Yosemite Falls

What Yosemite Falls Taught Me About Business

Yes, it was perseverance, passion, and purpose that got me to the top of Yosemite Falls, the tallest waterfall in America.  I recently took a vacation to Yosemite where I hiked 2,700 feet of steep vertical terrain up the Yosemite Falls trail. It was a steep 8 mile and 8 hour round trip hike. The last hour to the Falls was brutally steep. The sun was pounding on my back. My feet were screaming at me and my muscles were beyond tired. To say it was a grind would be an understatement. Did I mention how steep it was? Look, I am not going to tell you that I was holding a VISION of getting to the top. Nor was I using any kind of mind over matter mental strategy. It was just 3 things; perseverance, passion, and purpose. I began thinking how these three words can easily be applied to business:

1. Perseverance

I wanted to give up and turn back.  Instead I took a lot of breaks along the way. In business, sometimes we may need to take a time-out and reassess our game plan. Don’t be afraid to pause and reflect on what you need to do next in order to keep moving forward versus throwing in the towel or worse, taking action with no results. Isn’t that called chasing your tail? Or, throwing stuff at a wall and seeing if anything sticks? Staying the course and focusing on your goal is what perseverance is about.

2. Passion

I was intent on getting to the top, but there is no way I would have made it to the top if I did not have a passion for moving my body within nature. With every step I took I grew weary, but at the same time I became increasingly ALIVE! I was grateful for my legs for propelling me forward. I became aware of my breathing. I felt my life-blood pulsing through my veins. I could see and smell the water fall cascading down the stunning sheets of granite. I was conscious of how nature was dancing all around me. I witnessed the beautiful rhythmic motion of wildlife as I climbed the mountain. Are you passionate about your business?  I believe it’s that passion that will get you out of bed in the morning when times get tough. It’s the passion that is going to motivate you when you feel stuck.

3. Purpose

I  had one purpose in mind. It was not getting to the summit of Yosemite Falls. It was to move my body within nature on a beautiful trail. That day was definitely all about the journey, not the destination. An added bonus was reaching the top, but my main purpose was to connect with nature.  Are you clear on the purpose of your business?  Does your business have some kind of meaning or purpose for you? Yes, we all know that the purpose of business is about making profits or else they cease to exist. Pardon me for stating the obvious, but beyond profits, why are you in business? What is your purpose?  Are you clear about your purpose?

Is this your first time reading Hware’s (HumanityWare) Blog? Hi, I am Brenda Tello Horton. I write most of the blog posts for Hware. I invite you to join me by subscribing. I share small business tips and strategies about once a week right here.

CARE About Them

I used to work in the real estate industry and for many years the Brokers held the keys to the kingdom, meaning that only THEY had access to the listings. Today, the power lies in the hands of the customer with access to mountains of information on the internet.  Yes, the business world is continuing to change at lightening speed. With information being indexed, categorized, organized, systematized, ranked, tweeted, posted, podcast, videoed, etc., it is the customer who now sits on the almighty throne with access to all this data. Not a day goes by that I don’t receive a comment from a small business owner trying to understand how to make sense of all this.

It starts with VALUES

Zappos, the online shoe company understands this very clearly.  They VALUE the art of caring. Their customer service department lies within their marketing department. In other words, what most companies would spend on marketing and advertising, Zappos spends on taking care of their customers. It’s one of the reasons why they were able to scale so quickly and position themselves to be sold to Amazon for over a billion dollars.  One of their customer service phone calls lasted six hours. Yes, it’s built into their business model. Paying an employee to chat with a customer is a lot cheaper than spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on manipulative advertising. You know the deceptive formula. Pay famous celeb or athlete millions of dollars to promote, use, and wear, product and YOU (customer) will begin to feel, look, think, and act like that famous celeb or athlete too.  Zappos is way ahead of the curve, an early-adopter. They know that customers are tired of the non-stop bombardment of ads. That’s why TiVo is so popular. Actually, Zappos is just displaying good old-fashion customer service built into a profitable business model. Let the customer try as many shoes as she wants and send the ones she does not like back to Zappos.  Good old-fashion customer service — seems to be working for them.

Best Buy gets it too. They too VALUE the art of caring.  That is why you see a Best Buy greeter at the entrance of every Best Buy store.  They know we want to be acknowledged when we enter their domain. Their employees are trained to validate our egos every step of the way as we ask the endless train of questions on the latest geek gadget of the month.  They even take back our broken electronics when bought from a different store location without a receipt. Why? Because they know how fast geeky guys and gals communicate online and tell all their geeky friends. True story. Happened to me a few months ago.  It was the most positive retail experience I have ever had in my entire life.  In today’s business environment, happy customers tell their friends online. Unhappy customers tell the world online. Take CARE of your customers.

