Business in Motion: Insights from Business Leaders

Interview with Seth Godin: We are all Weird

2012-02-11T15:09:00.000-05:00

Listen to this audio interview with Seth Godin on the topic of Weird. If you are not yet weird, maybe you will be after listening to Seth Godin.

Success Mag interview, 2012 from Seth Godin on Vimeo.

George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker
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Curious George Visits Toronto - photo slide show

2012-02-02T18:52:00.001-05:00

Curious George Goes to Toronto

View more PowerPoint from George Torok

George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker
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Business Jobs Available

2012-02-02T14:44:00.000-05:00

George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker
Listen to Business in Motion audio PodCasts On iTunes Business in Motion on Facebook

21 Tips in 21 Days to Get You Into Selling Shape for 2012

2012-01-23T18:46:00.001-05:00

By Jim Domanski
Are your 2012 sales a little sluggish? Need a little momentum?

Here are 21 tips that you can apply one day at a time over the next 21 days to help kick start your sales for 2012. These tips are in addition to your normal everyday selling activities. Why 21? Because 21 is approximately the number of business days in a month and because it is roughly the amount of time it takes to create a habit. If you get into the good habit of doing something a little extra to improve your skills or enhance your productivity and effectiveness your sales are bound to grow.

The 21-Day Get Sales Fit Program

Day 1 - For the next five business days, arrive 15 minutes earlier and use the time to prospect. Sometimes earlier in the day is the best time to reach decision makers. Of course what it really does is translate into 75 minutes of business development. Focus exclusively on dialling. Don't get distracted.

Day 2- Send out 10 thank you cards to your top 10 clients. Simply tell them 'thank you' for all the business in the past. Tell them you don't take them for granted. Hand write the card and envelope. Use a real stamp. Go here for more information on this simple but highly effective task.

Day 3- Ask your manager to monitor five of your (completed) calls today and provide feedback on how you can enhance and improve your approach to a call. A good coach means good results.

Day 4 - Identify 15 inactive clients (a customer who has not bought something in the last 12 months) and give them a call. Ask them questions to get a feel for their current situation. Identify needs. Pay attention to them. Groom them. Reactivate them.

Day 5 - Today, implement a "passive referral" program i.e., a means of soliciting referrals from clients (and prospects) using a variety of methods (e.g., e-mail). For more information on this process go here.

Day 6 - For the next 5 business days, stay 15 minutes longer and make cold calls and develop new business opportunities. Sometimes later in the day is the best time to reach your decision makers. Try it and see for yourself.

Day 7- Today you want to get "some skin in the game" and invest in yourself. Go to a books store or visit Amazon and buy a book on selling. Find something to enhance your approach to selling. When you invest in a product you are more apt to read and apply the techniques in order to get an ROI. (See the Book recommendation following this article)

Day 8- For today, identify your top 5 selling products and list 2 add on sales for each these products. Jot them on a sheet of paper and when appropriate cross sell or up sell on these products. Do this today and for the rest of the 21 days. Watch the average value of your sale increase.Go here if you'd like more information.

Day 9- Swap five of your prospects who are not returning your calls with 5 prospects from a co-worker. Sometimes a new voice and new approach generates new sales.

Day 10 - Scan the internet and find an industry or product related article that you can send or e-mail to 25 clients. Add a little note that says, "I thought of you when I found this article. Enjoy!" This creates value. It positions you as a 'resource' and not just a 'source.'

Day 11 - Call 10 of your "B -level" customers and ask them if there are any projects / sales three to six months down the line. Not only are you scoping out long term opportunities, you are staying 'top of mind.'

Day 12 - Eat lunch at your desk and spend the time making cold calls - maybe to a different time zone. That'll give you an extra 50-60 minutes of business development opportunity. See what happens.

Day 13 - Call your top 10 clients (the same ones to whom you sent the thank you cards on Day 2 and who probably got your industry related article on Day 10.) Ask them for a referral.

Day 14- Today, create an e-prospecting letter and send them to 15 prospects. For tips on e-mails go here.

Day 15 - Make follow up calls to the 15 prospects who got your e-mail on Day 14. Timing is everything.

Day 16 - For the next five days, come in 10 minutes earlier and stay 10 minutes later. That means an additional 100 minutes of business development activity. Ten minutes on either end of the day? Heck, that's easy.

Day 17- Monitor 5 calls from three of your co-workers (15 calls in all). Get a feel for what they do. Maybe you'll get some fresh new ideas or approaches.

Day 18 - Call five clients and ask them for a testimonial quote that you could use in an e-mail or letter or presentation. When you get them, be sure to leverage them!

Day 19 - Call or e-mail those who have given you a referral and given them an update on the status of the referrals you received.

Day 20- Send a thank you card - not an e-mail- to those who have given you a testimonial quote.

Day 21 - Evaluate all that you have done over the past 21 days. What has been the net result? If you've missed anything implement it. Now, build your 'little extra' plan for the next 21 days. Keep the momentum going.

The above tips are easy to implement and take very little time. Do the extras. The extras will give you the edge and make things happen.

By Jim Domanski of Teleconcepts Consulting. Please visit Jim's web site at http://www.telesalesmaster.com/ for additional articles and resources for tele-sales professionals

George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker
Listen to Business in Motion audio PodCasts On iTunes Business in Motion on Facebook

Contrarian or Team Player - Which are You??

2012-01-17T13:48:00.003-05:00

Why We Need Contrarians in The Workplace

This article by Barbara Moses published in the Globe and Mail suggests that contrarians are valuable additions to every workplace team - whether they are appreciated or not.

But is a contrarian really appreciated by a group of team players? Are the two labels polar opposites, or is one a different shade of the other?

I agree with the position of the article that the concept of being a team player has been over hyped. I think to the point of blind obedience.

In my experience good team players:

Go along with the rest of the group
Are unwilling to offend others
Do not place a high value on their own time
Are willing to sacrifice results for group harmony
Avoid embarrassment

In my experience contrarians:

See things differently
Ask bold and challenging questions
Are willing to take a postition
Are willing to oppose the group
Accept that they will make mistakes

George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker Listen to Business in Motion audio PodCasts On iTunes Business in Motion on Facebook

10 Tips to Make 2012 More Productive and Profitable

2012-01-12T14:54:00.001-05:00

Kick off the new year by listening to George Torok's "Top 10 Tips to Make Your 2012 a More Productive and Profitable Year".

Listen to this 30 minute radio show with host, George Torok.
10-tips-to-make-2012-more-productive-profitable

Here is a summary of the tips.

10 Tips to Make 2012 a More Productive and Profitable Year

1. Fail Fast, Fail Often and Fail Cheap

Be willing to make, and learn from your mistakes. Treat mistakes as part of the growing process – not an end. Think ahead by limiting the cost of possible failures. This tip is courtesy of Jim Estill.

2. Be Clear on Your Purpose

Why are you doing this? Ask that question of yourself more often before you invest your time, money or effort. Clarify the purpose of each meeting, promotion or decision before you commit.

3. Fundamentals

Revisit the fundamentals. Technology changes rapidly. Techniques adapt to circumstances. But the fundamentals never change nor fail you. Don’t wing it, understand the fundamentals.

4. Stop Chasing Perfection

You will never be perfect. Chasing perfection will result in repeated frustration. Instead strive to be better every time. Then you can experience a chain of small wins and progressive successes.

5. Stop Doing Things

What do you need to stop doing to allow you to do more of what you really want to do? Write your “Stop doing list”. This is as important as your “To do list.”

6. Scare Yourself

Face at least one thing that scares you. That’s how you grow. Courage is not being without fear – it is facing your fear. You’ll discover more about yourself when you scare yourself.

7. Ask Better Questions

Ask better questions of yourself, others and the world around you. You’ll be amazed at the answers you’ll get. It takes more thought to ask good questions than to answer them.

8. Review and Use Your Resources

You have resources that you aren’t fully using. Check your tangible and especially intangible resources for new opportunities. You already have what you need to succeed. Check your pockets.

9. Visit Other Worlds

Life is best observed through a kaleidoscope. Discover other cultures, opinions and perspectives. Volunteer for a charity, read about history and listen to other views without judging. Walk around the block with your eyes open.

10. Accept the Mess in Your Head

You are the best person to deal with the mess in your head. That will include a mix of ideas, questions, unfinished thoughts, self doubts, fears, anxieties, hopes, dreams…

No one else will ever know about the mess in your head. And you can work to organize some of that mess.

Listen to the podcast of this radio show here.

Best Interviews from 2011

2012-01-04T15:57:00.001-05:00

It's difficult to select the best because many of these radio interviews with business leaders are so good. Here is our selection for this year. Click the links to listen to the interviews. Enjoy. Be inspired.

Murray Hogarth, Founder Pioneer Gas Stations

Murray Hogarth launched the first Pioneer gas station in 1956. Today there are more than 150 Pioneer gas stations across Ontario.

Pioneer donates 1% of profits – not revenue to charity.
Murray Hogarth was instrumental in the formation of CAFE – the Canadian Association of Family Enterprises.
Pioneer is the largest independant gas station chain.
Murray Hogarth was voted the Entrepreneur of the Year by the Burlington Economic Development Corporation for 2010.

Listen to the radio interview with Murray Hogarth

Bruce McDougall, The McDougall Group

Who is Bruce McDougall?

He is the founder and president of The McDougall Group, a financial planning company in Burlington, Ontario. A past president of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce he is a long time active Rotarian. He is a marathon runner, tri-athlete, a past competitive racquetball player and an avid golfer.

Listen to the interview Bruce McDougall

Kathy Bardswick, The Co-Operators Group

Kathy Bardswick has been with the Co-Operators for 32 years. She worked her way through various roles with the company. A working mom with four children she was inspired by her own mother (with six children) who encouraged her to pursue her dreams. Kathy earned her MBA at McMaster University.

Listen to the interview with Kathy Bardswick

Business in Motion Podcasts

Alan McLaren, Infinity Communications

2011-12-28T15:50:00.000-05:00

Interview with Alan McLaren, Co-CEO of Infinity Communications
Who is Infinity Communications?

Infinity is a full service communications agency specializing in public relations, branding and social media strategies. We help our clients “Get Noticed and Stay Noticed”, through focused communication programs designed to build brand awareness and drive revenue growth.

One of the best ways to reach your target audiences is to use a combination of traditional public relations strategies offline, while leveraging social media and web strategies online.

We are living in a connected world and it is important to bridge the conversation both online and offline.

———————————————
Insights and excerpts from this interview with Alan McLaren of Infinity Communications

Purpose of marketing is building the brand to be top of mind.

Common mistake on the web is not connecting the dots.

Key question is, does more traffic mean more business? That is the bottom line.

Marketing is not scientific. One plus one does not equal two.

Half the time, we turn prospective clients away because the fit is not right.

Red Flag Deals was one of our proud success stories.

I hate doing the numbers – but you need to do that.
As Co-CEOs we each have our strengths and defined roles.

Interview on Business in Motion with radio show host George Torok

Listen to the radio interview on podscast

Listen to the radio interview on itunes

Motivational Chicken and Egg

2011-12-04T16:26:00.000-05:00

You know the old conundrum, “What came first, the chicken or the egg?”
One leads to other and one can exist without the other.

Well a similar conundrum exists when it comes to motivation. The question is, “What comes first the motivation or the motion?” Motivation and motion are closely related and interdependent. The words come from the same root. Certainly motivation leads to motion and motion builds motivation.

What comes first? It doesn’t really matter. When you feel motivated you will move into action – motion. When you are in motion already you will feel motivated – motivation. So if you don’t feel motivated – move. Do something. Start something. Get yourself into motion and you will start to feel more motivated. Doing things motivates. Resting seldom motivates you. Yes everyone needs a break but “break” is relative and a good break can just be a change.

When you want to feel motivated – move. Put yourself into motion. You might be surprised at how motivated you feel. We feel most motivated just after we have completed a tremendous task. Right after I finish a marathon I feel like I can run another (not right away of course).

So when you need some motivation – move. Try your happy dance.

© George Torok is a Canadian motivational speaker who specializes in helping business owners and professionals deliver their messages for better results. Visit his website www.Torok.com

Who's Responsible for Your Success?

2011-11-22T16:58:00.004-05:00

The 10 Reasons Why You Don't Sell as Much as You Could (or Should)
and What To Do About It
by Jim Domanski

Be real honest with yourself: are you selling as much as you could ... or as much as you should? If you have that vague and uneasy feeling that maybe you could be doing better but you're not precisely certain why you're not, then this article might give you some much needed perspective

1. You lack product knowledge
You might not be excelling at selling because you lack product knowledge. Maybe you're new to the job. Maybe you haven't been diligent in learning more about your products and services.

Here's the good news: you can readily fix this. Learn your products inside out. Review brochures, manuals, white papers, special reports. Read industry magazines. Subscribe to industry e-newsletters. Visit competitive web sites. Find a savvy mentor. Pick your boss's brain. Do SOMETHING. Invest a few extra hours a week. Eat lunch at your desk and read. Stay and extra half hour. Take stuff home.

2. You don't use the skills that you got when trained
You might not be selling to the degree that you would like because you are NOT using the skills you were taught in training. The trouble with learning new skills and techniques is that it means CHANGING your selling behaviour. Most people resist change even if that change means better results.

This is easy enough to fix too: find someone that will act as a coach, a cheerleader or conscience. Most often it's your manager. Engage him or her. Call them to task. Get trained again if necessary. Get them to monitor your calls and analyze what you are doing well and not so well. Get them to pat you on the back or kick you on the backside. Do SOMETHING and start applying what you learned.

