Why Give Presents Willingly!

There is a little known principle – seldom (if ever) taught in school – vital in life to helping everyone succeed. This is a common-sense principle every farmer knows – planting and harvesting! Also known as sowing and reaping, it involves the following:

• Planting a seed in good soil at the right time of the year
• Watering the area where it is planted
• Guarding it from all invaders including insects, weeds (kids in dune buggies) etc.
• And waiting patiently (for weeks, months and even years)

Eventually, if the farmer is patient, diligent in protecting it and consistent in his approach, a plant will grow, providing fruit, vegetables or other valuable commodities. This always works and never fails.

For each kernel of corn planted, a farmer gets back 3 ears of corn. On each ear of corn there are at least 12 rows totaling 600-800 kernels. So the farmer gets back 1800-2400 times what he planted in the ground. (That’s a pretty nice return on investment.) Notice, he gets more back of what he planted: corn for corn kernels, grapes for grape seeds and apples for apple seeds. He never gets back grapes when he plants corn, etc. He gets back in kind exactly what he plants.

In our lives we also get back what we plant! When we show love to people, we get back exactly what we planted – IF we are careful to use the same principles of planting:

• Giving to a good person
• Consistent attention
• Protecting our relationships from hard feelings, selfishness and bad influences
• and waiting patiently

Notice farmers don’t know which of the seeds will grow into healthy plants, so they plant lots of seeds. Farmers are always looking for more fertile land to plant! Therefore, farmers plantt as many seeds as they have room for on their property. He also invests in – as much big machinery as he can afford to harvest the crop he knows will come in.

Also notice the farmer doesn’t grudgingly plant the kernels, saying “I could have eaten this seed, but nooooooo. I had to plant it. That stinking farm is stealing my seeds.” That’s ridiculous! No! He plants with expectation, hoping it will produce 1800-2400 times their investment. (Heck, even a drug dealer knows to invest in product to sell at a profit.)

In our lives none of us know which seeds planted will produce great and loyal relationships. However, planting and harvesting always works! If we plant good with others, we’ll get back good – 1800-2400 times what we plant. But if we plant anger and bitterness with others, guess what we’ll get back? Yep, anger and bitterness – in huge amounts.

I urge you to consider freely giving genuine concern, smiles, happiness and love to others (patiently) – regardless of who they are. You’ll eventually be delighted with the results.

True concern is patient; kind; endures wrongs done to us; doesn’t envy, show off, brag – Isn’t rude or only concerned about ourselves – Isn’t happy to see wrongs done to others, but is happy to see and hear truth; it bears all things and believes in everyone’s good without weakening. Therefore, I recommend giving good, concern and love to others. If someone has never given to you, give to them anyway, never expecting anything back. However, I promise you, you’ll get an amazing harvest if you are patient!

When we give gifts to others – EVEN THOSE WHO DON’T DESERVE THEM – we WILL get a return on our investment if we follow the common sense principles of planting and harvesting – aka reaping and sowing!

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FREE Opportunity Implementation Technique

For Fred reaching his goal seemed impossible, but adding the following simple action steps made it reachable. But it’s the same with any goal; “Yard by yard, it’s hard; but inch by inch, it’s a cinch.”

Hopefully, you’ve read Problem Solving Process – Part 1 and may have even created your own SLCO chart. Here are the next processes I showed him. But before continuing, I had to explain goals, objectives and strategies, so he could write them:

Goal It had to be reasonable but big. (Too large a goal might be; “I will be the #1 brand in the world.”) Fred’s big goal was just to bring his idea to market. (After this goal is met, he could set a new higher goal.)

Objectives Fred needed 3 large accomplishments in place to reach his goal. He needed to write them as statements of accomplishment.

Strategies These are rather simple step-by-step actions to help achieve an objective. (How do you eat an elephant? Answer, 1 bite at a time!)

Fred had his final destination (goal) in mind, so he needed to begin analyzing his opportunities to see which should be implemented and which should be junked or delayed.

WRITING OBJECTIVES
There are 2 ways to decide upon an objective: First, make positive statements to be in place for the goal to be reached. The other is to organize opportunities from 1^st to last with the last usually becoming your objective. In either event there should be very few – 2 to 4, because it’s difficult to concentrate on more. (Fred came up with 8, so we had to combine several into one large objective statement.)

SELECTING OBJECTIVES FROM OPPORTUNITIES
Fred needed to identify which of the many opportunities could help him reach his objectives. Separating them into 3 synergistic groups (design, transportation/funding, sales); he put each opportunity in logical sequence. Each had a final outcome toward the goal. These became his objectives.

Most other opportunities got added under the appropriate objective as strategies (step by step actions). Some missed in-between steps, so we added these as strategies (also adding to the opportunities list).

Below was his list of items relating to making presentations for funding.

-          Drive to city                                                            E
-          Make presentations to 3 qualified companies        F
-          Save lunch $ to buy hotel, gas & parking               A
-          Call 15 companies for appointments                     C
-          Check auto for safety                                            B
-          Make appointments with 5 companies                    D

The final step in this group was to make a presentation to 3 qualified companies – his objective we rewrote it as “I will make a presentation to 3 qualified companies by X date.” Each of the other activities became strategies to help him reach his objective. (Remember, he had 2 other objectives with strategies as well.)

Here’s how each was written including 1) who would do it; 2) a cost estimate; and 3) a due date (completion). But I couldn’t just let Fred set an arbitrary date. He needed to get those involved to commit to a cost and date when their part could be finished. Below is one of his objectives with strategies.