What about YOU? What are you doing to take CARE of your customers? Do you VALUE the art of caring? I think we all have room for improvement. I know I certainly do. Any thoughts? Please post your comments below.

Setting Guidelines for Strategic Business Meeting

I recently facilitated a strategic business meeting where the leaders within the organization were very hostile towards one another. It would be an understatement to say that the tension in the room was thick. Morale was at an all-time low. The people present had some unspoken mistrust and fear.  Furthermore, egos were getting in the way of their decision-making process. They were blinded by their own self-interest versus the best interest of the company. So, I did something completely unorthodox in a business environment. I told everyone that before we get started, we needed to close our eyes, take 3 deep breaths and meditate for 10 minutes on the following:

1. I will bring a servant leadership attitude (inflated egos oftentimes lead to arrogance.)
2. I will be a Solutionary (be a problem solver, not a complainer.)
3. I will not interrupt when someone is speaking.
4. I will not blame, judge, or criticize.
5. I will be professional and civil.
6. I will stay Human.
7. I will bring an open mind (don’t be so attached to your way of thinking.)
8. I believe anything is Possible (allow yourself to imagine the impossible.)

Communicate Clear Expectations Upfront

Setting clear expectations upfront and voicing the desired outcome was critical to a successful meeting. As the meeting continued, the big egos melted away. Open and honest conversations took place, which was so desperately needed. Laughter erupted throughout the day as they worked together during problem-solving sessions. Dialogue flowed freely. It was truly amazing to witness the transformation from the negative energy in the room when I first arrived to the positive exchanges at the end of the day.  How did 10 minutes of silence create an atmosphere of collaboration versus competition? The power of PAUSE is oftentimes underestimated. Being still and quiet allows for people to get grounded and centered. By taking a few minutes to be silent while other humans are in the room, allows for an intimate exchange of breaths. In the  yoga world, we practice what is called Prana, meaning Breath. It is our breathing that reminds us that we are alive and connected to one another. By focusing on our breath, it gives time to reflect on our own humanity as well as others.  I am happy to say that all parties are now working harmoniously together and have a newfound respect for one another. It’s a good thing because that strategic business meeting I facilitated was for my own company, Hware.

Thanks for reading Hware’s blog!  Feel free to leave comments and share your thoughts.

Oftentimes, business planning is about picking a path.

The Give-As-You-Grow Sales Model

My business partner and I just went through an in-depth business planning retreat a few weeks ago, and while the session was grueling at times, it was a process that I am grateful for.  We needed to get clear about the direction of our company. We needed to make some big decisions. So we spent a week putting together financial projections.  We looked at our SWOTs (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.) We acknowledged that we both tend to be perfectionists and overly optimistic at times. The retreat was a huge break-through for us.  We hashed out our differences of opinions and we gained a lot of insight about each other and our business model. However, the biggest “take-away” we came up with was our revenue based charitable-giving model. For most of our adult lives, we have always contributed our time, money and resources to charitable causes that we were passionate about. However, we also felt that we were limited in our capacity to give in that manner.  There is obviously a finite amount of  time, money and resources from two people.  As we continued to discuss our business model, we both agreed on how important it is to us to build into our business model what I call a “GIVE-as-we-GROW” sales model. Here is an example of how our charity-giving model works and why we decided to go down this path.

How Charity-Giving Is A Cost Of Doing Business

For most small businesses, their charity giving usually comes from their profits. The problem with that model is that those numbers can easily be skewed, especially if it is a privately-owned business. For example, the owner of a small business can pay herself a large salary (expense), and still not show a profit on the company profit and loss statement.  On the other hand, a public company has an incentive to show huge profits for their stock holders and their charity giving is great for their public image. There are also hybrid charitable-giving models as well from large companies such as Salesforce. However, we decided to make our charity-giving model a revenue based model. It’s a lot harder to skew sales numbers. For example, let’s say we sell 100 widgets at $10.00 each and we give 1% of revenue to charity. 100 x 10 = 1,000 x 0.01 = $10.00.  Now let’s say we sale 1,000 widgets where we give $100.00 to our favorite charity. As we grow our sales to 10,000 widgets we can now give $1,000 to our favorite charity. Do you see how this charity-giving model is built into the the revenue model versus a profit charity-giving model? I look at it as a cost of doing business. Being a good business citizen is a lot like being a good individual citizen. Individuals make contributions to their communities all the time.  They volunteer, donate, get involved in Little League, PTA, Boy Scouts. However, have you ever thought about how your business is making a contribution to the community just by its mere existence?  The fact that your business exist should have a positive impact on society and your community just like an individual’s existence. Now let’s say we want to increase our charity-giving by increasing the revenue sales percentage from 1% to 3% or 5%.  You can see that as sales continue to increase we may also want to increase the percent amount as well and give even more to our favorite charities!