3. You abuse the skills that you got in training
You may not be a good seller because you 'abuse' what you learned. This is different from #2 where you don't use ANY of the new skills. In this case, you don't use what you learned well. You have diluted, changed or altered the selling skills and techniques; you go half way; you cut a corner or two... or three...or four; you don't follow through; you've whittled away a tactic. You may not even know it.

The best thing to do is get yourself a coach - a manager, a friend, a mentor, an outsider- to objectively listen and analyze your calls. Be open to their remarks. Get training. Get your manager to provide constructive feedback.

4. You lack experience.
You're new to sales. You've just come off training. You haven't made enough calls to get a complete feel for your selling environment. You haven't dealt enough with customers or prospects. You haven't had enough victories or defeats. You lack the experience that only comes with time and effort. You lack the volume work that provides insights, confidence and savvy.

The solution? Don't quit. Keep plugging away. Keep a log book of experiences. Jot things down. Chat with others. Learn. Store those experiences somewhere. Above all, be sure to keep dialling. You'll learn by doing. Mistakes are great teachers; so are successes. Push yourself.

5. You quit too soon
Speaking of quitting: you might not be as successful as you could be simply because you quit too soon or you too easily. Quitting means any number of things. It means stopping an activity short of completion. For instance, instead of making 70 dials you quit at 55. Instead of making four or five follow up you quit at one or two. If a prospect says 'no' when you ask for the sale instead of querying further you crumble like a house cards and hang up.

What's the answer? Buck up, baby! Grow a spine. Don't be a wimp. Push a little further. Push a little harder. It won't hurt a bit and it WILL help your sales.

6. You need an attitude adjustment
Attitude can be a real sales killer and it may be holding you back from extraordinary results. Look, if you don't like your boss; if you're convinced your prices are "always" too high; if you feel your list is lousy; or you think that your competition has a better product, a better offer, better terms ... whatever; then quit. Don't waste any more of your time.

Or, alternatively, you can change your attitude. It's as simple as that. Make a choice. Negative thoughts and beliefs will hold you back from succeeding. So here's what to do. Stop whining. Stop blaming and finger pointing. And above all, stop excusing yourself. Your sales success is YOUR responsibility.

Here's what you should do: grab a yellow sheet of paper and a red marker. Write these words on it in big letters, "So, what am I going to do about it?" Post it where it will always be visible. When you feel yourself going down the self pity path, look at the poster and thing about solutions or hard work.

7. You're complacent
You might not be selling as much as you could or should because of complacency. It means you are content, perhaps even smug about your sales results. You're happy with what you are making and achieving. This is not necessarily a bad thing provided you are meeting or exceeding your objectives.

The only trouble with complacency is that it's a slippery slope. It gets easy to stop doing the things that made you successful...and you don't realize it. One day you wake up and you're behind the game. Complacency is common and it creeps up on everyone from time to time.

The good news is that complacency is relatively easy to fix. Push yourself every day by trying something new or setting more challenging objectives. Make 10 more calls. Push for one more sale. Get in 15 minutes earlier. Prospect a half hour longer. Stay an hour later once a week.

8. You're lazy
Ouch! Being lazy is different than being complacent. Lazy is several steps past complacency. Laziness is knowing what to do but consciously choosing not to do it. And excusing it. Laziness is seeing what needs to be done and ignoring it.

No one likes to admit that he or she is lazy but if your sales are down and they've been down for a while, you need to have a little 'heart-to-heart' with yourself. Only you can answer the question. As for the solution; it's self-evident.

9. You don't invest in yourself
Your sales might not be where you want them because you have done little or nothing to help get yourself to the next level. You haven't invested the time or the money for self-improvement. That you are reading this article is a good start but let me ask, have you bought a book or DVD on sales in the last six months? Have you thought of hiring a coach? The moment you invest a few bucks of your own money is the moment you have something to lose. It is also the moment you want an ROI. You create risk with an investment.

Next step? Visit a bookstore one day this week. Browse the marketing and sales selves. Find something to buy and read. Then schedule a half hour a day or a couple of hours a week to read and learn new techniques. (Not sure what to buy? See "I recommend "Smart Calling" - see the column below for more information)

10. You don't have the talent
Maybe your sales aren't so great because you lack the talent. Talent is an inherent ability to do well or at least, well enough. Not everyone has it. I can't dance a lick. I have NO talent for it. Can't sing either. Wasn't blessed with it. Golf? I play but it's a torture to watch.

Some people aren't cut out to be sales people because they don't have the talent. If you have tried everything suggested here, if you have moved from sales job to sales job and have not been 'successful' then maybe you don't have the talent. Maybe you should move on to something else. No shame in that. Call it a moment of truth but it could make your life a whole lot more enjoyable.

Summary
If you haven't gathered by now, your success is up to you. It's your choice. Making certain choices is not always easy but it is the only path to sales success. Choose wisely.

Jim Domanski
President, Teleconcepts Consulting
http://www.teleconceptsconsulting.com/
B to B, outbound tele-sales consulting and training services
Phone: 613 591 1998
-----------------

Powerful advice from Jim. If you are successful - you are responsible. If you are not - you are responsible.

George Torok

P T Barnum - Showman

2011-11-18T09:22:00.001-05:00

Phineas Taylor Barnum (July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891) was an American showman, businessman, scam artist and entertainer, remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and for founding the circus that became the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

P T Barnum died more than 100 years ago and we still quote him and base many business practices on his advice. Many of us can learn much from his words.

Here are some lasting insights excerpted from his book, "The Art of Money-Getting" or "Golden Rules for Making Money".

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Those who really desire to attain an independence, have only to set their minds upon it, and adopt the proper means, as they do in regard to any other object which they wish to accomplish, and the thing is easily done.

But however easy it may be found to make money, I have no doubt many of my hearers will agree it is the most difficult thing in the world to keep it. The road to wealth is, as Dr. Franklin truly says, "as plain as the road to the mill." It consists simply in expending less than we earn; that seems to be a very simple problem.

Mr. Micawber, one of those happy creations of the genial Dickens, puts the case in a strong light when he says that to have annual income of twenty pounds per annum, and spend twenty pounds and sixpence, is to be the most miserable of men; whereas, to have an income of only twenty pounds, and spend but nineteen pounds and sixpence is to be the happiest of mortals.

Many of my readers may say, "we understand this: this is economy, and we know economy is wealth; we know we can't eat our cake and keep it also." Yet I beg to say that perhaps more cases of failure arise from mistakes on this point than almost any other. The fact is, many people think they understand economy when they really do not.

True economy consists in always making the income exceed the out-go. Wear the old clothes a little longer if necessary; dispense with the new pair of gloves; mend the old dress: live on plainer food if need be; so that, under all circumstances, unless some unforeseen accident occurs, there will be a margin in favor of the income.

A penny here, and a dollar there, placed at interest, goes on accumulating, and in this way the desired result is attained. It requires some training, perhaps, to accomplish this economy, but when once used to it, you will find there is more satisfaction in rational saving than in irrational spending.

Here is a recipe which I recommend: I have found it to work an excellent cure for extravagance, and especially for mistaken economy: When you find that you have no surplus at the end of the year, and yet have a good income, I advise you to take a few sheets of paper and form them into a book and mark down every item of expenditure.

Post it every day or week in two columns, one headed "necessaries" or even "comforts", and the other headed "luxuries," and you will find that the latter column will be double, treble, and frequently ten times greater than the former.

The real comforts of life cost but a small portion of what most of us can earn. Dr. Franklin says "it is the eyes of others and not our own eyes which ruin us. If all the world were blind except myself I should not care for fine clothes or furniture." It is the fear of what Mrs. Grundy may say that keeps the noses of many worthy families to the grindstone. In America many persons like to repeat "we are all free and equal," but it is a great mistake in more senses than one.
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Spend less than you make.

Powerful, simple and easy to understand - yet overlooked by too many today. That includes governments, corporations and individuals.

Funny how some things never change.

George Torok

Business Speaker

Business in Motion radio show

Business In Motion on Facebook

Fail Often, Fail Fast, Fail Cheap

2011-11-15T10:09:00.003-05:00

That's powerful advice from Jim Estill. He is a successful entrepreneur who build his business from nothing to annual revenue of over $300 million. He then sold the business - like a smart entrepreneur.

I have shared the stage with Jim as presenters and expert panelists. Jim has much wisdom to offer. Of all the advice I've gathered from him this one resonates with me the most.

"Fail often, fail fast, fail cheap." - Jim Estill

Just imagine how "the fear of failing" can halt success. Instead, Jim suggests that we accept failures as necessary to growth.

Jim Estill discusses each point in more detail in this article.

For Better Innovation - Fail Often, Fail Fast, Fail Cheap
by Jim Estill

Companies need to be encouraging of failure. Too often people are disciplined for trying things that do not work. I advocate the opposite. Praise those who try - even if they fail.

Read the rest of this article at For Better Innovation - Fail Often, Fail Fast, Fail Cheap

This line in the article particulaily jumped out at me.

"Having failures does not make you a failure. Not trying makes you a failure."

George Torok

Host of Business in Motion

Speaking About Marketing In Iran - TV interview

2011-10-23T15:29:00.003-04:00

George Torok is interviewed on People in Connection TV about his speaking tour in Iran.

He spoke about the Secrets of Power Marketing to business audiences in five cities.

Fools & Experts on Creative Problem Solving Team

2011-10-18T15:04:00.001-04:00

Why do you need both fools and experts on your creative problem solving team?
What are their strengths and roles that help you solve problems?

In this video George Torok explains the answers to those questions.

George Torok - Creativity Catalyst

Creative Facilitation

Creative Problem Solving training seminars

20 Classic Case Studies Every Business Student Should Know

2011-10-06T08:20:00.003-04:00

Enjoy this collection of 20 important business lessons illustrated with case studies.

Here are two that I particularily enjoyed reading.

David vs. Goliath

It's tough to be the little guy, especially when one of the big guys becomes your direct competition. But at Hangers Cleaners, an offbeat image and good customer service helped them pull through when P&G opened an eco-friendly dry cleaners in the same town. Hangers differentiated itself through van delivery service, funny t-shirts and hangers, as well as social networking. The company also spent time connecting with the community by partnering with local businesses and charities.

Instead of out-pricing or out-spending P&G, Hangers embraced its personality and adopted a culture of excellent service that customers found value in. As a result, Hangers has experienced growth while other local dry cleaners have reported flat or declining revenues.

Triumph in Niche Exports

Another excellent international case study comes from bike manufacturer Triumph, which lost steam in its British home base three decades ago, but found new life by heading overseas. In 2010, Triumph sold just 7,562 bikes in the UK, but 50,000 worldwide, indicating that an international interest paid off for the company. Triumph's famous factory in Warwickshire closed up shop in 1983, but the Indian factory remained, and these days, the motorcycles have become the country's Harley Davidson.

The company struggles to meet demand in India, with a six month waiting list and a new factory being built. India's middle class has embraced the vehicle as an affordable commodity, even giving them as dowries in weddings.

Read the rest of these lessons here.

20 Classic Case Studies Every Business Student Should Know

The forever recession (and the coming revolution)

2011-09-29T17:39:00.003-04:00

From Seth Godin

There are actually two recessions:

The first is the cyclical one, the one that inevitably comes and then inevitably goes. There's plenty of evidence that intervention can shorten it, and also indications that overdoing a response to it is a waste or even harmful.

The other recession, though, the one with the loss of "good factory jobs" and systemic unemployment--I fear that this recession is here forever.

Why do we believe that jobs where we are paid really good money to do work that can be systemized, written in a manual and/or exported are going to come back ever? The internet has squeezed inefficiencies out of many systems, and the ability to move work around, coordinate activity and digitize data all combine to eliminate a wide swath of the jobs the industrial age created.

There's a race to the bottom, one where communities fight to suspend labor and environmental rules in order to become the world's cheapest supplier. The problem with the race to the bottom is that you might win...

Factories were at the center of the industrial age. Buildings where workers came together to efficiently craft cars, pottery, insurance policies and organ transplants--these are job-centric activities, places where local inefficiences are trumped by the gains from mass production and interchangeable parts. If local labor costs the industrialist more, he has to pay it, because what choice does he have?

No longer. If it can be systemized, it will be. If the pressured middleman can find a cheaper source, she will. If the unaffiliated consumer can save a nickel by clicking over here or over there, then that's what's going to happen.

It was the inefficiency caused by geography that permitted local workers to earn a better wage, and it was the inefficiency of imperfect communication that allowed companies to charge higher prices.

The industrial age, the one that started with the industrial revolution, is fading away. It is no longer the growth engine of the economy and it seems absurd to imagine that great pay for replaceable work is on the horizon.

This represents a significant discontinuity, a life-changing disappointment for hard-working people who are hoping for stability but are unlikely to get it. It's a recession, the recession of a hundred years of the growth of the industrial complex.

I'm not a pessimist, though, because the new revolution, the revolution of connection, creates all sorts of new productivity and new opportunities. Not for repetitive factory work, though, not for the sort of thing ADP measures. Most of the wealth created by this revolution doesn't look like a job, not a full time one anyway.

When everyone has a laptop and connection to the world, then everyone owns a factory. Instead of coming together physically, we have the ability to come together virtually, to earn attention, to connect labor and resources, to deliver value.

Stressful? Of course it is. No one is trained in how to do this, in how to initiate, to visualize, to solve interesting problems and then deliver. Some see the new work as a hodgepodge of little projects, a pale imitation of a 'real' job. Others realize that this is a platform for a kind of art, a far more level playing field in which owning a factory isn't a birthright for a tiny minority but something that hundreds of millions of people have the chance to do.

Gears are going to be shifted regardless. In one direction is lowered expectations and plenty of burger flipping. In the other is a race to the top, in which individuals who are awaiting instructions begin to give them instead.

