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.

You CAN Teach An ‘Old Dog’ New Tricks!

“Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.” – Arnold Bennett

One of the biggest issues which have been cropping up consistently with my clients lately is that of accepting and even embracing change. Even when they know that the converting over to a new way of doing things will eventually in the long run save them time and money to say nothing of alleviating stress in their lives, they continue to kick and scream every inch of the way.

I believe the first thing you need to do in order to embrace change gracefully is to find out why you’re experiencing such an adverse reaction to this new request. For example, are you afraid of failure? Having a hard time trusting yourself to go through with the process, as in “Why bother? Nothing ever changes.” These conditions are all due to issues of low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence, and resignation which you’ll need to work on at some point, but let’s take a look at the bigger picture here of why you’re fighting this change so hard.

At what point in your life did you become so entrenched in the ‘But that’s the way we’ve always done it’ dumpster? I know there are a lot of people who subscribe to the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” choir, but that saying has one major flaw in it: what IF it can be improved by making a few changes? Should you just sit blindly by and do nothing because you’re afraid of the work you’ll need to do to modify something? No way!

Here’s the thing about change. With change comes confusion, uncertainty, chaos, and not having all the answers. And not having all the answers is the thing that really rocks our boat. Because when we have all the answers, we can deal with those changes and it feels safe. Ah, but herein lies the kicker….there’s no room for growth there and you succumb to mediocrity and ultimately fade into the woodwork so to speak.

Change is the very thing that adds spice to our everyday life. Picture this: if you ate one kind of cereal every morning for 40 years, don’t you think you’d be a little bit tired of eating it at around day 14,610? (By the way, that number includes an extra 10 days for Leap years.) I’m pretty sure you just nodded your head yes at that one, right?

Change is the determining factor between having a thriving and bountiful life and business, or one that is merely existing and taking up space on the planet. Yes, change is hard to adapt to, and yes, it’s uncomfortable when you’re going through it – most of the best things in life do cause us some twinges of pain – but you need to realize that the immediate discomfort will soon pass.

So, the next time you’re faced with any type of change, ask yourself these two questions:

1. What will the end result look like once I embrace this change and reach the goa lpost?
2. If I do this now, what added benefits will it bring to my overall life?

We’re talking ‘big picture’ here folks. Think bigger – you just might like it!

And if you are still having trouble making the leap and would like to insure your success, drop me an email to schedule a FREE Get Acquainted Session 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

Is the fear of success holding you back?

“The greatest fear of success is the possibility of it.” – Arthur Tugman

It’s a brand new year and you’ve made some bold decisions on the direction you’d like your business to go, but something is definitely holding you back from putting your plans in motion.

I know. Some of you may think that’s a totally backwards statement to make as everyone loves to be successful, but that’s not always the case. Let me explain.

As I’m fond of saying, big risks require big actions, and those actions usually involve stepping way outside your comfort zone. Yes, you may know how to service your regional area, but how will you handle 3 regional areas if that’s one of your goals? And even more importantly, what happens if suddenly 30 companies are placing orders for your products or services? Are you equipped and ready to handle that increase in your business?

That’s what I call the ‘fear of success’ principle. It’s that big, “What will I do if this idea flies?” question that often stops entrepreneurs dead in their tracks. Their heart says, “I’m so ready to be bigger and bolder in my business,” yet their brain starts arguing with them and responds, “Yeah, but what if I achieve that goal and I can’t handle the added pressure? What’s going to happen to my business then?” I’ll tell you what happens next. You end up sitting on the fence getting splinters in your behind for not making a decision to either move forward with your plans, or you stay in the same, safe place you’re used to being in.

Ask yourself these 3 simple questions to determine whether you’re afraid of success or simply procrastinating:

1. Am I equipped to handle the ‘best’ case scenario? Do you have systems in place to accommodate the increase in your business? Have you laid the proper groundwork to quickly and easily bring on board additional personnel if needed to satisfy the demands of your clients? If your answer is no to this one, then you’d better start the process of putting together a firm foundation upon which to grow your business before you implement new programs or growth strategies.
2. Can I live with the added stress that business growth usually brings? If you’re already eating a bottle of antacids a day due to your already stressful life, then you seriously need to find ways to increase your coping mechanisms. Everyday life is stressful enough without taking into consideration what the additional requests for your time/resources will bring into the mix. Carefully look at what it will take to remove some of the stressors from your life now before the increase in your business happens. Being in peak physical and mental condition is key to surviving both the pitfalls and periods of growth in your company’s operations and personal life as well.
3. Am I managing my commitments or are they managing me? Yes, you heard right… commitments. Why? You can’t manage your commitments without know how to manage your time. No matter how you slice or dice it, there are only 24 hours in every day, 365 days a year, (and 366 on a Leap Year). If you’re constantly running late for client appointments, or rescheduling your calendar to try and fit in time to have dinner with your family, you definitely need to reassess where you’re spending your time. Trying to maintain an even work/life balance is hard enough when your days are running along fairly smoothly let alone when your business suddenly takes a big upswing in demand.