Doing Good By Doing Business

We are passionate about our VISION for Hware and how we can use our business to make a positive difference in the world and we hope to inspire other small business owners to do the same. We want to encourage you to think about how you can “Do Good By Doing Business.” As small business owners, we can be consumed with our business and not have much time for the charitable causes that we love. Over the years, I have enjoyed how meaningful my life has been from my involvement in causes that I deeply cared about. And, by deciding to go down this path, I feel like I can now make a greater contribution to causes that are near and dear to my heart. If we all participated by giving back in a way that we can feel proud and bring meaning to our lives, I believe we will find additional joy from our businesses…profound joy!  That is why Hware is  launching our “Doing Good By Doing Business” program on our Facebook Fan page. Hware wants to acknowledge small businesses that are making this world a better place.  If you are a small business owner that gives back to your local community, we want to hear from you! You don’t necessarily need to contribute the way we decided to go about it, we just want to encourage other small business owners to give back as you grow your business versus waiting to accumulate your wealth before you do so.  We invite you to post a link to your business on the comments section below and tell us how your business is giving back to your community. We also invite you to join our Facebook Fan Page where a few times a month we will recognize and highlight a small business who is making a difference in their community.

Desire  Passion  Commitment  Perseverance

Lance Armstrong along with 128 of the world’s top cyclists rode through my neighborhood yesterday. They were racing in the  AMGEN Tour of California.  The racers whizzed by me on Dog Bar Road as I tried to capture the moment with my digital camera without getting run over. Nothing could have prepared me for the sheer adrenaline rush I felt as I witnessed the power of intensity and laser-focus on the faces of these determined men. I was overwhelmed with INSPIRATION! As I began to reflect on my experience that morning, I realized that entrepreneurs have a lot to learn from these peak performing athletes.

Their desire to race is fueled by passion.

Their passion is sustained by commitment.

Their commitment is surely tested by challenges and obstacles.

Their challenges and obstacles are overcome by perseverance and resolve.

Because of their perseverance and resolve, they have qualified to participate in a world class sporting event.

They are prepared for this opportunity called the AMGEN Tour of California.

How about you?  What opportunities are you preparing for in your business?  What makes you get back up every time you hit a roadblock in your business? What keeps you focused on your business goals?  What fuels your passion for your business?   Or, do you need to get out of the way because you might get run over?  For me, it’s knowing that I am building a business that serves humanity in a useful way.  Whether it be our customers, vendors, employees, or partners, it’s about holding a clear VISION of impacting and improving the lives of many people on many different levels.

Rework, 37 Signals, and 3 Million Customers

Keeping Business Simple

Rethink Your Business

This Book Is Not For Status Quo Keepers

About eighteen months ago, Hware’s business model was redesigned and I became a business partner with my spouse, Chuck.  While our business relationship is young, we have nevertheless been together as a couple for nineteen years. Being familiar with each other’s idiosyncrasies has prepared me for a journey of perseverance and patience. Let’s face it, there is no denying it. It is HARD, especially if you have two people like me and Chuck, who are long-time entrepreneurs; and whom neither one of us ever seem to be lacking with opinions about how we should go about building the business.  Yet, partnering with someone you like, trust and know on an intimate level can also be very empowering. I believe the overall integrity of the business partnership comes down to what I think are the five most important elements to the success of the business and a healthy relationship.  I share them with you with the hope that we can have a conversation about spousal business partnerships.  Surely we are not the only ones who have chosen to go down this path. We have  much to learn from one another don’t we?