The future feels a lot more like marketing--it's impromptu, it's based on innovation and inspiration, and it involves connections between and among people--and a lot less like factory work, in which you do what you did yesterday, but faster and cheaper.

This means we may need to change our expecations, change our training and change how we engage with the future. Still, it's better than fighting for a status quo that is no longer. The good news is clear: every forever recession is followed by a lifetime of growth from the next thing...
Job creation is a false idol. The future is about gigs and assets and art and an ever-shifting series of partnerships and projects. It will change the fabric of our society along the way. No one is demanding that we like the change, but the sooner we see it and set out to become an irreplaceable linchpin, the faster the pain will fade, as we get down to the work that needs to be (and now can be) done.

This revolution is at least as big as the last one, and the last one changed everything.

Kathy Bardswick, The Co-Operators Group radio interivew

2011-09-22T17:46:00.003-04:00

Radio interview with Kathy Kathy Bardswick

Radio interview with Kathy Bardswick, President and CEO of the Co-Operators Group.
Kathy Bardswick has been with the Co-Operators for 32 years. She worked her way through various roles with the company. A working mom with four children she was inspired by her own mother (with six children) who encouraged her to pursue her dreams. Kathy earned her MBA at McMaster University.
—————————–
Inisghts from this interview with Kathy Bardswick

The Co-Operators is a co-operative that is owned by 47 other like-minded co-operatives.
Each owner owns an equal share. The share value does not change which means that the company does not focus on driving share value.

They are in the business of offering financial security for Canadians along with peace of mind for the ups and downs of life.

Co-operators was formed to meet unmet needs in 1945 by Saskachewan farmers who were unable to buy insurance from the traditional insurers.

It is run democratically in that everyone has a voice – yet people are held accountable.
A big concern and worry is the sustainability of our world environment and the quality of life.

The increasing gap between rich and poor does not bode well.

Youth Sustainability Conference – an opportunity for students to leverage their passion for sustainability.

We have reduced our internal footprint by 22%. The next goal is 50% and the step after that is to be carbon neutral.
entrepreneur to separate the two.

Tips for Getting Your Start-Up Going

2011-07-29T14:19:00.008-04:00

By Cynthia Kocialski

Entrepreneurs suddenly have an idea and then they just want to get going building the product and starting the new business. All entrepreneurs are impatient people. It’s hard to pull on the reins and get them to stop and investigate the idea before they go full speed ahead.

Almost all serial entrepreneurs and investors know that whatever the founder believes is the first product, won’t be the product. It’s almost always a variant. The better the starting point, the faster and more efficiently the entrepreneur will arrive at the start-up’s true first product offering.

What is it and why should it exist?

Most entrepreneurs start with the product idea. Before even thinking about wrapping a business around the product, the entrepreneur should ask themselves these questions.

What is the problem that the product solves? How much of the problem do you solve for the customer? A customer wants the total solution, not just 10% of it. Is the problem one the customer desperately wants solved? Are customers currently searching for a solution and unable to find one? Are they willing to spend to solve it? Does the customer need the problem solved immediately? How do you know these answers?

If the entrepreneur doesn’t have the answers then the start-up is already in trouble. The last question is there because I am always in awe at how many start-ups have never talked to an actual customer, and their answers are based solely upon research!

TIP: Exploring possibilities doesn’t require paperwork

Many entrepreneurs believe they have to have completed and filed all the corporate paperwork with the required government agencies before starting their venture. No, you don’t. You can create a company name, print business cards, give yourself any title you like, get a domain name, put up a website, and have a corporate email account without any incorporations, licenses, or permits.

Talk is cheap and you can answer the above questions without waiting for filings. Find the answers first.

TIP: Understanding Customers’ Work Behaviors

Many entrepreneurs have difficulty getting to speak with customers. Most will cold call or send unsolicited emails. The result is being ignored. Why? In an office environment, most people are most concerned about what work they need to get done today or the meeting they have to go to in an hour. They are trying to get through their daily to-do list and you are distracting them.

The solution is getting to talk to them when they are someplace where they are there to network and connect with others. That’s why attending conferences, tradeshows, workshops, and seminars works so well. They are removed from their day-to-day tasks. If you are targeting big companies as customers or are going to a large event, consider volunteering to register attendees. I know a founder who always works speakers’ registration, his potential customers come to him and while he’s checking them in, he gets to make an appointment to speak with them during the conference. It also means the conference for free.

Some of the smaller events will provide you with the attendee list. This will allow you to do research ahead of time. You can attend the meeting and look for specific people to talk with, and this is the real reason there are name tags and badges at events!

TIP: Learning What the Customer Really Wants

Most entrepreneurs get in front of their potential customers and spend all their time telling customers about the products they are creating. At some point in the conversation, consider asking the customer what are their top problems right now. It amazes me why founders just don’t ask, “What one problem would you pay anything to solve right now?” The answer may surprise you and you may just discover a better product to offer.

A good foundation is worth a lot to a start-up. It is not something that can be done in a day, a week or even a month. But getting a good starting point will simply make the rest of the planning and execution easier.

About the Author
Cynthia Kocialski is the founder of three tech start-ups companies. In the past 15 years, she has been involved in dozens of start-ups and has served on various advisory boards. Cynthia has held various technical, marketing, and management positions at IBM and Matrox Electronics. Cynthia has engineering and mathematics degrees from the University of Rochester and the University of Virginia. Cynthia writes the popular Start-up Entrepreneurs’ Blog
http://www.cynthiakocialski.com/ and has written the book, “Startup From The Ground Up - Practical Insights for Entrepreneurs, How to Go from an Idea to New Business”.

Recruit Both Fools and Experts to Your Creative Problem Solving Team

2011-07-26T16:44:00.002-04:00

You need both fools and experts on your creative problem solving team. They bring different and essential strengths to your team.

But they are needed for different purposes. You will get the most from them if you understand their strengths and use them accordingly.

Fools on your creative problem solving team

Fools are good at asking questions

Fools help you discover options

Fools are best at stepping into new paradigms

Fools are fond of breaking rules

Fools are helpful in defining strategy

Fools are effective

Fools are best at divergent thinking

Fools help you zoom out to see the big picture

Experts on your creative problem solving team

Experts are best at answering questions

Experts help you focus

Experts are best at maintaining the status quo

Experts are fond of following procedures

Experts are dependable with tactics

Experts are efficient

Experts are best at convergent thinking
Experts help you zoom in on the details

When you form your creative problem solving teams, be sure to include both fools and experts. Both groups play critical parts in the creative problem solving process. It’s not about being right or wrong. It’s about finding and implementing the best solutions to the challenges you face.

George Torok

Creative Facilitator

Creative Problem Solving seminars

Can You Be a Health Coach?

2011-07-07T10:47:00.003-04:00

You are invited to attend a Health Coach webinar event (60-minutes) that will demonstrate how to earn an income as a Professional Health Coach usingweb based systems for coaching. This complimentary presentation is hosted by Hilton Johnson Productions, the people who have pioneered professional Health Coaching with web-based technology.http://www.globalteleclass.com/specialhc240b

Companies like Google, Motorola and UnitedHealthCare are employing web- based health coaches everyday to address the problems of healthcare directly.

Because of the demand, there is a shortage of good qualified health coaches. Could this be the next billion dollar business?

Health coaching is changing healthcare because it helps people not to get sick in the first place. Web-based coaching allows almost anyone to quickly build a professional coaching practice/income and deliver excellent coaching.

This teleconference call/webinar will show you exactly how. You can be a successful health coach without any selling, prospecting, or using any persuasive techniques. This call will take place on: Wednesday, July 13th at 2:00 PM ET (New York Time) To attend this complimentary training session click on the link below or copy and paste it into your web-browser. (You will need to be on your phone and the Internet to attend this event.)http://www.globalteleclass.com/specialhc240b

The concept makes sense to me. I would rather avoid those colds then suffer through.

George Torok

Wayne Vanwyck, Radio Interview

2011-05-15T16:38:00.003-04:00

Interview with business owner and business author, Wayne Vanwyck.

Wayne Vanwyck is the owner of three businesses – a training company, a call centre and a franchise business.

He is also the author of “The Business Transition Crisis”
————————————
Insights from this interview with Wayne Vanwyck

71% of business owners in Canada plan to retire in the next 10 years

This book is for baby boomers who own businesses and are or should be thinking about leaving the business.

Why would a successful business owner sabatage his own retirement?

Took a six month sabatical to travel around North America and research the book.

Your buisness is a product. One day you might want to sell it for a profit.

There are five million businesses in Canada. 98% of them employ less that 10 people.

Of the businesses that are for sale – only 1 in 5 will sell.

Your business is not you and you are not the business. It’s tough for an entrepreneur to separate the two.

Listen to this radio interview with Wayne Vanwyck

George Torok

Host of Business in Motion

Motivational Business Speaker

10 Big Businesses That Started in a Garage

2011-05-03T18:48:00.002-04:00

Every big business had to start out somewhere, right? Some have come from more humble beginnings than others, launching with no more than some basic equipment, a couple employees, a garage space and a big idea. Whether you’re a business or finance student hoping to follow your own path to entrepreneurial success or already working in your own garage on the next big thing, these stories of companies that rose from obscurity to be multi-million (or billion) dollar industries can be a big inspiration. They may very well help you finally realize your dream of getting out of that garage and onto bigger and better things.

Apple: Today, consumers will wait in line for hours just to get their hands on some of Apple’s latest products, but once upon a time this electronics giant was a mere blip on the technology industry’s radar. Back in 1976, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniack and Ronald Wayne started a business out of a garage in Cupertino, CA, putting together one of the first prototypes of their personal computers. Over the next decades, the company would introduce several more models, including their Macintosh line in 1984, arguably what turned them from a struggling startup into a fully fledged business. Today, the company manufactures much more than computers, has almost 50,000 employees and brings in revenues of over 14 billion each year.

Google: Google might be a household name today, but back in 1998 the search engine giant was just starting out. Their corporate headquarters? A Menlo Park, CA garage. For the next five months, Google’s staff of three would work out of this garage, perfecting their search algorithm, indexing web pages, and raiding the refrigerator of their friend’s attached home. By the next year the company had outgrown the garage and eventually moved into what is today known as the Googleplex. To celebrate their 8th birthday, Google purchased the garage and intends to preserve it as a lasting legacy to the humble beginnings of their business.

Mattel: Mattel wasn’t always the toy maker we know it as today. When the Handler’s got their start in the 1940’s in a Southern California garage, they were making picture frames, not toys. Ruth Handler began taking the scraps of wood from those frames and making doll furniture, a side business which proved quite successful. Because of this, the entrepreneurs decided to change their focus to toys instead. In 1959, they introduced the first Barbie, and afterwards became a household name. Today they’re home to big names in the toy business like Fisher Price, Hot Wheels, American Girl and a number of board games.

HP: Back in 1939, Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard decided to establish their own electronics manufacturing company. Based out their garage in Palo Alto, CA, with an initial investment of only $538, the two helped establish the technology hub that would become Silicon Valley. When they started out, they made everything from high-tech electronics to agricultural products but by the 60’s were homing in on the tech market exclusively. Today, the company is an electronics giant, with some of the highest quality personal computing products on the market. They have opted to preserve the garage where they got their start, making it into a museum.

Amazon: In 1994, Jeff Bezos laid the foundations for what would be the online retailing giant Amazon in his garage, hoping to follow in the footsteps of fellow garage entrepreneurs HP. With a strong foundation, the company grew very quickly, and before long was in need of a much bigger space to house their operations. Today, there are few people who haven’t shopped with the online retailer, buying everything from food to televisions to electronic media. This small business had become one of the leading retailers in the world, with billions of dollars in sales each year.

Disney: While he would go on to build an animation and entertainment empire, Walt Disney’s first studio was a tiny, one car garage in Hollywood. There he worked on a variety of animation products, setting up a makeshift studio in the space, while he waited to see if his Alice in Wonderland pilot would be picked up by any major distributors. It was, and the company quickly moved out of the garage into a proper studio. These days, Disney is an entertainment giant for kids and adults alike with movies, theme parks and products around the world. That tiny garage was almost torn down, but the dedication of a few interested citizens helped to save it and interested visitors can go there today to see where it all began.

Microsoft: In 1975, Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft, with just a few resources and an available garage space. Unlike Apple who developed both software and hardware, Microsoft homed in on the software market. Working with IBM, the company licensed their first OS for a mere $80,000. Later, they would go on to develop more sophisticated operating systems that would evolve into those we know as Windows today. The business would grow to be one of the most profitable and powerful in the world, dominating the personal computing market.

MagLite: Anthony Maglica started his dream of owning a business by working long hours to earn the money it would take to put a down payment on his first lathe. Working in a Los Angeles garage, he began to design and build precision parts for industry, aerospace and the military. By 1974, he was incorporated as Mag Instrument and the company was gaining a reputation for the quality of their products. In 1979, MagLite released their first flashlight, the product they are best known for today. It would help them to become a household name and secure their place in the market.

Yankee Candle Company: Unable to afford a present for his mother, young Michael Kittredge created his first scented candle from some melted crayons in his garage. Neighbors saw the candles and began purchasing them from him, eventually motivating the high school student to found a business with two high school friends. Kittredge sold the company in 1999 after a cancer scare, but it has gone on to even greater success and is now sold at many major retailers and a number of its own standalone stores.

Harley Davidson: It makes complete sense that a company selling vehicles would get its start in a garage or outbuilding, because that’s where those products eventually end up. Harley Davidson did just that, starting out in 1901 with a small business that built engines for bicycles. Of course, it wasn’t long before they started developing the motorcycles for which they are known, and in 1903 they had already released their first racing bike, constructed in a small wooden shed. Buoyed by the popularity and speed of their motorcycles, the company expands, constantly rethinking the best ways to build a bike. Today, they’re still known for producing some of the biggest, best motorcycles on the market and have become a household name.