IMPLEMENTATION
Achieving a goal takes focus and determination. Thus far all we had was “planning.” Unless he put his plan into action it was just wasted time – so much hot air!

Fred knew completing his strategies would assure completing his objectives. Completing his objectives assured reaching his goal. Nothing should stand in the way – NOTHING! That means holding everyone to their promised date. This is serious as a heart attack. If you don’t hold everyone responsible, they’ll blow it off and if you reach your goal, it may be too late!

At the 1^st meeting neither George nor Beth Ann had even begun, while Fred was way ahead of his deadlines. Although Fred tried to hide it, he was very disappointed. All knew it. Although I had warned him, he was unprepared for so much resistance from his trusted team. The problem was when he originally presented the idea, the participants casually assigned dates and costs. Not their top priority, they really didn’t commit to meeting them.

Now, he had to make up the time by squeezing everyone’s time frame. To help him for the rest of the project, I recommended casual visits with participants between meetings to check on the progress of specific assignments. If there were roadblocks, he should help remove them. Each was reminded the importance of completing the project on time.

As of today I’m happy to report that Fred accomplished what seemed like an impossible task. His team did it in a relatively short number of months! He celebrated by taking my wife and me to the nicest restaurant in the St. Louis area. Currently, he is still negotiating with 2 of the companies to finally bring his idea to market.

and FINALLY . . .
For his and possibly your next project here’s what I suggest. “Head off” any problems before they arise:

1) Casually drop in on participants to see how they are progressing.

2) Offer to help clear-up roadblocks by

a) Putting pressure on those presenting roadblocks
b) Offer to switch the responsibility/opportunity to someone else.
(This will light a fire on all but the laziest people.)

3) Schedule brief group meetings weekly to track progress. Each team member reports on what was accomplished and roadblocks. Put the emphasis on BRIEF (20-30 minutes at most)!

4) Have a small, congratulatory “smile-fest” during your meeting at the completion of each objective.

In any event DATES MUST BE MET or all is lost! Managers must stay on top of the project, or projects will have little importance to the rest of the group. Team members must complete these projects along with all else they “have on their plate.”  Then you’ll accomplish far more that you ever thought possible.

Related posts:

1. Problem Solving Process – Part 1
2. How to Get More Out of Life
3. Book Review: How to Win Friends and Influence People!

Organizing Product Sales for Guest Speakers

We have been selling product at special events for our church’s guest speakers for over 20 years. Among others these include Randy Travis, Billye Brim, Gary Smalley, John Maxwell, Phil Driscoll and Carman. Our desire is to sow into ministries and serve people by helping them obtain needed resources to enrich their lives.

During this time we have had to contend with the following:

-         very small sales area (1-2 tables)

-         high traffic entrance/exit

-         15-20 minutes between services and

-         changes in buying habits.

With lots of “tweaking” we have developed an organized system that transfers these goods, quickly, precisely, smoothly and efficiently to our congregation. Concurrently, we have identified what has worked and what has been counterproductive for our guest’s sales.

(Before proceeding, we’d like to acknowledge that Jesus did overturn the money-changers’ tables that were inside the Temple in all 4 gospels. Therefore, if this is a “for profit” enterprise such as setting up a fast-food franchise on the church grounds, this would apply. However for our purposes, we help bring rare Godly resources unavailable to the body of Christ!)

GUEST’S PRODUCT PLANNING

1) Products sell best when they are not too expensive – $1 to $30. It is best when everything is priced in even numbers, like $5, $10, $15, $20. Some will buy expensive items $50+ if the need and value is there.

2) People want to buy “New Products.” These always sell the best. You might sell some “old” products but as potential buyers glance at the table seeing nothing new – they leave.  They must be able to identify the “new”!  Sure, you’ll usually sell a few old things, but is it worth the hassle?

3) Real deals work (but aren’t necessary). Ex: “Each of these 4 books (or CDs) are $20, but today, because I really want to help you learn these concepts, we have a special package price for all 4 (CDs or books). They’re only $65 instead of $20 each.”) A package price must be a real deal for all the items together – today and today only.

4) People tend to purchase more if they have fewer choices. For the most part these are impulse purchases. The fewer the choices, the faster their decision and the quicker they leave the table(s) allowing other buyers to gain access.

Here’s an example: One guest had only 3 items which were priced the same. He explained each quickly from the pulpit and the result was one of the highest sales we ever had. Another guest brought many-many products. The resulting sales were tepid.

5) A concise bullet-point sheet explaining each product’s contents should be included with the instructions. Product sales people are approached with requests like “give me the CD/book that talks about that marriage thing.” The sales people have to quickly interpret the question, then match the request with the product.

LOCATION (TABLE) SALES

6) The Pastor needs to tell the congregation to visit the table and its location.

7) The Guest Speaker explains the benefits of the product, telling the congregation what is in them and how it will improve their lives. (“This book shows exactly how . . !  As you learn these principles, it’ll . . !)

Access to a table should be from the front and sides only. After a place has been selected, hopefully there can be a counter or table in back so access to the cash box, certain sale items and credit card machine are limited.

9) Make certain adequate supply remains before “touting” a product to the church, before/between services. (It wastes the opportunity if what is announced is unavailable.)

10) People need to be told what to buy before they approach the table. We can serve them fast, so we can get to the people behind them. People who want to purchase something, but can’t make up their mind, clog the area, inhibit sales to those who know what they want, then often get discouraged, leaving when they can’t make up their minds.

