dominant thought is negative so by LAW nothing else can present itself. If however your dominant thought is positive or hopeful or deliberately intended your circumstance has to change to reflect that.

Sometimes this formula that most of us have heard of before is one that seems to elude us at times. Why is it that we can be thinking positive, saying affirmations etc etc, and things STILL don’t seem to be working out or they are going very slowly?

One of the biggest reasons is that we are not being specific enough with what we truly want. How do you really want the day to go?

Do you want to meet a helpful person who can help you develop your website? Do you want a new opportunity to present itself today? Do you want new resources to miraculously appear? Do you desire some extra money to help you with bills or something special for yourself?

The secret to getting these circumstances to occur is to ASK!! Believe it or not we seem to be much better about visualizing the BIG PICTURE. The big house, the new car, the great guy or gal who is our ULTIMATE soul mate, the windfall of money is what we envision. That is great! And it is important to have that big vision.

BUT here is the secret: You MUST visualize how you want the small in between steps to unfold as well! You must ASK for the resources, the next steps to take toward your ultimate goals that are for your highest good, the helpful people that can really move you forward etc.

Here is what I do each morning and it WORKS really well:

1. As you awake say “Thank you”
2. Then ask “How May I Serve?”
3. Then Script Your Day by declaring: “Today I see myself meeting a person who will…… or Today I will have an amazing money miracle that really propels me forward… or Today I am in the right place, at the right time meeting all the right people…
4. You can also take some time to actually visualize yourself solving a particular issue, having an easy time with a customer service agent, feeling surprised at the end of the day about how fabulous it all went…
5. Let yourself get emotional about it and feel the essence of your script coming to fruition!
6. And then LET IT GO!!!! Refrain from analyzing whether it is going to happen or if this works or why it works for someone else and not you etc etc.
7. Remember it is always “This or Something Even Better!” Give the Universe the Opportunity to OVER DELIVER!!!

You have done your part of the job so LET IT GO and LET THE UNIVERSE DO IT’S JOB!!

When you focus on scripting small steps on a daily basis for your goals it is amazing how much your confidence for the big stuff grows!!!

Give it a try and let me know how it works on FACEBOOK!!! Friend me at Mariana M Cooper!!

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If you are having trouble creating a vision and a plan of action for your team and need some direction, email me for a Get Acquainted Session today at: Info@CookieTuminello.com.

Just Say “No!” to guilt trips!

Just Say No to Guilt Trips – article by Cookie Tuminello at SelfGrowth.com – http://ping.fm/FuAN3