Article Source
http://www.accountingdegree.com/blog/2011/10-big-businesses-that-started-in-a-garage/

Ken Tencer – SpyderWorks Audio Interview

2011-04-25T16:56:00.003-04:00

Listen to the radio interview with Ken Tencer of SpyderWorks.

Interview with Ken Tencer, CEO of SpyderWorks & co-author of “The 90 Percent Rule”
SpyderWorks is a strategic design firm. They are “stratical” – a blend of strategic and tactical.

——————-

Insights from this interview with Ken Tencer

The 90% rule is based on doing the things that you are 90% capable. That lowers risk and cost.
I came from a family of entrepreneurs and always believed that I would be and entrepreneur.
The book is perfect for anyone who wants a practical way to grow their business.
The risk test is – could it put me out of business?
Don’t try to hit home runs.
Look for what the next 10% can offer you.
It’s not necessary to invent anything.

The Business Transition Crisis – Book Review

2011-03-26T16:24:00.003-04:00

Who is this book for?

This book is a must read for entrepreneurs and business owners who are thinking about their succession plan or drafting an exit strategy. Every business owner must plan for that transition. Unfortunately not everyone does. If you don’t plan your business transition someone else will make the decisions for you.

What is the urgency?

This book sounds a timely warning to the baby boomers within that group. Many of those business owners will be forced into a fire sale. Baby boomers have affected so many aspects of our culture and economy as they’ve grown older.

If you are a boomer you might recall the mortgage rates of the eighties hitting the high teens. I felt lucky to lock in at 14% for five years. Prices skyrocketed when boomers were ready to buy – and they will plummet when they are ready to sell.

This book offers some startling statistics. One that might chill you is “71% of business owners plan to retire within the next 10 years, yet only 7% have a written plan for succession.”

Imagine the financial, emotional and health tolls on the unprepared business owners. Perhaps the most traumatic issue for entrepreneurs is to let go of the business they built. That’s the case at the best of times. Imagine the pandemic when the massive baby boomer crowd decides to exit en mass. That’s the crisis.

Why should you read it?

The Business Transition Crisis is a good read for any business owner even if the only thing it does for you is to help you recast your business as a product – not as your baby. That major perspective shift is necessary for you to begin and successfully complete your transition.

The book continues to offer perspective checks and guidelines for the successful business owner. You can follow this systematic approach to prepare yourself and your business for successful transition. Even if you think that it’s too early to start planning your transition it will be worthwhile to read the book, address the questions and start preparing yourself for the process.

The book is written in a business-owner-talking-to-business-owner candor. Wayne Vanwyck offers you insights from his experience as an owner of three businesses. That includes lessons from his mistakes and successes. He reveals his own painful wakeup call that forced him to address his business transition.

The author provides insights from the interviews that he conducted with hundreds of business owners across North America. The excerpts from some of these conversations are revealing. Some examples will make you cheer while others might sadden you. In every case the lessons are clear and simple. This is reflective experience speaking to you.

If you are thinking about your business transition then this book is a powerful yet clear and simple step-by-step guide to personal and financial success. You are presented with probing questions that must be addressed at each step of the process. There are checklists, action lists and tips.

There’s help on how to build your transition team and ensure that all the relevant players are working for your best interest. The book introduces the intriguing concept of working with a Business Transition Coach. This is a role that offers more comprehensive support than one would receive from a lawyer, banker, accountant or business broker.

The book lists and explores several options of retiring from your business. In each case there are important steps you must follow to ensure the success of your health, financial security and important relationships.

The Business Transition Crisis is a book that every business owner needs to read before they retire so they can retire successfully.

© George Torok is the host of the radio show Business in Motion. He has interviewed over 450 business leaders. You can listen to those interviews free at http://www.businessinmotion.ca/ You can also listen to those Podcasts on iTunes. George is a motivational business speaker. Arrange a speech or presentation at http://www.business-speaker.biz/ or call 905-335-1997

Book review by George Torok

Learn more about The Business Transition Crisis

Creative Problem Solving Process - video

2011-03-03T20:01:00.002-05:00

Creative problem solving is a process. You need both fools and experts on your creative teams.

Success Insights: It's not for everyone

2011-02-20T17:09:00.002-05:00

Enjoy these thoughts on the topic of success. You don't need to agree. But it might be good to at least reflect on these thoughts.

Maturity is the result of experience, pain and reflection. If you are not yet mature enough – at least one of those is lacking.

Maturity is not a position. It is not an age. Maturity is a process. You will never be fully mature. You can only be on the maturity line.

The one thing that we all have in common is pain. Yet each of our pains is different. I might not understand your pain and you might not appreciate mine. Doesn’t that make us more alike than different?

Many people misunderstand the concept of balance. It doesn’t mean that your life should be balanced. It means that if you want more of one thing you must give up something else. It’s never equal and never balanced. It is give and take.

We often ask children, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” But we neglect to ask, “What are you willing to give up for that?”

Wisdom is not built on information. Wisdom is the result of questioning and reflection.

Confidence is not about knowing everything. Confidence is about being comfortable with not knowing what will happen next.

The best conversationalists ask good questions and listen.

Anybody can answer a good question. It takes a thoughtful person to ask a good question. When was the last time that someone said to you, “That’s a good question.”? Perhaps you need to work on your questions.

Simple is not the same as easy. Many people mistakenly equate the two and than become disappointed when simple is not easy.

Running a marathon is simple. First you move the left foot and then you move the right foot. Simple but not easy – because you need to do it 30,000 times.

The more challenging the obstacle the simpler your strategy needs to be.

Success is the result of doing little things consistently well over time.

George Torok

Motivational Business Speaker

Professional Speaker

The truth about the APICS Innovation Showcase

2011-02-14T08:39:00.002-05:00

Before you decide about registering for the APICS Innovation Showcase read these probing questions and revealing answers.

Why is APICS Ontario Grand Valley offering this new program of ½ day workshops?

These workshops offer you an effective way of developing critical success skills. These are the transferable skills that might never show up on a resume or in a job ad. But success is never based on your resume or job description. Success is based on how you do things

These workshops will help you improve “how” you do things. APICS wants you to be more successful.

What skill building programs are offered?

These programs are focused on you. You have a choice of six workshops. You may attend up to two. You can discover better ways to manage your thinking, your time and your communication skills. Imagine how you will feel when you can make smarter decisions, get more done and convey your message with better results.

If you planned to improve your personal skills this year this is opportunity knocking on your door.

If I’m attending the APICS conference why should I also attend the Innovation Showcase on Saturday?

You will receive tremendous value from the conference. You will make old and new connections with colleagues and industry leaders. You will learn about trends, ideas and opportunities. You will recharge and find renewed energy.

Is that enough? Maybe. But all around you people and companies are expecting more from you. Ideas and knowledge are not enough. Success comes from doing things well and that requires effective skills.

These ½ day workshops are much more than theory and ideas. They will help you develop the skills you need to be more successful.

If you are unable to attend the conference, can you still attend the Saturday Innovation Showcase?

Yes. Be sure to register early to save your spot because these workshops are limited to small groups for effective learning.

Reserve your place. Click here now.

Can non-members attend the Innovation Showcase?

Yes – and they can register at the member rate. This is your opportunity to develop your net worth with your network by sharing this timely information with them. How many people do you know that might want to improve their success skills?

These are transferable success skills that your contacts in other fields can benefit from. Perhaps your spouse wants to attend or has colleagues who are desperate to improve their effectiveness.

Can you attend only one workshop?

Yes. Select the skill set that you most want to develop now. You can register for one or two workshops. It’s your choice.

What programs are available?

Here are the workshop titles. Which ones can help you the most?
Innovate: Five Steps to Get Better Results with Reduced Resources
Understanding Yourself and Others
Managing Time for Success
How to Deliver Superior Presentations because Inferior Never Wins
Guide, Energize and Excite Your Employees
Dynamic Communications

Ready to register? Click now.

Yours in the interest of Success

APICS Grand Valley Chapter

PS: Invest a half day or full day in your success. You’re worth it, aren’t you?

Click here to register for Innovation Showcase

Tom Beakbane interviewed on Business in Motion

2011-02-07T18:47:00.005-05:00

Interview with Tom Beakbane, President and founder of Beakbane Retail Connections.

Beakbane Retail Connections is a marketing firm that helps business develop their brands and bring their products to the market.

Tom Beakbane started his company 23 years ago and employs 11 people. He was born in the UK and raised in Worchester – the same as the famous sauce.

Tom is a renaissance man. He lived in Kenya and France. He studied Neurophysiology and Bio-Chemistry and would sneak into art classes. He worked as a Sous Chef in southern France. Now his job in the kitchen is to wash up.
————–
Insights from this interview with Tom Beakbane

“What I love the most is when someone comes in with a raw idea.”
“Distilling complexity into a single message.”
“We like coming up with a good name.”
“The fewer things that you ask people to remember, the more likely they will remember it.”
“Our best client is passionate and open minded with a challenge.”
“Education is a foundation – not training for a job.”
“Words are merely buckets for creativity.”
“I hate cold calling but…”
“When we do a good job for clients they don’t need us anymore.”

Listen to this radio interview

George Torok

Host of Business in Motion

Business in Motion podcasts

APICS Ontario Grand Valley Innovation Showcase

2011-02-04T10:31:00.004-05:00

Innovate: Five Steps to Get Better Results with Reduced Resources
In this entertaining and practical program you will discover:

The 5 key principles on which to base your Innovation process
A 7-piece tool kit to generate dozens of new ideas in minutes
How to recognize the two types of problems and handle them appropriately
How to know which question to ask and when (yes there are dumb questions)

Presented by George Torok, Creativity Catalyst

Attend this practical workshop at the APICS Grand Valley Innovation Showcase on Saturday Feb 19, 2011 in Cambridge, Ontario.

If you are a member of APICS or work in operations management then this Innovation Showcase is an easy opportunity to boost your business smarts and career success.

"Innovate: How to Get Better Results with Reduced Resources" is a practical and systematic approach to getting things done, overcoming business challenges and reducing the stress in your life.

This is the first time that this game-changing program will be open to the public. George Torok normally delivers this program exclusively to private clients who want to transform the culture and operations of their organization.

In a rare opportunity for you, George Torok has agreed to work with Cambridge Solutions to offer this program to the members and guests of APICS Ontario Grand Valley.

Don't miss out.

Register here for Innovation Showcase

Learn more about Creativity Catalyst, George Torok.

Check out the rest of the workshops at the Innovation Showcase

The Fifteen Most Common Publicity Mistakes Businesses Make

2011-01-19T18:45:00.002-05:00

By Pam Lontos

As a business owner, you probably know that publicity is important to your success. But many businesses (and maybe you’re one of them) make crucial mistakes in their publicity campaigns. While some of the mistakes are more detrimental than others, the actual costs can be staggering.
For example, saying the wrong thing to a reporter may only cost you a quote in a national magazine. But in advertising dollars, that quote could have been worth hundreds. And you never really know who would have read the interview. Maybe a reporter for USA Today or maybe Oprah’s producer (or maybe even Oprah herself). Plus, what about all the time, money, and effort you spent in getting that reporter on the phone?
It’s true; everyone makes mistakes. By being aware of the more common ones, at least you can take action to avoid them. If you want to make the most of every publicity opportunity that comes your way, consider the following mistakes that businesses commonly make in their publicity campaigns:

Thinking hundreds of customers will walk through their door from one hit.
Fame and name recognition take time and repetition to build. In fact, a person will need to see your name and logo around six or seven times before they actually remember it. So regardless of what you’ve heard, there’s no such thing as an overnight success.

Not being unique in their approach.
No one wants to hear the same old message over and over again. So develop a hook, or unique angle that sets your business apart from others. For example, if you own a restaurant, consider what’s unique about it. What’s unique about your menu? Has the restaurant been family-owned and operated for generations? Do you offer vegetarian cuisine? The more you can make your message unique or different from the “old way,” the more attention you’ll attract.

Thinking they can’t get into a large publication.
Many small business owners feel intimidated by the big name publications. They envision high-powered magazine editors schmoozing with big company CEOs and lining up interviews with well-known figureheads for the next six months. In reality, editors scramble daily to find people to interview who have knowledge on the latest trends and topics. Realize too that editors must find new and exciting people to interview either weekly or monthly, so the more knowledgeable people they can add to their database, the better. Make yourself stand out as a reliable information source and you will get the media’s attention.

Thinking small publications don’t matter.
Even big name businesses had to build their expertise and name recognition by starting in small publications and trade journals. Although they aren’t sold on newsstands, you never know who’s reading them. So don’t overlook small publications as a foundation for your publicity.

Thinking their ideas are wonderful.
Touting your experience and explaining all the reasons why your business is wonderful to an editor is not an effective way to pitch your ideas. In fact, this is an immediate turn-off. Realize that an editor or reporter only cares about one thing: their readers. So instead of telling them all about your ideas and your business, first learn about their readers and what they want.

Pitching themselves, instead of a story for the audience.
Always pitch a publication or program by highlighting the benefits your business can offer their particular audience. Consider what uniqueness you can offer and why their readers or viewers will be interested in what you have to say.

Pitching the wrong person.
Besides wasting your time, pitching your ideas to the wrong media person will likely frustrate them. If you have an article you’d like to publish, you need to talk to an editor. But if you want to score an interview, you need a reporter.

Not finding out what reporters really want.
As you present your idea to a reporter, ask questions about what they’re looking for and what their audience is looking for. Then make changes to your initial idea based on their responses. Don’t try to “sell” your idea if it isn’t a good fit; instead, promote alternate ideas and emphasize your ability to address a variety of issues.