Failure is something that most all of us have experienced in one form or another, but handling success is a whole different ball game. Make sure you’re primed and ready to cope with all the downsides of success as well as the upsides of achieving those lofty goals before you set them in motion!

And if you need help conquering either your fear of success or failure, then email me at Cookie@CookieTuminello.com as we’ll work together to get you on track to achieve the success you want in 2010.

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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 weekly Success Tips at www.CookieTuminello.com.

Get a positive focus in your life for 2010…

Brrrr!

Winter has officially hit the South. Temperatures have been dipping down into the teens. For us Southerners that’s pretty chilly, but I love it. This past weekend I stayed in and did some reflecting and fine tuning on my goals for the coming year. I now have them completed for the year, but I also like to break them down into bite size pieces for more positive focus. So, I’ve decided to closely work with my mentoring coach to determine what I want to tackle in the next 90 days.

What about you? Have you got your goals broken down into doable realistic pieces? If not, you won’t want to miss my Smart Start Offer to get the support you need to achieve those big goals for 2010. The offer has been extended to Friday, January 15th so don’t miss out.

Just a Reminder! Starting February 2nd, Team Up With Cookie ezine will be published monthly. I will still be bringing you quality articles to motivate, inspire, and guide with proven business strategies to create the success you want and deserve in your business and your life – I’ll just be doing it monthly instead of weekly.

Also, in order to serve you, my valued readers, better, I’d like you to email me any questions that you’d like me to answer in future columns. You can send your questions to  Cookie@CookieTuminello.com and I’ll address them in my Ask Cookie segment.

This week’s Success Principle: It’s a brand new year and you’ve made some bold decisions on the direction you’d like your business to go, but something is definitely holding you back from putting your plans in motion. Is the fear of success holding you back?

Have a prosperous and productive week,

Love ya,

WOW! 2010!

Happy New Year To You All!

WOW! 2010!

A new year, a new beginning. I don’t know about you, but this year feels different already. I can feel the energy, the excitement, the creativity, the possibilities, just pulsing through my veins. I am rested, relaxed, and ready to jump in with both feet, and I’ve got a lot of good news I want to share with you today.

Some of you have been emailing me wondering when I was going to tell you what my theme for 2010 is. So without further adieu, here it is!

“2010 – The Year of Freedom
and Infinite Possibilities”

What about you? Is 2010 going to be a repeat of 2009 or is it going to be the year you open yourself up to new opportunities and endless possibilities?

I don’t know about you, but I’m opening myself up. My business is growing and expanding so I have to make room for it all. With that being said, I am making some changes. One of which is with my weekly ezine which has been a part of my business since 2003. I can hardly believe it’s been almost 7 years. I’ve loved every minute of it.  And I thank you for being on the journey with me thus far.

Starting in February, Team Up With Cookie ezine will be published monthly. I will still be bringing you quality articles to motivate, inspire, and guide with proven business strategies to create the success you want and deserve in your business and your life – I’ll just be doing it monthly instead of weekly.

Also, in order to serve you, my valued readers, better, I’d like you to email me any questions that you’d like me to answer in future columns. You can send your questions to  Cookie@CookieTuminello.com and I’ll address them in my Ask Cookie segment.

This week’s Success Principle: Opportunity is all around you. In order to be ready when opportunity knocks on your door, you’ve got to lay the groundwork or till the soil as they say. This week’s 9 Step Process will help you make a quantum leap in the jumpstart process. Read more…

Speaking of opportunities, here’s YOUR first big opportunity for 2010 – my gift to you. Check out my New Year’s Offer to you in the Cookie Recommends Section…

Have a prosperous and productive week!

Love ya,

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

The 7 Word Sentence That Can Sabotage Your Success

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller

Would you like to know the #1 reason why CEO’s, business owners, and managers get so bogged down and end up sabotaging their own success?

It’s a simple 7 word sentence that speaks volumes about you and how you operate your business, and that sentence is, “No thanks, I can do it myself.” Not only do you believe you can do every single thing without anyone’s help, you often don’t want to relinquish control over your business/company and the day to day operations. In fact, that is the one thing you have to become more skilful at doing in order to be the big thinker and implement strategies to create a well-oiled operation.

In order to achieve the high level of success that you desire, you must be willing to ask and accept SUPPORT from your team.

I frequently hear two complaints from my clients: 1 – “I have too much to do,” and 2 – “I’m not getting the results I want from my team.” When I start probing and asking questions, I find out that one of two things are happening in their business: either they’re not delegating or they’re micro-managing their team. Both can wreak havoc in your business.

Let me spell it out for you.

Delegation. When you become the leader, you go from being task oriented to that of a visionary. In order to do that, you have to be willing to ask for SUPPORT. And that means that you have to let go of the day to day details. For some letting go of certain tasks can be daunting. Why? Because we think that it will take too long to explain it to someone or they won’t do it right, so we just do it ourselves. I can promise you that kind of thinking will cause you a whole lot of havoc and you’ll end up doing 15 things at once.