11) Place product on the table in order from least expensive to most (when possible). Having small price tags on a sticky tab behind the product on the table, helps sales people properly price the product. This is VERY important when numerous items are available with different prices. This provides instant information to additional sales people when demand is high.

12) Have fast credit card machine(s). Fewer and fewer people are paying cash or check. Credit card machine must be fast. Person having customer sign for the credit-card purchase must match the person’s name to the card.

13) Handle sales in assembly line fashion. Credit card purchases take longer than cash. We’ve found it easy to line up credit card purchases with credit card stacked on the product, then moving them along as on an assembly line. Here’s the people needed:

a) One person (skillful at handling cash) accepts money and checks while lining up credit card purchases for the;

b) Next person who is dedicated to the credit card machine. This person also gets the charge slip signed providing the credit card, receipt and merchandise to the customer.

c) It’s helpful to have an available person to handle issues including obtaining more change; fixing the credit card machine or getting more product.

d) Finally, those not part of the selling process should stand outside the selling area.

14) Large denomination bills can cause concern and jam a cash box. At the suggestion of Knox McCarren, a merchandise professional, we drop large bills and checks into a container (a product box is usually available) under a covered table.

15) Plenty of change should be available. Many people get paid on Fridays, so have $50 and $100 bills. (Sundays most people will have $20 bills. During the week they’ll have more lower denomination bills.)

16) When the guest is available to sign CDs and books outside the sales area, people are drawn like a magnet. They can sign books or CDs to one side or another outside the booth. (A black “sharpie” should be available for this purpose.)

17) It’s best when all products are sold, so there is very little to inventory or ship back. Label what is inside each box. When possible keep extra stock in unopened boxes so they can be inventoried quickly. (Volunteers don’t like to stay an extra 2 hours doing the inventory.)

Again, it is our ministry to serve people quickly and sow into other ministries so essential information can be quickly transferred to ALL the people who need it. We hope these guidelines (not rules) will help your ministry prosper.

© Edwards Business Associates

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Just a Few Scriptures on Money

There was a time in my life when I went to church, threw in $5, and thought it was some great thing. When preachers talked about money I thought; “Sure, give you my money so I can’t get stuff, but the preacher can build himself a fancy house!” Well, I’m here to tell you, I was wrong – REALLY wrong. I thought I was giving to the “church” and not to God. That’s a mighty big difference!

Here is why it is important and beneficial to giving to God with your tithes and offerings (through the church) and alms (to people in need outside of formal giving)!

1) You’ll get back more than you gave. (You can’t out give God!)

2) Since everything comes from God, it’s His anyway

3) If you don’t give anything, God feels you are robbing him

Do you and your family want to get blessed in every way – not just financially? Giving is a KEY. You give to God through the church, so God’s money can be dispersed where it’s needed most. Frankly, if you don’t trust your church with your finances, find a church you can trust!

Here are a few things God teaches us about “giving!”

Give and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you. Luke 6:38

Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, “in what way have we robbed You?” In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. – Malachi 3:8-9

Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the first fruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will overflow with new wine. – Proverbs 3:9-10

But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. As it is written: “He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.” Now may He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness. – II Corinthians 9:6-10

There is one who scatters, yet increases more; And there is one who withholds more than is right, But it leads to poverty. The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself. Proverbs 11:24-25

Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease! Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; They fly away like an eagle toward heaven. Do not eat the bread of a miser, Nor desire his delicacies; For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and Drink!” he says to you, But his heart is not with you. The morsel you have eaten, you will vomit up, And waste your pleasant words. – Proverbs 23:4-8

He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, And He will pay back what he has given. Proverbs 19:17

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasure, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for “God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had. – Luke 21:1-4

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (money). Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing: Look at the birds of the air. . yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? - Matt 6:24-26

And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. So not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is there your heart will be also. Luke 12:29-33 see also Matt 6:19-21

Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. – Matthew 5:23-24

The rich young ruler – Luke 18:18, 20-25

Now a certain ruler asked him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” . . . You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and your mother. And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Zacchaeus – Luke 19

Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector and he was rich. – short stature – ran ahead climbed into a sycamore tree – “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down for I must stay at your house.” Verse 8-10

Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. – James 1:27

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. – John 3:16

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. – II Corinthians 8:9

God has not changed before or since these scriptures were written!

For I am the Lord, I do not change; – Malachi 3:6a

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. – Hebrews 13:8

Sometimes we forget all that God daily loads us with benefits! We complain to God, without realizing it’s the devil and his crew stealing from us and trying to kill us.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. – James 1:17

Did you know there’s only one place in the Bible where God says we can test him?

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” Says the Lord of hosts; Malachi 3:8-10 (After this God didn’t talk to the Jews for 400+ years)

Why not take God up on his offer. Find any church that teaches what the Bible says is true and give your 10% there. They know that they are directly responsible to God for how each dollar is spent! You and your family will get blessed beyond anything you thought possible!

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You are Still a VERY VALUABLE PERSON !! Here’s Hope!

You may be feeling angry right now, or sad, or betrayed. Don’t worry! You are going to be in a better situation than you ever thought possible. Stay calm about the loss. Get excited, about the future! The best part of your life is about to begin.

Think about it. In some ways we have all been stuck in dead end jobs that really didn’t allow us to improve our lot in life. We now have the opportunity (even though it was not by our choice) to break out and find a position that will allow us to be much happier! Employers are desperate to get great qualified employees!