Not answering the reporter’s questions.
Always let the reporter or interviewer lead the conversation, because they most likely have an agenda for the story’s development already in mind. Don’t attempt to take over the conversation or talk about points the reporter doesn’t want to cover. They simply won’t include you in the final story.

Not getting to the point.
Audiences and readers love to hear firsthand accounts of experiences relating to the topic because it helps them know you on a more personal level. But don’t overload the reporter with unnecessary information that isn’t directly related to the story, and don’t ramble. If you can’t convey your message in a short amount of time, then your answer won’t be used.

Not respecting the reporter’s time.
Reporters work on time sensitive deadlines, and nothing will irritate them more than you being inconsiderate. So before you start pitching your ideas, always ask if they are on deadline. If yes, ask for a more convenient call back time.

Not gearing their pitch to the specific publication.
If you get a “no” response from an editor, reporter, or producer, always ask, “What don’t you like?” Then adapt your presentation on the spot. The more you learn about their needs and customize your message for their specific audience, the more likely you’ll be featured in their publication or on their show.

Making it an advertisement for their product or service.
Authors spend a large portion of their time selling their books because the profession simply demands it. But interviews and articles are not the right place to go on and on about your expertise and knowledge. You must let your information speak for itself. By giving solid, useable information, audiences will automatically know how great your book is.

Not providing their publicist with material and information in a timely manner.
Business owners are busy—that’s a given. But so are publicists, editors, and reporters. In order for your information to get into the right people’s hands, you need to give your publicist the requested information in a timely manner. Your publicist can’t pitch you and your book unless he or she has the most relevant information about you that showcases all you have to offer in a positive way. And if you make your publicist wait for information to send an editor or reporter, you may miss your chance to get interviewed or featured in your desired media outlet.

Not understanding the importance of frequency of publicity.
While it takes a long time to build your name recognition in the marketplace, it takes no time at all for people to forget about you. So you have to maintain the frequency of your publicity throughout the life of your business, especially when your competition maintains the frequency of theirs. Otherwise, you become old news.

Better Publicity in the Future
Just like everyone makes mistakes, everyone can avoid them by being aware of the common ones. When you make yourself aware of these fifteen most common mistakes that business owners make in their publicity campaigns, you can make the most of every opportunity and achieve a greater level of success in your business.

About the Author:
Pam Lontos is owner of PR/PR, a public relations firm that specializes in professional speakers, authors, and experts. Having been an author, speaker, and former VP of Disney's Shamrock Broadcasting, she knows the ropes of getting you good publicity and how to use it to really boost your business. Call for a free consultation at (407) 299-6128, and sign up for a free publicity tips e-newsletter at www.prpr.net.

Creativity Consultant Threatens to Tell the Boss

2010-12-28T11:01:00.002-05:00

This was a letter that I wrote to Lynne Everatt, columnist for the Globe & Mail. Her column described the antics of a Creativity Consultant who seemed to force people into following his orders.
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I read your column, “How Far will we follow the consultant?” (Mar 24) with both amusement and concern.

I was amused at the antics that your groups were “encouraged” to perform in the pursuit of creativity.

I was amused and impressed by Norm – the one who defied the instructions of the consultant – because I have done the same. If consultants expect to challenge the group they must expect to be challenged. This creativity consultant should have found a more creative tool to encourage participation other than threatening to tell the boss.

But what concerns me the most is the perception of Creativity than might have been left with your letter-writer and the other participants in this program. As both a student and leader of creativity it is clear to me that several prime directives of creativity were ignored by Bart the creatively consultant.

Even though creativity is the science of breaking rules – there are rules – or at least guidelines for creativity. It is a science – more than an art. It is only art to the uninformed.

One of the first rules of creativity is to provide a risk-free environment. If you want people to be more creative you must make them feel safe. Employees in a corporate environment will not be creative if they are punished for their creative excess or not participating.

If you are told that your idea was too crazy (or stupid) – you will be inclined not to play again. All it takes is a glance or rolling of the eyes to kill a creative thinker.

One of the greatest threats to creative thinking in a group is the non-acceptance of the group. The group leader determines and guides how the group might react. If you want people to be more creative – don’t punish them. If you want people to be more creative – value every idea and opinion.

To encourage creativity in a group you must allow individuals to choose not to play at any point. They need the option of calling a time out. This is a simple technique that reduces stress by giving a sense of control to the participants.

Robert Alan Black, creativity guru, called this, “Gone fishing.” At any time in his creative session a participant could announce, “Gone fishing”. The rest of the group would understand and that individual felt safe and still part of the group. That individual would also be more inclined to jump in later with creative ideas as they hatched.

Let’s be real. If you are told to jump around the room and you don’t want to – you don’t have to. If you are told to hug everyone and you don’t want to – you don’t have to. Although there might be creative aspects or interpretations to these actions they are not the goal of creativity. And creativity is not the goal either. Creativity is a tool that can be sharpened to reach a goal. And when it comes to business creativity should be focused on the bottom line.

Bottom Lines of creativity

Creativity is not about jumping around the room.
Creativity is not about being goofy.
Creativity is a skill set that can be learned.
Creatively is about thinking differently.
Creativity must be nourished.
Creativity is most productive when focused on a desired outcome.
There is a time to be creative and a time to follow procedure.
Management must clarify which is which.
Most creative ideas fail. That is normal. That is okay.
All great change comes from creative ideas.

George Torok is a student, instructor and explorer of creative problem solving.

“The problems that exist in the world today cannot be solved by the level of thinking that created them.”
Albert Einstein

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George Torok

Creativity Catalyst

Creative Problem Solving

Small Business Branding

2010-11-24T17:52:00.002-05:00

George Torok is a bestselling author of “Secrets of Power Marketing”. He is the host of “Business in Motion” He is a specialist in helping small and medium sized business gain an unfair advantage over the competition.

George Torok offers insights and ideas for small and medium sized buisness on branding and building relationships.
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Insights from this radio show

Branding might not be the answer to your marketing needs.
Big business spends lots of money on branding because they have no other choice.
Small and medium sized buisness can build relationahps instead.
Branding is only a second rate perverted relationship.
The magic words to building relationships are please, thank you and you’re welcome.

Small Business Branding on Business in Motion

Thought Controlled Computing

2010-11-11T17:34:00.005-05:00

"If you can plug it in, you can control it with your brain."

Is the message from leading edge technology company, Interaxon.

Their website describes a three stage process (Think - Tranlate - Activate) to control machines with your thoughts. And it's not theory but actual real technology.

Just imagine controlling your computer - not by typing or even talking to it - but by thinking.

Of course when machines can hear your inside voice some of us will need to control our thoughts a lot more.

Considering the science that must be involved I was impressed with the simplicity of the language on their website. They demonstrate a good sense of humour and realness. Pretty cool for high tech.

Here is the Interaxon website and blog.

http://www.interaxon.ca/

http://www.interaxon.ca/blog

PS: Be very careful what you think when you get there.

George Torok

Host of Business in Motion

But We’ve Always Done it This Way: Top Ten List

2010-11-09T18:47:00.002-05:00

What does that really mean?

Perhaps you just asked a question at a committee meeting. The room went silent and at least one person pointedly explained to you that “We’ve always done it this way”. The rest of the group either chimed in or nodded their heads in arrogant approval. Some might even have glanced at you with that dismissive look of lost causes.

For many people change is painful. It doesn’t matter how silly their current path or how promising the opportunity of other possibilities. Change hurts. It is also painful to admit that what you have been doing needs to be changed. Accepting change means accepting the possibility that you are not currently doing things the best way.

While you bite your tongue or fume at that response consider this Top Ten List of the Real Meanings of “But we’ve always done it this way”.

What might people be thinking as they state that lame defense?

10. I haven’t got a clue why we do it this way and I never thought about it before. But I’m not going to admit that to you.

9. Your question is a good one. But I never asked it and wish that I had. As much as your question disturbs me I won’t admit that out loud.

8. You’re new aren’t you? You new people just want to change our perfect little world. We like it the way it is. We can outlast you.

7. How dare you question the wisdom of your predecessors? It was good enough for them why isn’t it good enough for you? Have you no blind respect and subservience to those who were here before you?

6. You clearly don’t know how we do things around here. It has nothing to do with logic, fairness and openness.

5. If you are a team player you will go along with us without asking embarrassing questions like that.

4. We don’t like questions like that. And right now I don’t like you for asking it.

3. Perhaps you believe that you have the right to ask questions… but you’re wrong. Shut up and go with the flow.

2. It’s working the way it is. Leave it alone. Can we go now?

1. Despite what you were told, this is not a democracy. We don’t care about your ideas. Just do what you are told to do. And do it the way that you are told to do it.

When you try to change things you will hear the response “But we’ve always done it this way.” Don’t hate people for that response. Consider the list above to understand what they might be feeling. Recognize that your questions might be disturbing them and they might not be ready to give you an honest and thoughtful answer.

“But we’ve always done it this way” is likely the response of a person who feels threatened.

When faced with this challenge you will need to find a less threatening way to make change. The other alternative is to expose the status quo as the bigger threat.

© George Torok is a Creativity Catalyst. He helps teams make productive creative change. Find more creative ideas and tools at www.Creative-Problem-Solving.org To arrange a presentation on Creativity or training program on Creative Problem Solving visit www.Torok.com or call 905-335-1997

But We've Always Done it this Way

Beth Oakes, The Oakes Group - radio interview

2010-11-07T13:25:00.004-05:00

Interview with Beth Oakes, Managing Partner of The Oakes Group

The Oakes Group provides career advice to executives and professionals. Beth Oakes has worked most if not all her career in the business of human resources and human capital. She previously held the positions of Managing Partner at Millar Dallas – an outplacement firm and Executive Vice President at DHR - an executive search firm.
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Insights from this interview with Beth Oakes

In spite of her corporate experience, Beth has always seen herself as an entreprenuer.

Entrepreneurs can make their own decisions and they can fall by them.

This industry of coaching executives and managers is new within the last 5 to to 10 years and it is growing. Corporate executives and managers have much less time to mentor and guide their staff.

Coaching can be like being a parent…

As an entrepreneur you worry about the cash flow and you can be lonely.

Advice to an entrepreneur: Write a good business plan and create an advisory board.

Steel on the outside – cotton on the inside.

Building a good network is much more than making friends.
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Listen to the podcast of this radio interview with Beth Oakes

Listen to Business in Motion interviews on iTunes

Listen to more Business in Motion podcasts

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George Torok is the host or Business in Motion, the weekly radio show on CFMU

Steve Petrovic - radio interview

2010-10-27T18:13:00.003-04:00

Interview with Steve Petrovic, Country Manager (Croatia) Pedersen & Partners Executive Search.

Steve Petrovic is an inspiring man in career motion. He graduated with a degree in science and became a government scientist working on environmental issues. He went back to school to earn his MBA specializing in IT. That led to a few years in IT consulting.

A frank discussion with his dad and uncle encouraged him to start and run his own business in metal fabricating.

Later an interest in exploring opportunities in his family’s homeland of Croatia led him to accept the role as country manager for an international executive recuiting firm. That led to an opportunity to join a modernized 100 year-old steal mill.

Steve Petrovic’s story is inspiring and full of important insights.

Listen to the radio interview with Steve Petrovic

Listen to Business in Motion podcasts

George Torok is the host of Business in Motion

Murray Hogarth, Pioneer gas stations

2010-10-23T18:08:00.006-04:00

Interview with Murray Hogarth, Executive Chairman of Pioneer Petroleums, President and CEO of the Pioneer Group

Murray Hogarth launched the first Pioneer gas station in 1956. Today there are more than 150 Pioneer gas stations across Ontario.

Pioneer donates 1% of profits – not revenue to charity.

Murray Hogarth was instrumental in the formation of CAFE – the Canadian Association of Family Enterprises.

Pioneer is the largest independant gas station chain.

Murray Hogarth was voted the Entrepreneur of the Year by the Burlington Economic
Development Corporation for 2010.
——————–
Insights from this interview:

“We wanted to beat the major oil companies at their game.”

“In the existing model, the customer was an interruption and the employee approached the customer with a bad attitude.”

“We introduced the first loyalty program – bonus bucks.”

“Where do you get innovative ideas? Listen to what your customer wants.”

“You have to have drive and a vision.”

“Insulate yourself from the risk.”

Listen to this radio interview

George Torok

Host of Business in Motion

Canadian Business Speaker

Mike Pley, COM DEV, Interview

2010-10-13T19:35:00.004-04:00

Interview with Mike Pley, COO of COM DEV International.

Space – the final frontier!

COM DEV produces electronics for satellites. A Canadian company and world leader in satellite technology, based in Cambridge, Ontario and employing over 1,000 people.
Mike Pley is an Engineering graduate of McMaster University.
———————
Insights & exceprts from this interview with Mike Pley.

We have to build something that will be super dependable for 15 years.

You can’t make repair calls in space.

Our equipment is on 80% of the over 650 satellites up there.

We don’t go after the low cost world where price is king.

We want to encourage the next generation to become astronauts and engineers.

The next big project we are working on is the James Webb Telescope which is scheduled to launch in 2014. It will see far more than the Hubble. The James Webb Telescope is seeking to see first light – the beginning of galaxies.

Listen to the radio interview with Mike Pley

George Torok
Host of Business in Motion
Business Speaker

It’s your responsibility to vote in a democracy

2010-10-04T16:27:00.002-04:00

Re: Right to vote

Do you really believe in democracy?

The results of municipal elections would suggest that most people don’t support a democracy.
In a democracy, the majority rules. Yet only 30 to 38 per cent typically vote in municipal elections. The majority is voting against the election. Maybe they want a dictatorship.
In a democracy, all voters have the right to express their opinion at the ballot box.

In a democracy, you also have the responsibility to participate and contribute.