Micro-managing is when you give “Jane” a specific task to do and then you constantly check to see if she is performing the work to your standards. You even go so far as to give her ‘helpful hints’ on what she should be doing… according to your vision. When you assign work to members on your team, stand back and let them do their job! Definitely set guidelines for progress and completion. Always let them know that they can come to you if they need SUPPORT or have further questions. Don’t stifle their creativity and enthusiasm by constantly looking over their shoulder as they do their work. I’m sure you have better things to do with your time.

Here are 2 sure-fire solutions to role modeling great leadership practices:

1. First and foremost, remember that you will get more accomplished and achieve better results when you work as a team. Notice that the word ‘I’ doesn’t appear in the word ‘team.’ Alone, you can only do so much, but by enrolling others in your vision you can accomplish much more and in a shorter time period.
2. Learn how to make effective requests. Leaders often don’t get the results they want because they are not specific. Requests have to have 4 components – a speaker, a listener, action to be performed, and a time frame to be completed. Give clear instructions for their performance on the project. You don’t have to tell them how to do it, but you do have to tell them what you want and by when.

When you incorporate these practices, you become a purpose driven leader as opposed to crisis manager. You’ll achieve more productivity, more effectiveness, more success, with a lot less stress if you incorporate these steps in your daily business operation.

And if you’re having trouble asking for support and need some direction, email me for a Get Acquainted Session today at: Info@CookieTuminello.com

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© 2009 Success Source, LLCWANT 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 weekly Success Tips at www.CookieTuminello.com.

Want Change? Start with Patience!

“Change is not made without inconvenience, even from worse to better.”
– Richard Hooker

I couldn’t have said it better myself! As you know, I’m all for making changes to better our lives and businesses, but I have to admit that in the past 2 weeks my tolerance levels have been sorely tested. I’ve had to relearn patience skills and there were times that I’m sure my perseverance quotient on a scale of 1 to 10 was at -20.

As you know, I’ve been restructuring my business to better reflect the needs and desires of you, my valued clients. Consequently I’ve spent the last few weeks going over new designs, changing my website content, and doing a complete overhaul of my collateral. After jumping more hurdles than a sprinter at the Olympic Games, last week I finally hit the ‘wall.’ Nothing seemed to be working properly on my site and I found myself getting totally frustrated from juggling too many balls and putting out fires. At one point I even wondered why I was going through all this agony. I was not so lovingly reminded that change is great, but it definitely takes perseverance and patience to implement something new into your life.

I’m going to share with you two techniques that I adopted to get through this transition phase and still stay sane.

1. Just breathe. Phew! I’d forgotten about this one until I caught myself almost hyperventilating at the latest snafu. When overwhelm knocks you down, find a nice quiet place and comfy chair and let your body relax by taking 5 nice long, even breaths. Make sure you close your eyes and cancel out the chatter in your brain. In my case, I popped my Calming The Chaos Audio CD from my Personal Power Mini Pack in my computer. After listening to 5 minutes of my CD, I felt rejuvenated and once again able to tackle the next ‘breakdown du jour’ with a clear head.
2. Re-adjust your timeline, not your head. Remember that TV commercial where they tried to fit 20 or so people into a tiny compact car? That’s what happens when you try and do 50 things at once. Your brain is getting so many signals of what is a priority that it can’t figure out which one of the 25 tasks you’re trying to do is supposed to take the #1 spot. Setting deadlines is great to keep up motivated to reach the finish line, but there are times when we have to take a step back and determine if we need to re-adjust our timelines. When you find yourself unable to complete just one task due to your endless ‘To Do’ loop that’s playing in your head, then you know you have to adjust your schedule. As far as I know they haven’t discovered a 25th hour in the day, so be realistic in what you can and can’t achieve in your working hours. Plus when making that infamous ‘To Do’ list, make sure you prioritize it according to how much time is needed to complete each task.

Running around like a chicken with its head cut off and tearing your hair out isn’t going to make your changes happen faster. All you’re going to achieve is a raging migraine and the need to visit your hairdresser to purchase a wig!

Be patient with yourself, (and others), and know that everything will come together in its own time. That’s called perseverance – the knowing that all will be right with your world… just sometimes not on your timeline.

If you’re 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

© 2009 Success Source, LLC

Do You Need An Attitude Adjustment?

COOKIE’S “Wake Up Wednesday” THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

“I get to play golf for a living. What more can you ask for—getting paid for doing what you love.”
~ Tiger Woods

AMEN, Tiger! I am grateful to say that I love what I do and getting paid for it makes it even better. I am amazed at how many people have settled for less in the name of security. That comfort zone is real cushy, isn’t it? However, eight to ten hours a day is a long time to be miserable and resigned.

Today, ask yourself if you need an attitude adjustment or possibly a new career.  Sometimes you may need both.

Love ya,