Don’t forget: you don’t just have to take any old job. Instead, you can now go get the job you have always wanted. Yes, this is a little scarry, because others may be counting on you for their support. But, don’t look at the negative, but keep your eye on the positive.

(*** You may wonder where I got this expertise. Any questions are answered at the bottom of the article including my position with a professional recruiting firm.)

HELP FOR YOU!

My purpose in writing this to you is to keep you from making all the mistakes I have made when I was unemployed. Here are some simple ideas that will help, as you search for the position you have always wanted. They include the following:

• Most Often Asked Interview Questions
• The Importance of Applications
• How to Dress for an Interview
• References

Offers are Extended Most Often to Those Who are Best Qualified and through Preparation and Practice Present Themselves Best!

WHERE TO GET JOBS

Surprise! Statistics show that only 14% of all jobs are found looking at Want Ads or on line – only 10% from Employment Agencies. 2/3 of all jobs are found by word of mouth! That is why you need to learn a Short Story that you can say at the drop of a hat. It is the real key to finding a great job quickly.

APPLICATION

The application is the first step toward obtaining your benefits, so if not filled out perfectly, can get lost on a secretary’s desk. Fill it out completely! When answering questions with no good answer simply put N/A – Not Applicable. Do you still beat your wife? N/A

Find a complete Application from some company and in the comfort of your home, fill it out completely and accurately. Then from now on, keep it with you to use as a guide as you fill out on site applications for employers. Now, you’re in control! Remember: NEATNESS & SPELLING COUNT!

GETTING READY FOR AN INTERVIEW

A) If possible visit the location before the interview date and time, so you can locate it easily and know how long it will take you to get there. Being on time is an indication of how you’ll perform once you get the job.

B) Take 3 clean neat protected copies of your resume, 2 copies of your references as well as your filled out sample application.

C) Make certain you have recently bathed, used deodorant, combed your hair (if you have any), teeth brushed (if you have any), clothes ironed, shoes shined, and fresh breath. (Do not wear cologne/perfume, since the person could be allergic or just doesn’t care for the odor.)

D) Wear clothing just up one level from clothing normally worn on the job you’re applying for. (If a skirt & blouse is appropriate – wear a dress. If you would wear blue jeans, wear a nice pair of slacks, etc.)

E) Before during and after an interview, just say no thank you to the offer of a cup of coffee, hot chocolate or cigarette. Don’t take the chance of burning a hole in a couch or spilling on a desk, ruining papers. Remember, you can’t tell the interviewer about yourself if your mouth is full!

INTERVIEWER QUESTIONS

Think about it! In an interview no one is going to ask you about the 2^nd Law of Thermo-dynamics, or how you liked the latest movie. They’re going to ask you simple, easy-to-answer questions that relate to your possible performance success on the job. (Frankly, they are gravely concerned the person they hire will be a dud!) If you are prepared, your interview  will go great. Then you can ask questions to see if you really want to work for them.

REMEMBER: DON’T SAY anything, Anything, ANYTHING bad about your previous employers! If you do, you will be the loser!

Question 1: What happened at your previous job?

Good Answer: Tell the truth without making you or your former company look bad. (My position was eliminated – or – the company had a downturn in their business – or – the company was sold, etc. their assets. I worked hard for them and felt I was part of their profitability. I made a lot of friends there, so, I wish them only the best!

Question 2: If they offered you a job, would you go back to work there?

Good Answer: I don’t think so. I’m really looking forward to becoming part of a new team and building a new professional life with a new organization. I’m excited about all the possibilities of working for your company.

Question 3: What is your greatest strength?

Bad Answer: I can shoot the eye out of a deer at 40 paces is NOT a good answer! They’ll know you’ll miss work during deer hunting season.)

Good Answer: Tell them – but make it apply to your job. I am an experienced worker who is never late to work and seldom misses a day. When you hire me, you are getting a seasoned veteran who gives 100% effort.

Question 4: What is your greatest weakness?

Great Answer: Tell them something that used to be a weakness. Example: I don’t know any- thing about Accounts Payable. So when a position opened up for that job, I grabbed the opportunity. There was nothing like on the job training from a very demanding boss. (The answer to your answer is always “Gosh that sounds like a strength.” Do not say “how perceptive of you.”)

Question 5: You appear to be over qualified for this job. Why do you want it?

(They think you want too much money.)

Great Answer: Thank you for recognizing my skills. However, I am just looking for an opportunity. I’m an excellent learner, a hard worker, and hope to move up in your organization.

Question 6: It appears you are under-qualified. Why do you think you can succeed?

Good Answer: Actually, I am a quick learner, hard worker and don’t watch the clock. You will quickly count me as one of your very best employees.

Question 7: How much did you make at your last job?

Bad Answer: $11.32 per hour or $23,932.76 a year. (This shows all you care about is money, not about the job.)

Good Answer: Between $11-$12 or in the middle 20s.

Question 8: How do others view you?

Good Answer: A quick learner, hard worker, and a good and honest friend. However, I am usually too busy to carry on much of a conversation.

Question 9: We have (or don’t have) a union here. How do you feel about that?

Good Answer: That actually makes no difference to me. I work hard with them or without them.

Question 10: Are you willing to be Transferred?

Good Answer: Don’t answer ANY question with an answer that will eliminate you from consideration. Instead, say I am open to any possibility.

Question 11: Tell me about Yourself?

Answer: This is the hardest question to answer. Here’s where you use your Short Story.