The right to vote is one of very few rights that we have. We have few rights and voting is one of them. We have more privileges than rights. Some folks seem to misinterpret privileges as rights. You earn your privileges. Someone else granted you your rights.

Both rights and privileges are directly dependant on responsibilities. If you want the right or privilege you must first embrace the responsibility.

The municipal election is coming. It’s no excuse to say that you don’t like the choices because democracy allows you to create new choices.

You are responsible for the government that you elect by your action or inaction. Not voting is a vote.

Do you believe in democracy? Prove it.

George Torok, Burlington

As published in Letters to the Editor in the Hamilton Spectator, Monday October 4, 2010.

Walter Booth Radio Interview

2010-10-01T18:30:00.003-04:00

Audio interview with Walter Booth, Chairman of The Timberland Group

Walter Booth started at Timberland as a young Project Engineer more than 40 years ago. He rose to the rank of President, bought the company, sold the company and is now Chairman. He is an engineering graduate of McMaster University. He has donated at least $3 Million to the Faculty of Engineering.

The Timberland Group grew signifcantly during those years. Originally a company that manufactured winches for the logging industry, they now provide special winches and hoists for mining, power distribution, underwater exploration and off-shore oil.
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Insights from this 30-minute interview with Walter Booth:

“The business still excites me after 40 years.”

“They hired me because I had experience in the ski lift business.”

“Buying the company – we worked on that deal for at least a year. You want it to move faster
but it just took longer.”

“My boss encouraged me to join the Young Presidents Organization. I got to hang around successful business owners.”

“As chairman my chief role is mentoring and developing the new owners.”

"You have to bend the rules if you want success.”

Listen to the radio interview with Walter Booth

George Torok
Host of Business in Motion
Canadian Business Speaker

Business in Motion Podcasts

Business in Motion on iTunes

Motivational Insights for Business Owners & Entrepreneurs

2010-09-20T10:08:00.003-04:00

Enjoy these motivational insights from motivational speaker, George Torok. He delivers motivational keynote presentations for associations and corporations. He is hired for his expertise and remembered for his motivational messages. He is a business speaker with expertise in marketing and business growth – yet he is often quoted on his motivational insights.

If these quotes help to motivate you and your staff then feel free to repeat them. But be sure to quote George Torok as your source.

Motivational Insights from Motivational Speaker, George Torok

“Running your business is a lot like running a marathon. You don’t build your business by sprinting. You build it by being steady over the long run.”

“You don’t need to do every little thing perfectly. You just need to do them.”

“There is a myth that if you do what you love the money will follow. You should do something that you love, but the money will only follow if you also do some things that you hate.”

“An imperfect system is better than no system at all.”

“Success is simple but never easy.”

“Some of the things in your business are frustrating, embarrassing and painful. That builds character. To build your business you need to build your character.”

“Talent runs hot and cold. Don’t rely on talent. Follow systems.”

“Success comes from doing little things consistently well over time. It’s not about the lucky break.”

“Building a business is a race. But it is not about a race to the finish line – it is a race to keep running.”

“Watch what successful people do and don’t simply copy them. If you do, you will always be a follower. Watch what successful people do and ask yourself, “Why do they do it that way?”

If you like these motivational quotes – use them – along with crediting George Torok. If you want your people to hear these messages directly then arrange for George Torok to speak to your team.

Motivational Insights from George Torok
Motivational Business Speaker
George Torok

George Torok is a motivational speaker who specializes in marketing and presentation skills.

Ray Simmons audio interview

2010-09-17T18:02:00.004-04:00

Interview with Ray Simmons, President of CableTest Systems Inc.

CableTest Systems tests the wiring systems of military jets, high speed trains and the Space Shuttle (the exterior fuel tank has 8,000 connenctions). They provide a complex version of an electritian’s multi meter.

Ray Simmons has been the president and owner of CableTest Systems for the past nine years. Previously he was President of CRS Robotics. After a two year “retirement” he got edgy and longed to get back into business so he bought CableTest Systems.

Insights from this interview with Ray Simmons:

“Going public with CRS … was not me. That’s why I retired.”

“Retirement was quite challenging. I felt like I was disconnected.”

“55% of our business last year was in Europe. Asia is our next frontier. We like India.”

“Regrets? Two…”

“I think that in a technologly company a president that is totally focussed on technology is dangerous.”

“We’re on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter.”

Listen to interview with Ray Simmons on Business in Motion.

Strategies for Giving Great Magazine Interviews for Business Publicity

2010-09-09T17:55:00.004-04:00

By Pam Lontos

Finally! All your press releases and public relations efforts have paid off and you’ve scored an interview with a major magazine. Your hard work is done, now all you have to do is show up for the interview, answer a few questions, and your product or service will start selling like mad, right? Not so fast.

Granted, getting an interview takes great effort. But an interview doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get quoted in the final article. If your image is unprofessional, if your information isn’t quite what the reporter wanted, or worse yet, if you come across as rude, then you won’t get plugged in the article and you definitely won’t get another chance.

So what can you do to make the right impression and help ensure that you’re quoted in the final article? Use the following five strategies for giving a great interview and getting the media attention your business deserves:

#1 Take Time to Prepare for the Interview

Whether you’re meeting the reporter for a cup of coffee or conducting the interview over the phone, you must be prepared. Before the interview begins, write three to five main points that you want to cover on an index card. That way you won’t struggle with an answer during the interview and you won’t forget to mention any important topics.

You can also use the points on your card as backup information. Reporters will inevitably ask you at least one question you don’t want to or can’t answer. In case you are unable to respond, you can say, “That brings up an interesting point...” then go on to one of your prepared statements. If this doesn’t work, offer to find out the answer to the questions and get back to them as soon as possible.

If your interview is over the phone, don’t be tempted to read scripted responses from a pre-printed sheet. Reporters can tell when your words are read off a page versus when you’re giving honest, unscripted answers.

#2 Be Polite and Easy to Work With

Magazine reporters are busy people with time sensitive deadlines to meet and editors to satisfy. So if you don’t respond to their calls and messages or if you’re late for the scheduled interview, then they won’t hesitate to move on and find someone else to quote.

During the interview, be helpful and show that you care about the reporter and their job at hand. Ask what you can do to make his or her job easier. Listen to their answer and be an eager, accessible source of information. Also ask the reporter if you are speaking too quickly. Despite available technology, many reporters still take notes by hand. Speak slowly so they don’t miss any of your points.

Everyone likes compliments, so always find something positive about the reporter to build rapport. Maybe you’ve read some of the reporter’s other stories, or maybe you like their shirt. Whatever compliments you can give, make them truthful and sincere. And don’t be pushy about what you want, because ultimately it is up to them whether or not they mention your book. Ask, “If you are able to, would you please mention my product or service?” The reporter will decide how much room to allow for your business, web address, products and services, price, etc.

#3 Give Plenty of Information

Many business professionals fear giving away too much information to reporters. They think that if they say too much, then no one will need their products or services. But spoiling your years of training and research in a few quotes is impossible. In reality, if you don’t give away enough information you probably won’t get quoted at all. Reporters usually interview at least two or three sources for each article.

After a few interviews, if you notice that other experts get several paragraphs while you only get a sentence, or maybe you don’t get quoted at all, then you aren’t giving the reporter enough information. So be forthright, and answer the reporter’s question accurately and thoroughly. Don’t say, “You’ll get the answer when you hire me.”

Also, let the reporter lead the conversation. The reporter most likely has an agenda for the story’s development already in mind. Don’t attempt to take over the conversation or talk about points the reporter does not want to cover, because if you don’t give them what they want, they simply won’t include you in the final story.

#4 Be Accurate

Keep your responses to the reporter’s questions simple. Even if your business is in a very technical or scientific field, avoid uncommon words, industry jargon, and out-of-date phrases. Speak as if you were explaining something to the reporter for the first time. But speak with authority and confidence, and don’t say, “I think” or “maybe.”

When you’re talking to the media, always be prepared to back up your claims because reporters want facts. Instead of saying, “The majority of people do this...” say, “85% of my clients do this...” And be sure to stick to the facts. Don’t overload the reporter with unnecessary information that is not directly related to the story.

Realize that in the media world, there’s no such thing as off the record. So always assume that everything you say is on tape and will be put into print. Don’t ask the reporter to send you a copy of the story for your approval. While this may seem like a reasonable request, it will only offend a seasoned reporter. But do ask for a copy of the magazine to keep as a souvenir. This will show how pleased you are that the reporter has given you the opportunity to get quoted in the publication.

#5 Find Future Stories

Always view your interview as an opportunity to establish a working relationship with the reporter. You want the reporter to see you as a resource that they can use for information now and for stories in the future. Just like you’re always looking for ways to get quoted, reporters are always looking for people to quote. So at the end of every interview, always ask what other stories they are covering and what other publications they write for.

Explain how you can be beneficial to the different stories and leads they are investigating. And don’t be afraid to mention topics outside your industry. While you may work in one field, you’re probably an expert in many areas outside your profession.

Great Interviews in the Future

Media exposure is undoubtedly one of the best ways to boost business. But landing an interview doesn’t guarantee you’ll get quoted in the reporter’s story. When you use these five strategies for giving a great interview, you’ll have a better chance of getting quoted and of getting called back to interview for stories in the future.

About the Author:
Pam Lontos is owner of PR/PR, a public relations firm that specializes in professional speakers, authors, and experts. Having been an author, speaker, and former VP of Disney's Shamrock Broadcasting, she knows the ropes of getting you good publicity and how to use it to really boost your business. Call for a free consultation at (407) 299-6128, and sign up for a free publicity tips e-newsletter at www.prpr.net.

12 Mini-Lessons to Grow Your Business

2010-08-26T10:09:00.004-04:00

These 12 lessons from John Reese resonated with me. I think you will find them to be valuable.

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In light of my upcoming 40th birthday, I want to share 12 valuable mini-lessons that I've learned so far as an entrepreneur...

These range from mistakes to avoid, to making strategic decisions, of how to get cash flow to come in the fastest, etc.

They are in no particular order...

1. ALWAYS DO MORE THAN IS EXPECTED OF YOU
I learned this at an early age from my Dad. He had a very successful career as a business executive and engineer, and this the core principle that created his success.

You can apply this to your business in many ways... over-delivering to your customers, giving unexpected bonuses to your employees or outsourced workers, and more. Most people do just the bare minimum. Do more than is expected of you and it will doamazing things for your business.

2. STOP DREAMING AND START DOING
Too many entrepreneurs get caught up in the big dreams of how they will one day be rich and how their life will be amazing......but they never end up doing anything. They buy courses, read all they can, jot down little notes and ideas in a notebook, but nothing ever actually gets created. A web site doesn't get made. Advertisingisn't run. Markets aren't tested. Nothing.

If you want to make a lot of money the only way that happens is getting stuff done. Period.

3. DON'T LET LEARNING DELAY ACTIVITY
Most people that have studied Internet Marketing much already have the basic skills that are needed to build a million-dollar business.

That's worth REPEATING... Most people that have studied IM much ALREADY HAVE the basic skills that are needed to build a million-dollar business. You can get stuck learning new stuff FOREVER. There will always be new methods and techniques that get discovered. The Internet changes on a DAILY BASIS. This is a given.

Don't get caught in the trap of "I'm going to start building my business right after I go through this next course..."You can start building your business TODAY while you are studying and learning new things that you can easily apply TOMORROW. Things will NEVER perfectly align for you and your business. There's no such thing.

So don't wait. Get started NOW and take action. Get some stuff going and go from there

.4. MULTIPLE IDEAS CAN BE THE KISS OF DEATH
It's okay to work on multiple projects and ideas. It's almost impossible to stop entrepreneurs from having tons of new ideas at the same time. BUT...

No new money comes in the door until you get ONE project launched and making money. Something has to be launched FIRST

.5. MAKE JUST ONE DOLLAR FIRST
No one has ever made a million dollars in sales without generating $1 first. ALL successful businesses start with that first sale and then grow from there. It doesn't matter what your income goals are. The faster you make your first dollar, the faster you will reach your goals.
PERIOD.

6. DO THE IMMEDIATE CASH PROJECT FIRST
What should you work on next? Whatever will bring in cash the fastest for your business -- and of course, I mean that in a moral/legal/ethical way. If you analyze all the great ideas you are probably sitting on, I bet you can realistically prioritize them in the order of which ones would actually make money come in the fastest (if it succeeds.)

THAT is the project you need to focus on. Cash is the lifeblood of your business (and your life.)Save some of those "big" ideas for the future. Focus on the ones that stand the best chance of getting new money to come in right away. Once you have some stable ongoing cash flow in your business, then you can take a chance on that project that may take longer to pay off.

7. EMAIL MARKETING KICKS THE CRAP OUT OFEVERYTHING ELSE
When it comes to growing a business online, nothing generates long-term cash flow like an email list of engaged subscribers & customers. Email marketing is the best way to generate traffic. It's the best way to 'recycle' the same visitors again and again to any of your projects. It's also the best way to convert prospects into buyers.

RSS, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, BLAH BLAH BLAH Yes, those methods can generate leads. Yes, those methods can generate some sales. But time and time again little old email marketing kicks their butts -- by a long shot.

So make building a list, and a solid relationship with it, a top priority in your business.

8. RUN A LEAN OVERHEAD MACHINE
I can't stress this one enough. When you start growing a successful business it's really easy for your overhead to get out of hand. It's easy to start hiring a bunch of people and committing to a bunch of expenses. Take it from me, when you have months whereyour fixed expenses (doesn't include advertising, etc.) are well over $100,000/MONTH (and growing) it can put you in a tough position to make healthy profits.

