2009 July

Wisdom from a Campfire!

I know I’ve been talking about my 13 year-old, Alex, lately but for any of you who are raising a teenager, it’s a whole new challenge. Magic happened over the six days of camping with Alex… he talked! No, really, he did!

Take away the cell phone, video games, and skateboard and what else is there to do but talk! We hiked three miles, drank from a pure cliff stream, and biked seven miles through the paved wilderness.

I’ve realized something through this. Even though our kids tell us “I don’t want to talk about it,” they really DO want to talk about it. I learned more during one bonfire with Alex than I learned in the entire month of June. It’s so important to create opportunities for our kids to spend one-on-one time with their parents–especially when they’re the oldest and are asked to take on adult responsibilities like babysitting and helping out with younger children.

I think even in business we need to get one-on-one with as many of our people as we can. With our own kids I suggest a scheduled time. Even if your kid hems and haws, he or she really does look forward to it and will eventually open up to you with the things they’re feeling about life. Remember, it’s not about saying to our kids, “Ok, tell me what’s going on.” It’s about creating an atmosphere for open communication and allowing it to happen naturally.

Ah, so much wisdom coming from the serenity of the campfire!

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Put that schedule together for one-on-ones!

80/20 Rule Goes Beyond Business!

Do you remember the old 80/20 Rule? In business it refers to 20% of your customers who provide 80% of your income. The same principle exists in life. Why is it that when I open up my closet doors I have five yards of clothes to choose from but I always wear the same articles? 80% of my clothes I never wear!

This morning I went to my cupboard full of mugs and sought out one of three that I prefer to drink from: My Branson Mug, World’s Greatest Dad Mug, and my Dog mug. Why just those three? I have 12 to choose from! The 80/20 Rule refers to vendors in your business too. We work with multiple vendors, but there are about 20% that we use on a continual basis.

These vendors we call Process Partners. Process Partners, I have found to be the speed of business. When a Process Partner is embraced by the company they do business with wonderful things begin to happen. They know the vision and direction and they know the part they play in helping you achieve your goals. They can then offer advice and take on more of a consulting role within their area of expertise.

Companies who understand how to recognize and appreciate these key vendors find they work harder, are fully engaged and make the company more money. The money you can save on payroll alone pays for these key partners. Some Process Partners we have are in the areas of payroll, public relations, accounting, banking, and production–just to name a few. Many carry our business card and represent themselves on Prophit Marketing’s behalf.

The power of the Process Partner…embrace them and grow!

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Establish your key vendors, bring them in, share your vision and ask their input. They will leave respected, appreciated and motivated.

Are you meeting legitimate needs?

Foreword: Free marketing Road Show tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. at the SC Grand in De Pere, WI. Reserve your space by emailing me at info@prophitmarketing.com… only a few spots remain!

I was introduced to Servant Leadership about ten years ago when I began working with Festival Foods. My Servant Leadership coach is James Hunter.  I’ve heard him speak about a dozen times. The main crux of Servant Leadership: To lead you must first serve. You must serve and meet the legitimate needs of the people you lead.

It was simply based on the Golden Rule which states: Do unto others as you would wish them to do unto you. Well, there is an inherent flaw. I’ve written about this before, but it must be stated again. The Golden Rule doesn’t work!

The reason is this: we all come from such diverse backgrounds that there is no way to treat everyone the way you like to be treated…and have them all like it. Take me for instance, I find it a compliment to be pulled up on stage and asked to improvise a topic in front of many people. Would you like that? Additionally, I learn by doing, then fixing. There are others who are much better at pre-planning and then doing. What do you prefer?

So as you can see, we all enjoy different processes at achieving similar results. Neither is good or bad–it’s just the way we find success. For the past two years I have been determined to find some sort of personality test tool that I could use to help establish a person’s legitimate needs. I found dozens of them. However, when used with companies, I came across leaders who agreed that although they’re accurate, the information is usually filed away to collect dust and only used during corporate retreats or for hiring.