YOUR SHORT STORY

This is the most important question you will be asked in an Interview. This is your chance to shine. Therefore, take lots of time to prepare this answer. This is also the same statement you can make when speaking to anyone who might have a lead of a job. Yes! It must be memorized, and flow very smoothly.

A. Structure your statement in the following 3 sections:

1) Current Situation    2) Early History up to Today    3) Your Significant Achievements

B. Your script should last between 2-4 minutes.

For ___ years I have been a __JOB DESCRIPTION__ for __COMPANY NAME___, _______ explain what they did. At the end of __WHEN___ was sold to a company outside the industry. The new owner eliminated nearly 40% of all jobs, including mine.

I was born in __CITY & STATE___, where I attended high school and junior college. I received my degree from _____________(COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY) in __CITY & STATE ___ where I majored in _____________.

After graduation I worked as a __ JOB TITLE __ for (COMPANY) in (CITY & STATE), where I _____________________________________( DESCRIPTION OF ACHIEVEMENTS). After ____ years I was offered the __ JOB TITLE __ at (COMPANY) in (CITY & STATE). There I __________________________ (DESCRIPTION OF ACHIEVEMENTS). However, the drive was too long leaving me no time with my family, so I jumped at the opportunity to work at RECENT EMPLOYER, where I progressed from a __ JOB TITLE __ to __ JOB TITLE __. I was responsible for the __________________ (DESCRIPTION OF ACHIEVEMENTS). I can __(ALL YOUR SKILLS) __, as well as (lesser skills). THAT LEADS ME UP TO MY CURRENT SITUATION.

Not much personal stuff in there is there? Nope! They mainly want to know what you can do for them. They usually don’t care that you are the youngest of 3 children; your brother is in the Air Force, and your father gigs frogs for a living.

C. If you are speaking with a friend or acquaintance who may be able to point you in the direction of a job, you can always add the following VERBATIM. It will take the pressure off them to give you an answer:

“Now, I know that you don’t have, or even know of a job that I would be suited for, but I wonder if you might think of 3 people that might be interested in my background.” (Key here is to not say another word. Let them talk as you take notes.) Make an appointment to see the people they name and tell them your story. Give the same short story, beginning with “I was talking with Fred over at XYZ company, and he suggested you might be interested in my background.)

D. Now PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. First, practice in front of a mirror. Then, do it in front of your children (even if they are babies), your spouse, your T.V. or your parents. You will feel like a fool, BUT you can make mistakes there and it won’t cost you a job!

YOUR REFERENCES

Don’t expect your old employer to give you much of a reference. To protect themselves companies usually only give generic information like verification of employment dates & last job classification.

So you will need 3 to 6 references from prominent people who think you are Special. Sorry, letters are not very helpful. Can you imagine of a letter of “un-recommendation?”

They should be . . .
A) Someone with whom you have worked
B) Respected and Credible
C) Positive and Supportive and can Articulate your skills well
D) Someone who can be fairly easily contacted
E) Someone who gave their permission to use them as a reference. (You should contact them to review key points of your interaction (remember when we worked together to build that brain surgery machine?), then keep in touch with them to let them know when you find a job.

KEY: Resist giving out their names unless you would like and feel you have a good chance to get that particular job, and references are requested. Protect these people from unwanted phone calls. They are as valuable as GOLD! Put other good names on the application blanks. Save your best for the job you want.

YOUR RESUME

This is the basic document of your entire search. For the information contained in it, will be regurgitated in all other communications, including answering interview questions, broadcast letters and hopefully from your References.

Your resume should be a reflection of you, your abilities, responsibilities, and significant accomplishments. This quality piece should be very honest, NOT flashy (pink paper with gold leaf), but must arrive neat, clean and sharp. It doesn’t need to tell everything about you, because its real purpose is – - – - to get you an interview where you can interact and sell your skills!

This document will help you the most when it is filled with accomplishments. Sentences should start with an action word (Wrote, Invented, Innovated); be easy to read; and have 3 line paragraphs (max 4). (Remember that employers must read through hundreds just to find the resumes of the qualified. This they have to do as well as performing their normal jobs! Often, they have others screen resumes, and pass on the ones containing key words, or skills.)

You are Still a VERY VALUABLE PERSON !! YOU ARE A SEASONED EMPLOYEE!

May God Bless You as you begin your new career!

(*** At one time in my career, after 2 years between jobs with no steady income, God got me a job with a company that helped others get jobs. This company no longer exists since it was gobbled up by a larger company which in turn was again acquired by several others. God has a wonderful sense of humor! This included counseling as well as writing hundreds of resumes. I promised the Lord that I’d never charge for writing a resume, so have done well over 50 just for friends and fellow church members. Positions received range from executive and clerical to skilled labor.)

Related posts:

1. A Godly Principle: Would You Buy This Barrel of Apple Juice?
2. Lies
3. How to Understand Males – A Tongue-in-Cheek List

It’s Simply a Numbers Game!

In the late 1980s I sought an insurance sales position. It offered a fair first year salary while learning the job. My salary would double during year two; doubling again during the third. To some this might seem ideal, but I was uneasy. So, I asked if I could spend a day with a salesman, whom we’ll call “Fred”. Reluctantly, they agreed.

I traveled to a remote town to observe sales presentations by one of their best salesmen. For Fred to reach his financial goal, he only had to make four small sales today and each successive day. So, our goal was to make only four sales. Simple?