1. Be clear on your roles. Who is responsible for what, when, where, how and why. For example, in our software business, Chuck is primarily the the creator of our products. He is our software developer, programmer, Geek Guy. (Obviously, I have a thing for Geeky Guys. I married one.) He architects the software, designs it, and supports it.  My primary role is to market and sell the software.  There is no confusion about our roles in this capacity. That’s not to say that I don’t offer feedback and opinions about how the software looks and feels from an end-user’s perspective or that he doesn’t comment on how to brand it.  In addition, some of our roles overlap from wearing many different hats. However, we are very clear on our primary roles.  Here is how we have broken down our responsibilities:
   Chuck: Finance, Business Development, Long-Term Strategy, Software Development, Company Culture, and Technical Support.
   Brenda: Marketing, Branding, Online – Offline Sales, Social Media, Strategic Relationships, Business Development, Company Culture.  As our company continues to grow we will add operations and admin support, but for now, we share in those roles as well.  As we evolve, other roles will later be absorbed by outsourcing services, vendors, and employees. We also recently set up Hware as an Limited Liability Corporation where I assumed the role of president of the company. The reason we did this? The software industry is dominated by White males. We like to do things different here at Hware.
2. Know your strengths and use them well. We all have strengths and weaknesses. We decided early on to build a strengths-based organization.  I know this sounds like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised at how many people try to build a business going against their strengths. This just does not make sense at all. Imagine me trying to build our own website or Chuck calling on prospective customers. It’s just plain common sense to have people play to their strengths versus their weaknesses. We took a strength-based test before we became partners and it gave us a unique perspective going into the business relationship. One of Chuck’s major strengths is his ability to quickly process complex information and regurgitate it in a simple format. He is also a systematizer. He has used that strength to take complex processes and technologies and simplify it and systematize it for our business so that it runs smoothly and efficiently. Before we changed Hware’s business model, this is how he earned a living — offering business and technology consulting services. However, getting him to write a blog post would be like prompting him to eat his cereal with milk. He hates dairy milk and eats his cereal dry.  I, on the other hand love to write. I have always loved writing. I was a student journalist for my college newspaper at the University of Texas in Austin. I have also kept a personal journal since I was a teenager.  So, it makes strength-based sense that I am the one who blogs for our company. Fundamental to the success of growing an online presence for a small business is blogging. It plays to my strength. I recently looked at our google analytics on our website and the number one traffic driver to our site was an organic search on google! That means the blog is working! Now that’s an example of my strengths performing with optimal results!  Now, if I can just get folks to leave their comments, that would be even better. Hint, hint.
3. Have clear boundaries and strong communication. This one has to do with knowing yourself and your partner. Because we both live and work together, it is easy for us to talk about our business 24/7.  This is not healthy for the relationship.  It’s important to turn it off and take a break. So, if we have a business related topic that we want to discuss during non-working hours, we usually try to ask permission to discuss.  Chuck often jokes by saying that I am the person in his life that taught him to say no and helped him establish strong boundaries. Our conversation usually goes something like this —  Brenda: “I need to run something by you regarding technical stuff. Are you at a place where we can have a conversation?”  Chuck: “Not right now.  I am giving my brain a break.” Brenda: “I really need to flush it out. When can we talk?  It is time sensitive.”  Chuck: “Will tomorrow work for you?”  Brenda: “Yes, how about first thing tomorrow morning during our hike?”  Chuck: “Fine.”  Chuck is much better than I am about turning off the business brain. Have you ever met an entrepreneur or business owner and all they talk about is business? Can you say BORING?  Please, get a life. Give it a break.  Don’t be that Guy or Gal.
4. Have each other’s back. It starts with RESPECT! Put the egos aside.  There is no room for pride or self-absorption in a partnership. I don’t try to tell Chuck how to develop software just as he does not try to tell me how to network, negotiate, build business relationships, sell or market our software. We respect each other’s business acumen.  We don’t try to micro-manage each other or control each other’s daily activities. We set our goals and however we choose to achieve those goals is up to each individual. In addition, we know when to back off and give each other space when dealing with difficult issues, and believe me, there are many.  We have each other’s best interest at heart. Also, I think it is important to set each other up for success. For example, Chuck can work long hours of programming and he will occasionally forget to feed himself. This behavior has negative consequences. I call it Coder Behavior. Anyone who is married to a software developer knows what I am talking about. Anyway, one of my passions is cooking.  So, whenever I take a meal break, I always check in with Chuck and offer to bring him some of whatever I have cooked up. I know he appreciates it and it saves him from CRASHING at the end of the day.  Which leads me to my last insight.
5. Don’t take things personally. Being a small business owner certainly has its frustrations and hardships.  Here’s the thing…Don’t EVER make it about YOU! The world does not revolve around you. Building a business is challenging enough without adding drama to the equation. If you are committed to your business and your relationship, you will do what is in the best interest of your relationship and the success of your business. Check yourself. Ask yourself if your ego or pride is getting in the way of making solid sound business decisions. I know we are emotional human beings, and there is a time and a place to express our feelings, but business is really about common sense and bringing solutions to our trials and tribulations.  So, be a SOLUTIONARY!