The other flaw I found with these tests is that many told the person what wasn’t so good about them. Nobody likes to read about his or her faults. Finally, the person is only involved; they are not committed to the end results. They fill out a bunch of questions and “voila”, the profile appears. And although it’s accurate, it’s not meaningful.

After two years of testing and failing and then finally succeeding–I found a working tool that allows managers to communicate with a much higher degree of effectiveness. In testing, employees felt understood and respected every day. This program allows every manager to motivate and lead by showing them each person’s words they need to hear to achieve understanding and avoid frustration.

Only until you can identify a person’s legitimate needs can a leader take them to places that they themselves couldn’t have imagined going. Employees think… “It’s about me?… About time!”

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: See me tomorrow at the Road Show and get a sneak peak at this innovative new technology.

Write it Down!

Foreword: Attend my free marketing Road Show next week, Thursday July 16th. Learn the seven ingredients to great marketing! (Informational only) To RSVP, please email me at info@prophitmarketing.com.

So, I was cleaning up my office last week when I came across a sheet of paper titled, “2008 Goals”. These were goals I wrote down in December of 2007. I hadn’t looked back at this sheet since I penned the goals over a year ago. I found it ironic that I wrote the goals and never referred back to them through out the year. Reflecting on this I then thought, “Well how did I do?”

After reviewing these goals I think I found a lump of wisdom. I hit every goal. Without referring back to my goals at all over the course of the year, and having even forgot I wrote them down, I hit every one:

1. Write my first book.

2. Start a publishing company.

3. Figure out a system to understand people quicker.

4. Go on regular “date nights” with my wife.

5. Spend one-on-one time with my kids.

6. Speak/present the Prophit Marketing Road Show 25 times.

7. Grow the company by 25%.

8. Begin a three-year journey in developing a residual income system that will truly make the company recession-proof.

Ok, so 1 and 2 are related, as is number 8 and I’m 6.5 months into year number two. Still, could writing goals down create an unconscious power of will? If anyone out there has more information on this, I would love to learn more about the power of the written word!

This year I’ve written 12-month goals and 10-year goals. I know I’m not the first one to suggest writing things down, however, perhaps simply writing down goals triggers something unconscious in the brain that creates a self-fulfilling prophecy?

Ok, I’m getting a little too deep. Maybe I’ll take my 10-year goals and bury them in a time capsule labeled 2019, sounds like a good project for my son and I!

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: What are you goals for the next 6, 12, or 18 months? Write ‘em down!

Are You Self-Sabotaging Yourself? When is Big, Big Enough?

Update: Please contact Meredith at meredithb@prophitmarketing.com to register for my free Road Show being held July 16 in De Pere.

Sometimes people mistake “big” with “great”. I’m beginning to realize that a company can be small and great and big and bad. I was reading The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. In this children’s tale the Lorax “protects the trees which are being cut down as quick as you please”.

The main character is only focused on “biggering” his loads and “biggering” his business until all the trees are cut down. Now this story is mostly about conservation and greed. So is Jim Collins’ newest book, How The Mighty Fall. People can lose site of the focus that grew them to be successful. Pretty soon some leaders believe they can branch out to other industries and make any business a success. They learn how wrong they are and they realize once they fall where their true talents and greatness reside.

“Whether you prevail or fail, endure or die, depends more on what you do to yourself than on what the world does to you” -Jim Collins

Jim writes about the five stages of decline:

1.    Ego (Hubris) Born of Success
2.    Undisciplined Pursuit of More
3.    Denial of Risk or Peril
4.    Grasping for Salvation
5.    Capitulation to Irrelevance or Death

Pretty inspiring, huh? Stages 2 and 3 are crucial. You must plan and strategize for success. The Midas Touch theory is just that. Stick to what you’re good at, plan your growth, and be open-minded to the risks.

I’ve heard it said that true entrepreneurs are NOT risk takers they are risk minimizers. You can plan a trip to New Mexico or you can just hop in your car and go. Who will have the safest journey? Minimize Risk, Maximize Profit!

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: FYI: I’m holding a free roadshow July 16th in De Pere. Contact Meredith at meredithb@prophitmarketing.com for details. I’ll help you make a plan for success in looking at marketing in a new way.