I used to have fixed overhead that high but never again. I realized there were smarter ways to do things. What you need to realize is that REVENUE doesn't mean jack squat. It's your profit (income) that matters. So while running a $10,000,000/year business (sales) is impressive, I know people running a $1,000,000/year business that nets MORE than the person that ownsthe $10MM/year business. It all comes down to your expenses.

Sometimes it certainly DOES take heavy expenses in order to make a lot of money. But that's not my point...

My point is, your overhead can really get away from you. If your sales experience some dips, and it's almost guaranteed they will at some point, then you can LOSE YOUR BUTT very quickly. So add to your overhead as a last resort.

9. MAKE ACCOUNTING A PRIORITY
This is a big mistake that most entrepreneurs make -- and I've been guilty of it as well. Keeping the books and doing accounting work is the LAST thing that most entrepreneurs want to mess with. We have more fun by coming up with new ideas and trying to make them grow --not spending hours of our time inputting receipts and figures into QuickBooks. If you don't like accounting, immediately pay someone a few bucks to handle it for you. Just make sure your accounting is always up to date. It's very important.

As an extension of this, make paying your taxes a priority -- even if you pay them in advance. I have paid a small fortune in tax penalties because of being lazy and filing late. And it's too easy to let one delay turn into another and for the problem to get worse. So make it a priority.

Don't "rob Peter to pay Paul." This is a trap most entrepreneurs fall into -- again, I've been guilty of it in the past myself. It's easy to start making a bunch of money and think "I'll just use this money to make more money instead of paying my taxes on it now and I'll just pay the taxes later after I've made even more money."Or the same thinking is applied towards delaying payments to a vendor, or some other expense that needs to get paid. This is probably the #1 mistake entrepreneurs make that can create problems and a lot of wasted money in paying penalties and interest. So make sure your accounting is taken care of and your taxes get paid on-time for you.

10. DON'T LEASE OFFICE SPACE(If possible.)
As tempting as this might become if your business starts to grow, avoid it at all costs. If you're like me, what will happen is that you will eventually stop going to the office and just work from home where you always were more comfortable anyway. And/or you will end up realizing you really didn't need it.

Having an "office" is not required to have a successful business. We live in a Digital World now and it's just not important anymore. Even if your business grows and you need employees, you still don't necessarily need an office. There are people out there running $20MM+/year businesses with no office; the employees all just work virtually. This is becoming more and more common.* There certainly are exceptions to this. My team in the Philippines works out of an office I leased. But they are collaborating on software projects and NEED to work in the same location. And, of course, it's also very inexpensive. Most office leases are thousands of dollars per month and usually don't turn out to be a good use of cash.

11. ALMOST EVERYTHING TAKES LONGER
When creating new projects, or having some software made for you, or having an ebook ghostwritten, or anything else, know that things almost always take more time than originally expected. This is the #1 reason why you need to act TODAY to start putting things in motion to grow your business. The longer you wait, the more into the future you push your potential of getting money to come in the door.

12. THE MONEY IS IN THE MARKETING
Don't get caught up in trying to make Web pages and learn HTML, or studying how to create javascript, or learning to master Linux so you can administer your own server, or how to use Photoshop to create little logos, etc. You can certainly do that stuff if you want, but know that it will most likely just be a HOBBY.

It's no surprise that some of the most successful entrepreneurs I know are also some of the LEAST TECHNICAL people I know. The main thing they do right is to simply pay others to do all the "nuts & bolts" stuff that makes online business work. It allows them to spend all their time on the marketing -- which is where the money comes from.

*** BONUS LESSON ****
See how I'm over-delivering as mentioned in the first lesson? :)

SPENDING TIME ONLINE ISN'T NECESSARILY WORKINGON YOUR BUSINESS
Just because you spend hours a day online doesn't mean you're working on your business. You can do 'research' forever and never make a cent. You need to be spending most of your time on:
- Generating Traffic
- Communicating With Your Customers (i.e. blog, list, etc.)
- Creating Content Don't fall into the trap of reading blogs & forums, chatting on Facebook or Twitter, checking stats, reading news, etc. for hours upon hours. Just know that almost all of that stuff (with rare exception) is LOSING YOU MONEY more than making you money.

---I hope you enjoyed these mini-lessons. Hopefully, you can apply them to your business and be a lot more successful!

:-)Yours For Online Profits,
John Reese.

This message was sent by:
Income.com, 8815 Conroy-Windermere Rd #415, Orlando, FL 32835

2010-08-26T10:08:00.001-04:00

Howard Shearer, Hitachi

2010-08-19T18:24:00.007-04:00

Interview with Howard Shearer, President and CEO of Hitachi Canada. He is the first non-Japanese to be president of the company. He seems to thrive on cultural diversity. He is originally from Jamaica. He is also a people person. The two characteristics probably go hand-in-hand.

Howard has worked at Hitachi for over 25 years.

Hitachi globally employs over 300,000 people.

Hitachi is a strong technology company that operates in several markets including: consumer electronics, automotive electronics, computer storage, energy, medical, biotechnology, and high speed trains.

Insights from this interview with Howard Schearer:

“We’re in the business of serving customers.”

“There is no Hitachi car, but we are a major component in cars.”

“Business in all about relationships and that’s not done with products.”

“I don’t screen my calls. If it’s good news I want to hear it. If it’s bad news I want to hear it first.”

“I’m happy when it’s Monday.”

Listen to this interview with Howard Schearer

Listen to Business in Motion Podcasts

Visit Business in Motion Facebook page

For: Against

2010-08-18T13:48:00.002-04:00

We are FOR individualism, accomplishment and excellence.

We are AGAINST the mediocrity, self pity, negativity and discouragement of the news media and of "normal" people sleepwalking through life.

We are FOR alchemy. We believe that there is everywhere lead waiting to be transformed into gold. Opportunity hides literally under every rock and shade tree.

We are AGAINST scarcity that says that everything you receive was forcibly taken from somebody else. Entrepreneurship is about making new pies, not dividing up old ones.

We are FOR you, regardless of mistakes you've made. Whatever stupidity spasms you've had in the past don't matter. If you owe $100,000 and you're scraping change out of your car seats for lunch today... if every time you pick up the kids at your ex's apartment you're accused of being a devil...

we are still FOR you.

We are AGAINST complainers, fault-finders and critics. It's easy to criticize. It's hard to take action. But in the end, only action-takers make history.

We are FOR marching into every battle prepared and engaged and equipped to fight.

We are AGAINST all who would send soldiers into battle armed with plastic swords and helmets.

We are FOR those who take responsibility to arm themselves and invest in quality weapons and tools needed for battle.

We are AGAINST those who think that it is someone else's responsibility to prepare them for business or life or give them a "free" education.

We are FOR the wise use of technology. We are for every tool that makes you more productive and more effective and more able to serve others.

We are AGAINST using technology to abuse people, spam them, or dehumanize them. We use technology to express individuality, not erase it.

We are FOR gratitude and celebration under every circumstance. No matter how many times you fail, the sunrise still comes tomorrow morning. Autumn leaves still radiate brilliance in the fall and lovely flowers grow in the spring. No matter what befalls you, the world is still a beautiful place.

We are AGAINST the crippling belief that the past dictates the future. We know that if you can look up, you can get up.

We are FOR gifts and giftedness. We are for expertise and specialization. We acknowledge that each of us wields precious talents. We sharpen our skills. We discover ways to delegate the rest to those who have different gifts than us.

We are AGAINST the belief that any one person has to do everything or be everything. We are FOR human ingenuity because it's the mother of all natural resources.

We are AGAINST the false belief that finite physical resources mean finite possibilities.

We are FOR the hand of Providence. We are humble enough to request help when we need it.

We are AGAINST the self-deception and pride that says we're smart enough to figure it all out by ourselves.

We are FOR innovations, developments and paradigm shifts. We transport the future into the present.

We are AGAINST "business as usual" passivity and lazy "wait and see" attitudes. We are proactive.

We are FOR timeless principles and age-old wisdom. We study the ancient masters and respect those who have come before us.

We are AGAINST those who destroy the old simply because it is old. We judge ideas by their value and permanence, not by their age.

We are FOR making every minute count.

We are AGAINST time-vampires, time wasters and time killers.

We are FOR entrepreneurs and all who move resources from areas of low value to areas of high value.

We are AGAINST those who de-value business and burden us with excessive responsibilities, taxes and restrictions.

We are FOR communities, networks and relationships. We recognize that for every problem that needs to be solved, there is someone we can turn to who has already solved it.

We are AGAINST loneliness, isolation and discouragement. We know that the #1 cause of failure is lack of accountability, community and wise counsel. We know there is no such thing as a self-made man. Everyone has a father and a mother and everyone comes from a tribe.

We are FOR the daily discovery and unfolding of our personal destiny.

We are AGAINST the limitations imposed by other peoples' judgments and prejudice. We are FOR your individual performance, accomplishments and achievement.

We are AGAINST everyone who says you should apologize for your success.

We are FOR the Golden Rule. The highest level of conducting business is loving your customers.

We are AGAINST those who sell things to strangers that they would never sell to their friends.

We are FOR recreation, creativity and refreshment. We believe that friendships, rest and fun fuel our life force and nourish our creative engines.

We are AGAINST slavish devotion to anything, including our work. We do not live to work. We work to live.

Perry Marshall

You're free to use this or pass it around. Printable PDF version and space for comments at http://www.perrymarshall.com/for-against

http://support.perrymarshall.com

Perry S. Marshall & Assoc
159 N. Marion Street #295Oak Park, IL
60301United States
(312) 458-9102

Beware of The Lowest Common Denominator

2010-08-03T19:08:00.002-04:00

Common sense is not common enough. That’s why we have rules and laws. They are made for the lowest common denominator – those who don’t have enough common sense.

Don’t drink and drive. That’s just common sense. Yet we need a law that states that and corresponding punishments because some people don’t understand the common sense. They are the lowest common denominator. The law is for them.

Don’t drive more that 50 km above the speed limit because that is extremely unsafe. That’s common sense, right? Think about that. Don’t drive 100 in a 50k zone. Don’t drive 130 in an 80k zone. Don’t drive 150 in a 100k zone. Why is that so difficult to understand? Yet we need a special law for the lowest common denominator.

Don’t talk on your cell phone when driving your car. I was annoyed when this law was first proposed. How dare they tell me what to do in my car? I drive safely when I use my cell phone. Then I noticed all the other idiots using their cell phones while driving. I now agree that we need the law because of the lowest common denominator.

The next time that you run into a rule or law that annoys you, ask yourself two questions, “Is this for the lowest common denominator?” and “Am I guilty of being that lowest common denominator?”

If you aren’t the LCD then be thankful that someone is doing something constructive about the other idiots who are messing things up for the rest of us.

If you are the LCD – please wise up and save the rest of us some grief.

George Torok

Host of Business in Motion

List to Business in Motion Podcasts

Evan Carmichael Inteview

2010-07-30T17:17:00.003-04:00

Interview with Evan Carmichael, founder of EvanCarmichael.com – the online magazine for entrepreneurs. The site receives nearly 600,000 visitors per month. It has the world’s largest collection of interviews and stories about famous entrepreneurs.

Insights from the interview with Evan Carmichael:

“Donald Trump was our biggest target.”

“Entrepreneurs are arsonists, they like to light fires.”

“If you only had 24 hours to work on your business – don’t spend it all in one day. Instead spend one hour a day for 24 days.”

“If you check email in the morning, it ruins the rest of your day.”

Listen to the interview with Evan Carmichael

Listen to Business in Motion on iTunes

Business in Motion FaceBook page

George Torok

Host of radio show, Business in Motion

Motivational Business Speaker

163 Pieces of the Best Business Advice

2010-07-21T12:42:00.002-04:00

Tip of the hat to Carol Roth for compiling this list of "163 Pieces of the Best Business Advice".

Good tips, ideas and reminders for anyone in business.

Also it's a clever way to create good content - ask other experts. It's the Chicken Soup model of writing.

Yes, I contributed. My advice is below for you.

109. Best Place to Invest?

When I started my business I left my corporate job with a separation payout. They were downsizing. I visited my financial planner and asked how to best use that money- pay down my mortgage, invest in mutual funds or stocks? He first asked me to explain my new business which I had started part time two years earlier. His advice was to invest the money in my business because that would give me the best return over the next few years. I followed that advice. It was good advice.

Thanks to: George Torok of Power Marketing.

And here are some pieces of advice that resonated with me

2. Wise Words from Henry Ford

While I never met Henry Ford (I'm too young to have known him), his words live on and have inspired me on many a day:Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right.Believing I could start and grow my business played a huge role in the success I am now enjoying. Thoughts become things. What thoughts are YOU thinking?

Thanks to: Randi Busse of Workforce Development Group, Inc..

9. I'm Anxious Today-- Excellent!

When you have your own business, you will never have the "right" amount of work: there will always be too much or too little. Therefore, you will always be anxious. The trick is to stop thinking of anxiety as a bad thing. Instead, say to yourself, "I'm anxious today- excellent! This means I'm alive." Thinking of anxiety as one more form of energy-- fuel-- keeps you focused, committed, and excited about achieving your goals day-to-day.

Thanks to: Frances Cole Jones of author of "The Wow Factor".

25. Attention
Pay attention to the things you can control, not to the things you cannot control.

Thanks to: John Pulsifer of Jolly John Auto City.

37. Create an Advisory Board

The best business advice I received when starting my company - Loyalty Factor LLC - was to create an advisory board of senior-level individuals who believed in me, and the business model. The board had to include marketing, sales and financial experts. I was surrounded by experts in all aspects of a business and had the support system to encourage and energize me to exceed my goals and objectives. Capitalize on other people's experiences and expertise to strengthen your own.

Thanks to: Dianne Durkin of Loyalty Factor, LLC.