We got into his old Cadillac and drove down a dusty street in a poor part of town, stopping at a trailer home parked on a full-sized lot. As we walked toward the front door, it slammed shut. Fred politely knocked, but there was no answer. It seemed logical, so I tried to say, “the homeowner didn’t want to talk to us,” but Fred motioned to me to not say a word.

After knocking repeatedly with no result, we started walking back to his car. I tried to speak, but he motioned to me not to say anything until we reached the car. When we got back into his car, I could contain myself no longer. “That guy just slammed the door in our face!” He didn’t even reply to me. Instead, he said “I saw this person yesterday, whom I know positively needs this insurance policy. So, we drove to his home without ever mentioning the previous incident. At the end of a very long day, Fred had made four sales, meeting his goal.

From this incident I learned that a good salesman doesn’t get discouraged from rejection. He simply forgets it, knowing that the person he couldn’t convince is poorer for not having purchased the product. Besides, it’s just a numbers game. If you make enough good sales presentations, you will get enough action to make it worth your while. It’s simply a numbers game!

AN UNRELATED STORY?

Years later, a company sent me to a convention in Las Vegas. Since the hotel rooms had been booked incorrectly, I was forced to stay in a hotel about a mile away and walk to the convention. I wasn’t bothered. I simply walked the mile, praying the whole way.

One morning, I overtook a drunken bum staggering along the sidewalk. He obviously had been up all night, looking as if he might also be a street person. In passing I said simply, “Jesus loves you and has a great plan for your life.”

As I continued on my way, the Bible’s words came to mind – “God is no respecter of persons.” Therefore, the soul of that man was just as important to God as that of the queen of Great Britain, a movie star, a famous athlete or a corporate president.

Just then, I finally understood. It’s just a number’s game. When we make a Gospel (good news) presentation, then explain the Jesus’ benefits to enough people no matter whom they are, some will be led to God and eternal salvation, some won’t. So, don’t worry about rejection or your hurt feelings! With eternal salvation as a reward, our feelings just don’t matter. After all . . .

It’s simply a numbers game!

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2. Encouragement!
3. Do You Have Your Money or Does Your Money Have You?

Here’s Why Most Advertisement $ Are Wasted!

Unless you have a Billion $ or so to advertise on TV like Ford or AT&T, you must be careful how you spend your hard-earned money. The key is to carefully craft your advertisements using the marketing equation of Interrupt, Engage, Educate and Offer. But that’s another subject.

Here’s some excerpts found in actual, recent Ads from a national publication that somebody actually signed the check to publish! I’ve categorized them by why each failed the advertiser.

1- Use of platitudes

These are words or phrases that are drearily commonplace and predictable, that lack power to grab interest because of overuse – but are never-the-less stated as though they were original and/or significant. No! They can’t describe, exhibit, demonstrate, reveal or display anything about the product. With no distinction – no differentiation – no separation from the competition, they sell nothing. Examples:

• “World Class . .”                  • “. . exceptional quality and reliability . . .”
• “Setting the standard”         • “The new standard in” blah, blah, blah
• “Hearing is Believing”          • “. . . without missing a beat”
• “A breakthrough in . . .”       • ”Infinite . . .”

2- Easy to replace the company’s name with a competitor’s

• “The future is _____. . .”      • “Loved by Thousands . . .”

3- Any company can make the same claim

• “5-year warranty . .”                         • “. . small, powerful, natural response”
• “You can have it all.”                        • “Ready for the real world.”
• “Systems solutions providers . .”      • “Never before . . .“
• “Behind every great speaker is a great __________. . .“

4- Anyone could say “So What!”

• “An uplifting experience . .”            • “folded ribbon driver”
• “Roads to Choose.”                       • “Visionary”
• “Clearly . . .”                                   • “Focus . . .“
• “New from blah, blah, blah”            • “New Family of ______“

Excellent Tests for Your Ad

Would you mortgage your home just to raise money to run it? If not, the Ad needs to be fixed! Have you wondered if your Reps, Customers and Salesmen could receive better information? Better communication always equals better results.

If your company has not made any market headway over the past year, the main problem may simply be strategic (what you say and how you say it) not where you advertise! Here are 4 more ideas to help you create successful Ads!

1) Write a simple questionnaire and interview potential clients to learn if the Ad will get them to buy your product.

2) Have an independent source to ask your salesmen, “Will the Ad sell the product to your customers? Are you sold on the product?” Why or Why not? What will it take them to be sold on your product?

3) Have the independent source ask the salesmen “What will sell your clients on the product?”

4) Have the independent source ask potential customers what evidence they would need to change their buying habits to your product?

This isn’t a complete list, but it should get 95% of all businesses much more effective Ads. Above all don’t be bullied into running an Ad that someone on your staff or an advertising agency dreamed up, without thoroughly checking to be certain it will sell your product profitably.

After all it is your money!

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Here’s How To Put Cash Back In Your Hand Now!

Your Staff, Reps and Advisors may tell you – “We’ve got to Advertise . . . It pays to Advertise!” Really? Why not ask four sensible questions before throwing your money away!

1) Exactly, what’s the message that we need so desperately to get out?

2) Will this message actually help sell our product and add profit?

3) Yes? How do you know? Prove it to me!

4) What is the likelihood that sales generated will offset my investment?

Since advisors are so willing to spend your $ tactically, somebody better have a message that’ll bring you a good return (ROI)! After all, you didn’t get where you are by being stupid.