These are just a few insights from my own personal experience of having a spouse as a business partner. How bout you? I would love to hear from you in the comments section. Don’t be shy!  Please share a tidbit of advice or experience that has helped you navigate the spousal business partnership. Or, if you are just entering a business relationship with your spouse and you have some questions, ask away. Perhaps we can be a sounding board for one another. Let’s start a conversation. We can all learn from each other!

Do We Need Daily Rituals and Routines?

Do you have a place where you go to quiet your mind on a daily basis?  It’s no big news that everyone, especially small business owners need some quiet-time to renew, recover, and re-energize. Running a small business can be overwhelming at times and we all need a place where we can silence our mind, be still, and listen to our inner voice or intuition.  We live in a world where we are constantly bombarded with distractions, diversions, and detours. It is so easy to get off track and become unfocused. That is why we need our daily rituals and routines. The consistency of daily good habits eventually become a lifestyle. There’s plenty of data that show the benefits of meditation and calming activities. Here are a few daily routines that I do that help me quiet my mind, get grounded, and stay focused.

Do You Have A Place You Call Your Sacred Space?

A few years ago, I converted a home office space into my very own “sacred space.” I use it to do yoga, meditate, read books of inspiration, and write in my journal. I have been keeping a journal since I was a teenage girl. This one ritual alone is incredibly powerful. It is where I write my intentions, my dreams, and voice my insecurities and fears. The exercise of putting my thoughts to the written word has always served me well. For example, I wrote in my journal about ten years ago that I wanted to organize a fundraiser for kids in the foster care system in my local community.  I wanted to help them find permanent loving families who would adopt them. At the time I had no idea how I was going to do it because I had no real experience in spearheading such an event. I was also working full-time in a very fast-paced industry with brutally long hours. Nevertheless, it was something that I felt compelled to do. Fast forward a few years later —- I, along with the help of many volunteers, organized a fundraiser for Sierra Forever Families. Together, we raised over $350,000.00 and were able to help many children. I stumbled upon that journal entry a few months ago and was amazed that I not only fulfilled that intention, but I exceeded my goals.

What’s Does Your Retreat Look Like?

The other routine I have is connecting with nature. I live in a forest in Northern California. I hike about 2.5 miles on my trails just about everyday. Whenever I am feeling out of sorts or stuck, I spend more time with nature by heading to the hiking trails. By doing so, it allows me to flush out my thoughts. Being able to connect with the Earth and her ecosystem is a gift I am very grateful for. I always feel rooted and centered when I am with nature. Next summer 2011, I will attempt to hike around the entire Tahoe Rim Trail, a 165 mile hike with 30 pounds on my back and 16 days of sleeping underneath the stars. The last time I completed such a physically enduring hike was when I summit Mt. Whitney ten years ago.

My Daily Computer Habit

One final tip I want to share with you is a time-out reminder software tool I use called Dejal Time-Out. I sit in front of my computer most of the day and this tool reminds me to stand up and look away from my computer for about 30 seconds. During this time I also do a quick stretch. The reminder shows up on my computer screen about every 30 minutes.

So how about you? Do you have a daily ritual that helps you move with ease throughout the day? Where do you retreat when you have to make some hard business decisions or spend some time giving deep thought to a situation?  If you work in an urban area or home office in the suburbs, what things do you do to help you stay on track? I would love to hear about it.  We have much to learn from one another.  Please share your feedback in the comments section below.

Couture Cottons designed using eco-friendly fabrics

Go Green Down Under

Earth Day is this week and while the “Green” industry has exploded along with some green washing, there is however the Green Festival that ensures reputable green exhibitors and businesses at their annual conferences. I found such a company a few weeks ago while attending the event in San Francisco. Couture Cottons lingerie — beautifully designed undies using eco-friendly fabrics. Their tag line is Go Green Down Under. I had the opportunity to meet Sandra Castro Richards, the owner and founder of Couture Cottons, from San Antonio Texas. The more we chatted, the more I liked her and her approach to building her business.

