How’s that "R-word" working out for you?

Hello,

I choose “not to participate” in the so-called “R-word”. How about you? Everywhere I turn, I see people and companies who are selling more, closing more and prospering more now than ever.

It’s not rocket science. It’s common sense, practical thinking mixed with a dose of vision. Here are five ideas about how to thrive right now rather than die on the vine. But first, here are two examples of prosperity for you to consider…

I was in Las Vegas last week (again), and the $9 billion City Center project in the middle of the Vegas strip is evidence enough. This is a thirty-seven acre city within the city. Sure, the project got started five years ago, but there are many projects that have come to a screeching halt….Not this one.

On a more personal scale, I had breakfast in Vegas with two guys whose companies are growing leaps and bounds in the real estate investment and financial portfolio business. Aren’t those supposed to be the two areas that suck the most right now? Not for them.

To thrive….

1. Keep it real…Take an honest look at your business situation. Don’t bury your head in the sand and just give in to the negative media hype. That’s the chicken-poop way out. If your business has been affected, do something about it. Understand where the improvement needs to be made and get started immediately.

2. Head on a swivel…keep your eyes and your brain open to new opportunities. I don’t necessarily mean looking for another career opportunity, though I would never rule that out. Make something happen within your area of expertise. If there is only one person or company in your industry that is thriving right now, get to know what they are doing, who they are doing it for and how they are doing it. Become their best friend and student. You will be amazed at how much people will help you if you just keep your awareness open to the idea.

3. The light is not a train…There is light at the end of the tunnel and it is here sooner than you think. Actually NOT. The real truth is that it is here exactly when you think it is. So the moment you believe you will find solutions, they will arrive. The moment you believe you will thrive in your business, remarkable things will begin to take place. Oh, by the way, you will probably have to muster up a bunch more faith than you currently have in order for it to happen.

4. Act like you have been there before…When you act with the confidence and composure of a seasoned professional, guess what? You begin to achieve the results of a seasoned professional. However, you must sustain your actions in order to continue to receive the benefits. If you freak out, panic or get stressed out over your situation, you will only restrict the flow of ideas to your consciousness. Also, good ideas and good people will begin to show up to associate with you because you keep your level head.

5. You will attract what you project…Whatever your thinking is about this current economy, or any for that matter, will be projected out onto everyone you deal with. If you believe that customers buy only for a low price, guess what? They will negotiate with you only on price. If you believe that consumers are not spending money at all, guess what? They certainly won’t spend it with you. If you believe that you have to hunker down and weather the “R-word”, guess what? You will be a mole in a hole and no one will do business with you. The beliefs you hold in your mentality and in the fibers of your personal spirit will project out onto everyone you meet.

Oh, by the way. Add to this list you must associate with people of like-mind and like-consciousness. If you hang around negative people, including watching the likes of Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper on CNN, you will feel like crap. Wrap yourself around doers, thinkers and visionaries. They are everywhere…

Here are some real visionaries. These architecture students and their professor from Mexico arrived in Las Vegas last week to take in the Surfaces Show and they stopped to have me autograph my Profit Power book. I gladly obliged. They are from the Universidad De Sonora in Hermosillo Sonora, Mexico. Look at the optimism and excitement about the future in their eyes. Contagious, huh?

Until our paths cross again, take great care of yourself and your loved ones.

Paul


Ps. If you would like your own autographed copy of my Profit Power book, order it here.

Some Real Value for Your Customers and You

Hello,

Value, value, value….

Every company says it, but who really does it?

In today’s market, your prospect and customer must feel at a very deep level they are getting real value from you and your services.

How do you demonstrate value to a customer? Here are four overtly obvious ways to show your customer the value of your product so they may rightly justify the price you are charging for your service.

1. Create an outrageously blatant memorable experience. In this case, you may have to do what is absolutely unthinkable. One of my coaching clients sends his customers on a seven day cruise for two when they buy one of his custom homes. Make a really big deal out of your customer being your customer. Be so happy and thankful to them that they have no other option but to reciprocate the gratitude by telling everyone they know. Reward them for being your customer and they will reward you with referrals.

2. Establish your expertise way in advance of their purchase. People love to do business with “experts”. When you are considered an expert in your line of work, you will attract more discriminating customers…customers who wish to take advantage of your expertise. Accomplish this by writing articles, posting blogs, doing radio interviews or shows, contributing your services in the community, holding an office of leadership in your trade association, winning awards, obtaining certifications, or teaching classes in your area of expertise.

3. The devil is in the details. Be retentive with your customer. I always love an anal retentive customer, because when I have to, I can “out-anal-retentive” them. It’s a game. The more detailed and specific you are with them, the more the feel you are an expert. They also receive the message that you are going to be equally retentive with their project or product. Once you have built unbreakable rapport, move to the details and nuances of where their money is going. Every detail has a price, hence value is established. For the record, you only have to be one notch more retentive than your customer for them to feel they are getting real value.

4. Deliver, deliver, deliver. My gosh, deliver what you say and when you say you will. NO…WAIT. Deliver in advance. Deliver more. Even ten minutes early can exceed expectations. A simple phone call to double check, triple check, quadruple check on your customer demonstrates value. If you say you are going to provide a product in a certain manner, do one or two better. Then, make a big deal out of it with your customer by telling them how much you appreciate their business.

5. Bonus (to create more value for you, the reader)…Enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm. You have got to be so happy, so thankful, and so orgasmic about doing business with your customer that they sense how passionate you are about what you are doing for them. Don’t you, or your staff, bitch, moan and whine about the economy, the cost of doing business, your headache, your dog, or anything else for that matter. Eternal optimism will foster feelings of value in your customer.

Here are some free resources that I have created to give you even more value as a reader and customer…

Six week Builder Mastery e-Course.
Lessons come into your email box to help you build your business, create more customers, make more money and keep your life and business in balance.

How to Sell More New Homes in Any Market Condition.
Here is a free chapter from my e-Book. The chapter is called, "Earning the Right to Make the Sale".

Free articles for your company newsletter, association magazine or for your blog. 39 articles for you to choose from…all free and full of valuable content.

You have my full permission to pass along this blog article to your colleagues, your team, your peers, your boss, your enemies and your plastic surgeon…lol.

Until our paths cross again, take great care of yourself and your loved ones.

Paul

Ps. When your organization needs a huge dose of motivation mixed with real world solutions, I will show up with my A-game. Send me an email and let's visit. paul@paulmontelongo.com