There’s an old adage “If you want to know why John Smith buys, what John Smith buys, you’ve got to see the world through John Smith’s eyes!” So – who in your organization found out what your target John Smith wants? What is it about your product that he really wants – that he can’t get anywhere else? All the money in the world spent on advertising won’t get John Smith to buy – if you don’t address his need!

Can you make a solid argument that he would be “nuts” to purchase it from anyone else – Regardless of Your Price? If not, then it’s high time to do some serious strategic marketing!

Please don’t get me wrong . . Should you Advertise? Absolutely – but only IF and WHEN . . the message is important to your prospects – and will make you MONEY! So to put cash in your pocket this month – Don’t advertise until those 4 questions have been answered to your satisfaction.

Then when you’re ready to Advertise, keep these four things in mind:

· Have something good to say

· Say it well

· Say it often

· Be certain you will get a good ROI (Return On Investment)

As key guidelines for business owners and managers, this common-sense approach will help your hard-earned advertising dollars actually be effective. Yes! Spend money on advertising, but only where it definitely will bring you a terrific return on your investment. Engage business brains before spending your hard-earned money!

Related posts:

1. How to Get More Out of Life
2. Turning Problems into Opportunities – Part 2
3. Lost Your Job ?

Concern for your company’s little-known long-term success isn’t unique. But by making small changes (innovations), you can add $ directly to the bottom line. So, let’s use a little brainpower to pursue hidden profit!

Businesses spring up when entrepreneurs take advantage of their personal abilities to meet customer needs, providing short or long-term advantages such as:

Great Salesmanship           Reputation      Personality      Persistence

Personal Attractiveness    Knowledge      Intelligence      Hard Work

Are you doing enough or too much?

As conditions and requirements change, entrepreneurs often lose their focus of the big picture, dealing instead with day-to-day problems. It’s vital for owners to stay focused on what has the greatest long-term profit potential. The best way is to outsource tasks others can do better and faster. (If a furnace fails, a specialist should be called to fix it safely, efficiently and quickly. If one’s teeth need attention, a temporary specialist (dentist) or consultant has the tools and up-to-date ability to solve the problem.)

Business owners must make certain marketing and advertising is truly building a convincing argument. Prospects need to be led to purchase the products – regardless of price! An unbiased evaluation can be made by a marketing professional temp. This is a great way to reduce the company’s dependence on its owner, freeing his/her time to develop new business and/or gain leisure time.

Most of us know small businesses owners who try to outwit the Big Guys. Over the “long haul”, that’s difficult since “Bigs”, using “economy of scale,” can hire sales, marketing, product, advertising and strategic planners. Sadly, since small businesses can’t carry hefty salaries, they rely on the overstressed business owner or WORSE, needlessly abandon planning.

Can small businesses compete? Absolutely!

All companies face difficult obstacles, but smaller companies feel they have fewer resources from which to draw. Not true! Smalls actually have access to similar resources but on an as needed basis – without carrying the overhead. By using affordable resources (independent consultants), small business owners can take advantage of focused efforts, paying only for services when needed.

Whom do you trust?

Small business is often a very personal and private matter for the owner, who lives amongst his customers. So, owners not only need to know who can do a specific task efficiently and correctly at a fair price, but whom can they trust with their closely guarded secrets.

It makes sense for the business owner or manager to begin collecting a group of temporary professionals (consultants) who can provide needed assistance at a moment’s notice. This can be done through networking events and occasional meetings. If the consultant provides assistance, don’t be afraid to send them a couple hundred bucks for their clear thinking. If they are of no assistance, cross them off you list.

Remember:

Businesses never really plan to fail, but by failing to plan, the result often is the same.

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1. Writing Great U.S.P.s & Elevator Pitches
2. Turning Problems into Opportunities – Part 2
3. Landy Chase – “Competitive Selling” – Book Review

What You Were Not Taught in School About This Expensive Purchase!

As a former new car salesman, I’ve noticed prospects mistake “lowest price” for “best deal.”  Why? They put too much emphasis on price or they haven’t done their homework. Here are facts to explode old assumptions and myths allowing you to honestly get the best deal on a car you want with great service.

Key Principles:

• Don’t rush or allow yourself to be rushed. Mistakes will not be in your favor.
• Do all your homework before you talk money with any salesman.
• Be respectful of the sales person. He is just trying to make a living while helping you.

Let’s deal with some auto buying assumptions and myths:

1 – The best day of the week to buy a new car is Saturday.  WRONG!

Saturday is the busiest day. Sales people will rush you to buy. But with no rush hour traffic, it’s a great day to test drive. Select your car on Saturday, but make your purchasing appointment on the slowest days Tuesday thru’ Thursday. If you have to buy on Saturday, be at the dealer by 10:00 a.m.

2 – You get the best possible deal month end.  WRONG!

Manufacturers give incentives that start on the 1^st of the month but may improve on the15^th. But, wait for the last day and your desired car/color/features might not be in inventory. (It can take up to a week for your dealer to find one and put it into inventory.) Remember, never allow yourself to be rushed! You’ll be forced to accept less than perfection or lose the price advantage.

3 – You get the best possible deal at year end.  WRONG!

The best deals are nearing model year end. The manufacturers help their dealers by giving their best incentives to make room for next year’s model, plus there’s an ample supply of models and colors.

4 – You get a lower price from the dealer where you are getting serviced. WRONG!

Dealerships are actually made up of 3-5 separate businesses. Each entity needs to meet the owner’s profit goal. “New Car Sales” doesn’t care where a car is serviced, while “Service” doesn’t care where you bought the car. Key: New cars can be serviced at any authorized dealer.