The External Cost of Cheap

Most clothes sold in America are made in sweat shops by children and women in third world countries. The wages are low, the hours are excessive, and the emotional and physical abuse is rampant. Costs are kept low so that we can buy the clothes at an affordable price. Unfortunately, there is a huge price tag on affordability. It’s called external costs. The external cost of cheap has everything to do with the inefficiencies and pollution of shipping raw materials over seas, exploiting human labor, then shipping the finished product back to the USA where more oil is consumed by trucking the product to the department stores where it will be displayed along with other petroleum-made clothes. That’s not the case with Couture Cottons. Couture Cottons has turned down contracts with major department stores in the USA because they could not make a profit selling their undies at the cheap price the stores were asking. Couture Cottons provides jobs for Americans. Their undies are manufactured in the USA where people are paid a fair wage and treated with dignity and respect. The organic undies cost a bit more, but the tradeoff is knowing that your money (voting with your dollars) went to support a small business that is not waging harm on the environment and humans. In addition, the undies are made with organic cotton. That means there are no chemicals sprayed on the cotton, which is much safer for the planet and the people handling the cotton. Now that is what I call a “values based” business. Couture Cottons is clear about their core values. They know where to draw the line in the sand. When your values are clear, then your business decisions are much easier.

People Planet Profit

Richards is part of a growing number of business owners who are putting the triple bottom line concept into action — People, Planet, Profit.  The triple bottom line is about building a profitable business, but not at the expense and exploitation of the planet or her people. This trend has been steadily growing over the last decade. I am seeing more and more eco-green business conferences and green business coaches emerge. Many are legitimate while some are just jumping on the “Green” bandwagon.  How can you tell the difference?  Here are a few of my favorite resources to help you decipher. Be sure to sign up for their blogs and connect with them on Facebook and Twitter. Are you a green business or have a green resource to share? Post it in the comments section below. We’d would love to know about it.

Sustainable Industries – A business source for leaders of the new economy.

Bioneers – An annual conference with a focus on sustainability.

LOHAS – Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability; Market segment news focusing on the environment, sustainable living, and social justice

Triple Pundit – Online news with a focus on green business

Global Exchange – Focus is on building the new global economy

GreenBiz.com – Online news with a focus on green business

Presidio Graduate School – Green MBA programs

Green America – A directory of screened and approved green businesses. Hware is a member.

Earthsite.net – Agency for sustainable brands specializing in social media strategy, and web marketing

I SEE YOU

There’s no doubt that the movie Avatar has captured the imagination of millions. So what does a Hollywood film have to do with business owners? Three words: I SEE YOU. In the movie, Neytiri of Pandora looks straight into Sully’s eyes and says to him, “I see you.” Three simple words, yet such profound meaning. Now think about that for a moment. Imagine taking the time to say that to our customers, our vendors, our employees, our subscribers, and our partners.  My observations and life experiences lead me to believe that people have a desire to be acknowledged and treated with dignity and respect. Once you understand that, then you are in a position to better SERVE the people around you whether it be employees or customers. I realize that sounds so obvious, but I am amazed at how oftentimes, businesses just don’t seem to care. By saying, I see you, Neytiri  acknowledged Sully, she validated him, and she showed him that she cared.

I see you means so much more than its literal connotation. It means:

• I am listening to you, Partners, Affiliates and Vendors
• I understand your needs and wants Mrs. Customer
• How can I empower you, Employees
• How can I help you Fans, Followers, Friends
• How can I support you, Subscribers to my blog
• What can I do to serve you, Database of Prospective Buyers
• How can I thank you, Donors

I See You is about the Platinum Rule

Ultimately, I see you means, I am here for you . I care about you. It’s about understanding the needs and wants of the people around you. I see you is more than the Golden Rule — Treat Others the way YOU want to be treated. I see you is about the Platinum Rule — Treat others the way THEY want to be treated. Now, you might say that giving everyone the customized attention and care of the Platinum Rule is not cost effective or realistic, but what I would encourage you to think about is how you can better understand the people around you that help make your business successful.  It’s a known fact that people do business with people who they know, like, and trust.  What are you doing to see the people around you so that they rave about your products and services and refer more business your way? How are you showing them that you care? If you are having a hard time answering these questions, then it’s time to ask them whether it be your employees or customers. I recommend using survey monkey, an online survey tool. By surveying your team, customers, etc., you will get the feedback you need to guide you in the right direction. Lastly, unfortunately, this lack of caring does not seem to discriminate, whether it be big business or small business. Here is a perfect example of someone who felt like his airline did not “See Him.”

Reminder: Just 9 more days left to win an HP iPAQ Glisten SmartPhone.

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