5 – Every car salesman is waiting to steal your money. WRONG!

Honest salesmen outnumber the dishonest at least 5 to 1. Surprise! Customers buying cars are far more dishonest. New salesmen are taught on day one: “All Buyers are Liars.” This, too, is wrong. However, a large percentage would sell their Mother to get a lower price.

6 -   You can get stuck with a bad salesman at a dealer!  TRUE.

The first person who gets your name and phone number enters it into the dealer’s Customer Relationship Manager (CRM).  He gets ½ commission of anything you buy. Don’t like or trust him? He still gets it. Now, other salespeople won’t expend much effort to help you, since they can only earn ½ commission, unless they plan to make big money on you.

Advice: Don’t give your name to just any salesperson. Find a good one and stick with them. If they get 100% commission, you’ll get their very best service.

7 – Used Car Salesmen make more than New Car salesmen! Generally, TRUE.

Besides selling you on all the features and benefits of the new car you’re going to purchase, new car salesmen easily spend 3 hours with corporate-imposed minutia. These include special forms, instruction manuals, customer training, then making certain the car is prepared to jewel-like perfection. The reward for this effort is often as little as $100. Used-car salesmen close the deal, hand over the keys, the customer drives off and they often make $400 to $2000 – Quick and Simple. They report to no higher entity and make more per car.

Tip: If you’re purchasing a “Pre-owned” (Used) Car, don’t just make certain it is in great condition. Make certain it doesn’t have a bad odor inside. If you smoke or don’t have a good sense of smell, before you buy, have someone with a great sense of smell check out the vehicle. Dealers try to cover-up bad odors (including body odor) with an “Ozone” treatments. But the smell comes back and you are stuck!

8 – I should own my new car. MAYBE!

Obviously, buying a $20,000 car that will in 10 years be worth only $1,000 or 1/20^th its original value is a poor investment. If you have $20,000, it’d be smarter to put it into property or gold. But, you do need a transportation. Therefore, many people choose a lease.

Fact: Did you know that only 19% of car owners will ever own their car? Did you know – typical

owners of expensive cars lease? These include: Jaguar – 98%; Mercedes – 80%; 70% Mercedes, Lexus and BMW owners)? Did you know at the end of 3 years you can usually buy your car for the same amount you owed if you had purchase it? If you just lease, after 3 years you can just walk away from it, IF it isn’t worth what you’d need to buy it.

Years ago, unscrupulous auto dealers concocted “open-ended” leases requiring customers to pay huge fees at the lease end. The US Congress “Truth in Leasing” Act curtailed that practice.

Who should consider leasing?

Since more cars have 3 year/36,000 mile warranties, anyone who doesn’t want to worry about expensive repairs or typically changes cars every 3 years is a great candidate. So are young families or those planning to start a family because your automotive needs will change. Finally, those who are not expecting to drive excessive miles (over 15,000 a year) can benefit with a lease. Honda and Toyota leasing programs are good as are GM’s. At this time Ford doesn’t have one.

Who shouldn’t lease?

If you will definitely will keep the vehicle over 5 years, don’t lease. Here’s other poor candidates: Delivery vehicles and those to have significant modification of looks or designs; vehicles that will drive over 30,000 miles yearly and cars to be transported out of the U.S.

Leasing Pitfalls

include getting a bank lease. Because they don’t sell cars, a large disposition fee at lease end can cost you $700-$2000. (This additional surprise fee will be collected when you turn the car in.)  Another is a bad residual value, which can cost you dearly. Finally, the dealer can play around with the money factor, which is based the interest rate, but looks very low. One problem is this money factor is hidden, so can cost you a higher interest rate.

Finally, there are some jargon words that may be used in your presence at dealerships. Here are the definitions:

• MSRP – Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price
• Doc Fee – This refers to a Document or Administrative Fee that dealers like to include. These range from $99 to $249 and are added onto the bottom of the contract or by the Finance/Business Manager. Are these justified? Probably not! You can choose to not pay them.
• Invoice – This is the price that the new car department is charged for the model.
• Hold Back – This indicates money below invoice that is used to pay administrative salaries, carrying charges for keeping a car in inventory, heat, electricity, filling your tank with gasoline, advertising, telephones, building rental, etc.  This money is rarely given to a new car buyer.
• Mini – This is the lowest amount that a salesman can make by selling 1 car. It is usually around $100 and not much for having to spend 4-5 hours putting you into ypur new car.
• UP – A salesman’s turn to approach a customer. If customer is just wasting time, the salesman feels    cheated, loosing his turn in line. For fairness sake please don’t just go into a dealership and waste a      salesman’s time. He has to feed a family just like you.
• CRM (Customer Relationship Manager) – Whoever puts your name into the system, gets ½ of the sale no matter who makes the actual sale.
• Over the Curb – (Burnin’ Gas) The customer has picked up the car and has driven it into the street. It’s now theirs, so everyone can collect their commission.
• Booger – A customer who is considered a waste of time for a salesman. Customer doesn’t have any money, although pretends to be interested in purchasing. Wise salesman quickly realizes this and hands the customer over to another unsuspecting salesman.

It’s hoped this article has demystified the purchase of new cars and put to rest some old buyer’s myths. For a step-by-step new car purchasing procedures, here’s a link to “How To Buy A New Car And Not Get Ripped Off: Tips From An Insider” posted on ChristianPF.com.

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