105. Sweat the Little Things.

My grandfather was a craftsman and an artist. His business was to make things look good. He told me that if you don't sweat the little things, then the big picture will suck.This bit of advice isn't simply about "paying attention to the details," but this is more about having the business discipline to be meticulous about the aesthetic, the functional and even the peripheral pieces that inevitably contribute to whole of the business.The little things are what really matter.

Thanks to: Dave Racine of Pierce Cleaning.

134. Stay Dispassionate

Tip: Nothing is as good or as bad as it seems at first. I received this tip from a friend. One of the most important things in managing a business is maintaining your equanimity, not over-reacting to situations (positive or negative). Many times we faced critical problems like key contractors leaving at crucial moments in product development, issues that could have sunk us if we didn’t manage it properly. But by maintaining an unemotional approach, we turned the problems to our advantage.

Thanks to: Gaurav Bazaz of Pravega Inc..

Here's the full list of 163 Pieces of the Best Business Advice

Here's the Carol Roth site

George Torok

Host of the weekly radio show Business in Motion

Listen to Business in Motion Podcasts

Listen to Business in Motion on iTunes

How do You Redefine Circus?

2010-07-19T17:57:00.001-04:00

Cirque du Soleil

Do you remember the three-ring circus? A bear riding a bicycle in one ring, a group of clowns in the second and the trapeze act in the third.

I remember that from my childhood – and I enjoyed it. But the circus has changed. And who changed it?

Cirque du Soleil

They have redefined circus. They did it in a bold and spectacular way. The greatest show on earth is now the greatest show in the galaxy. They changed the rules. They redefined the business. A three ring show just doesn’t do it anymore.

Cirque du Soleil

Small business banking

2010-07-09T20:36:00.001-04:00

Small business banking at your fingertips

http://small-business-banking.com/

http://small-business-banking.com/

Jan Nichols, Bay Gardens Inteview

2010-07-09T17:22:00.004-04:00

Interview with Jan Nichols, President of Bay Gardens Funeral Home in Burlington and Hamilton, Ontario.

Listen to podcast

This is not your standard funeral home. It’s exciting. It has high ceilings, a waterfall and videos screens.

Insights from this interview:

“The most successful opening of a funeral home in North America. Most are lucky to get 100 people to attend. We had over 800!”

“Rooms are named after waterfalls, plants or ponds instead of being called Salon A and Salon B.”

“People want food at a funeral – but not in the same room as the body or in the basement.”

“Reaching out to non-profit organizations and giving them free access to meeting rooms.”

Listen to this podcast of the 30 minute interview with Jan Nichols here.

More podcasts from Business in Motion

FaceBook Page for Business in Motion

2010-07-08T13:47:00.003-04:00

Business in Motion has a FaceBook Page.

If you are on FaceBook you can now keep track of the latest updates, interviews from Business in Motion.

http://www.facebook.com/BusinessInMotion

It's easy. Just visit the Business in Motion FaceBook Page and click the "Like" button and you will stay current with the latest news from Business in Motion.

Enjoy

George Torok
Radio Show Host of Business in Motion

Here is the link
http://www.facebook.com/BusinessInMotion

Monkey See Monkey Do

2010-07-06T19:58:00.003-04:00

Remember that old expression? Some folks might not like the analogy but it expresses this lesson in management well.

If you want your staff to focus on a particular behaviour – as the leader you need to focus on it yourself.

Follow these three steps to getting the behaviour that you want from your staff.

1. Let them see you doing what you want them to do.

2. Make the desired behaviour a regular agenda item.

3. Encourage and celebrate the desired behaviour in your staff.

People, like animals, will tend to behave in a manor that rewards them.

Imagine that you want to take a customer-centric focus in your business. That is a smart strategy to follow in these challenging times.

As manager or business owner, what could you do?

Here are some ideas for you.

Treat customers as king and queen and mean it. No snide remarks behind their backs about your customers.

Start every staff meeting with a customer story. Invite staff to bring and tell their best customer story at each meeting. Make it a contest among your staff.

Collect more customer testimonials and display them for all to see.

Tour customers through your facility more often.

Name your customer of the month, week or day.

Give awards to your staff for customer service. Ask your customers to vote.

Allow and encourage your staff to make direct contact with your customers. Don’t be the buffer between them.

Consult with your staff for more information about your customers. Don’t be the source of information. Be the one asking questions.

Show the monkeys what you want them to do.

George Torok

Business Speaker

Creative Problem Solving

Free Marketing Tips

2010-06-29T16:28:00.002-04:00

Free Power Marketing Tips by email
Get your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" when you ask for the Power Marketing Tips newsletter

Marketing tips at Youtube

Marketing tips at Slideshare.

Free Marketing Tips Lens on Squidoo

Business in Motion has a Squidoo Lens

2010-06-29T14:10:00.003-04:00

Business in Motion is popping up all over the Internet. It now has a Squidoo Lens.

"What's a Squidoo Lens?" you ask.

Squidoo is Seth Godin's blog like creation. A lens is his term for blog. The lens allows visitors a view into the world that you wish to display. It's been around awhile and it's still here.

Anyone can create their own "lens". It's free and it's as easy as starting your Blogger blog. Unlike a blog, you don't need to do alot of work to maintain it. You can attach feeds from blogs, Twitter and RSS feeds to populate the lens with fresh content.

Go ahead and check it out.

Business in Motion Lens

Squidoo

Article Directories

2010-06-29T10:21:00.004-04:00

Publish your articles on article directories to promote yourself and showcase your expertise. It can also build traffic to your site.

Article directories are also a good place to research topics, issues and the market.

It is free to publish your articles and free to read them. You have permission to reprint these articles as long as you follow the reprint conditions shown on the directory site.

Here are a few of the article directories that I use to publish my articles.

Ezine Articles

Thinking Articles

a1Articles

SearchWarp

Go Articles

ArticlesBase

SelfGrowth

Frank Ogden, Dr Tomorrow

2010-06-27T17:40:00.005-04:00

Quotes from Dr Tomorrow, Frank Ogden

Stay alert, the future is going to be interesting.

In times of chaos, panic or rapid change, the bizarre rapidly becomes acceptable.

If you are not aboard the steamroller of change you stand a good change of becoming part of the road.

A sentence that has shock value carries more information than one that does not.

Only by changing as rapidly as a competitor can anyone survive.

If schools were factories, we would have closed them ten years ago because they're not producing a saleable product.

Jobs are going the way of child labour, slavery and indentured service.

I realized then that most people didn't believe in any concept until they saw, felt and tested the finished product. That is often too late.

The leading skill of the "Information Age" is to successfully sift "information" from "misinformation." Once you can do that you have knowledge.

----------------------

The above quotes are from the miniature book, "OGDENISMS" - The Frank Ogden Quote Book, compiled by John Robert Colombo and published in 1994.

Frank Ogden is a futurist who was a guest of the radio show, Business in Motion.

George Torok is the host of Business in Motion

Listen to Business in Motion on iTunes

Interview with Peter de Jager

2010-06-25T17:24:00.004-04:00

Audio interview with Peter de Jager on Business in Motion

Interview with change agent and specialist, Peter De Jager. Peter is a consultant and professional speaker that helps organizations handle change effectively. He helped the world’s leading organizations successfuly handle the Y2K challenge.

Insights from this interview with Peter De Jager:

“The purpose of skiing is not to get to the bottom of the hill. It is falling down the hill with the most grace.”

“Being incompetent is normal – especially when dealing with change.”

“Don’t get into the water until you have learned to swim – is bad advice. How else will you learn to swim?”

Listen to this interview with Peter de Jager on Business in Motion with your host, George Torok.

Business in Motion Podcasts

2010-06-08T15:29:00.004-04:00

Business in Motion is now podcasting!

The weekly radio show with your host George Torok is now podcasting the interviews. If you missed a show and what to hear it, you can - at your leisure. If you enjoyed an interview and want to share it with your friends - you can.

Listen to Business in Motion Podcasts

George Torok interviews business leaders to learn their secrets, lessons, mistakes and hopes.

Guests include entrepreneurs, corporate executives, business owners, authors and other thought leaders.

Since 1995 he has interview over 450 guests. The podcasts will feature selected interviews for your enjoyment.

View list of past guests.

George Torok

Host of Business in Motion

Is this Man a Thief?

2010-06-04T11:43:00.006-04:00

The Internet and social media makes it easy for almost everyone to publish their knowledge or opinions for the world.

It almost makes it easy for thieves to steal, plagiarize or misrepresent their own accomplishments.

Is Michael J. Roman one of those?

According to this blog post by Kelley Robertson, Mr Roman has been copying articles from other sources and posting them on his own blog. And Michael J. Roman is claiming them to be his - even so far as to print his copyright on each article. That suggests that he has some understanding of the importance of copyright.

It also suggests that he might be lacking in integrity.

Read "When Imitation is Not the Best Form of Flattery"

And you decide.

Is Michael J. Roman guilty?

If so how should he be punished?

What next?
Here is what Kelley Robertson suggests:
-------------------------
If you want to help you can:
1. Retweet this post to your followers.
2. Send an email to Michael and express your concern with his unethical behaviour.
3. Contact any author, trainer, speaker, expert in your network and let them know about this plagiarist.
4. Blog about this unethical behaviour.

----------------------

Here's the email for Michael J. Roman

michael@michaeljroman.com

Meetings the Necesary Evil

2010-05-27T15:43:00.004-04:00

iPad killer app #2: fixing meetings
By Seth Godin

Here's an app that pays for 12 iPads the very first time you use it. Buy one iPad for every single chair in your meeting room... like the projector and the table, it's part of the room.

I recently sat through a 17 hour meeting with 40 people in it (there were actually 40 p
eople, but it only felt like 17 hours.). That's a huge waste of attention and resources.

Here's what the app does (I hope someone will build it): (I know some of these features require a lot of work, and some might require preparation before the meeting. Great! Perhaps then the only meetings we have will be meetings worth having, meetings with an intent to produce an outcome). I can dream...

1. There's an agenda, distributed by the host, visible to everyone, with time of start and stop, and it updates as the meeting progresses.

2. There's a timer, keeping things moving because it sits next to the agenda.

3. The host or presenter can push an image or spreadsheet to each device whenever she chooses.

4. There's an internal back channel that the host can turn on, permitting people in the room to chat privately with each other. (And the whole thing works on internal wifi, so no internet surfing to distract!)

5. There's a big red 'bored' button that each attendee can push anonymously. The presenter can see how many red lights are lighting up at any give time.

6. There's a bigger green 'GO!' button that each attendee can push anonymously. It lets the host or presenter see areas where more depth is wanted.

7. There's a queue for asking questions, so they just don't go to the loudest, bravest or most powerful.

8. There's a voting mechanism.

9. There's a whiteboard so anyone can draw an idea and push it to the group.

10. There's a written record of all activity created, so at the end, everyone who attended can get an email digest of what just occurred. Hey, it could even include who participated the most, who asked questions that others thought were useful, who got the most 'boring' button presses while speaking...

11. There's even a way the host can see who isn't using it actively.
Can you imagine how an hour flies by when everyone has one of these in a meeting? How focused and exhausting it would all be?
$500 each, you'll sell 50,000...

PS no one built the first one yet. Sigh.

Seth Godin
--------------------

I'm with Seth on this. I hate meetings because people run them poorly and hence waste time and aggravate others.

George Torok

Host of Business in Motion

Business Speaker

10 Insights (Ah Ha's) on Creative Problem Solving

2010-05-24T16:06:00.002-04:00

Approach creative thinking and creativity with these 10 tips and ideas. Watch for the bonus.

10 Insights (Ah Ha's) on Creative Problem Solving

View more presentations from George Torok.

George Torok

Creativity Catalyst

Creative Problem Solving

The Emerging Market In Health Care Innovation

2010-05-20T16:24:00.003-04:00

Where would you expect innovation in health care to be leading the market? Read this article to learn where. You might be suprised.

George Torok

-----------------
McKinsey Quarterly as published on Forbes.com

The Emerging Market In Health Care Innovation
Tilman Ehrbeck, Nicolaus Henke and Thomas Kibasi

Emerging innovations in the delivery of health care, particularly in developing countries, offer insights on how to tackle its rising cost, estimated at $7 trillion a year globally. Health care is consuming an escalating share of income in developed and developing nations alike. Yet innovators have found ways to deliver care effectively at significantly lower cost while improving access and increasing quality. They are uncovering patterns for raising productivity, and leaders across health sectors--public, private and social--should take heed. With the recent passage of health reform legislation in the U.S., for instance, tackling costs is imperative there, but it is also an important goal in every other part of the world.

New approaches to the delivery of care abound. In Mexico, for example, a telephone-based health care advice and triage service is available to more than one million subscribers and their families for $5 a month, paid through phone bills. In India, an entrepreneur has proved that high-quality, no-frills maternity care can be provided for one-fifth of the price charged by the country's other private providers. In New York City the remote monitoring of chronically ill elderly patients has reduced their rate of hospital admissions by about 40%.

Unfortunately, health care can be an isolated and local activity: Innovations are not widely known across different systems or beyond sector boundaries. Merely identifying and promoting innovations isn't enough, however--leaders need to understand whether, and how, the lessons of innovators can be replicated elsewhere. To this end, McKinsey conducted research in partnership with the World Economic Forum to study the most promising novel forms of health care delivery and, in particular, to understand how these innovations changed its economics.

Many of the most compelling innovations we studied come not from resource-rich developed countries but from emerging markets. Two factors help explain why. First, necessity breeds innovation; in the absence of adequate health care, existing providers and entrepreneurs must improvise and innovate. Second, because of weaknesses in the infrastructure, institutions and resources of emerging markets, entrepreneurs face fewer constraints (this is one upside of the lack of meaningful oversight, which obviously also has many drawbacks). They can bypass Western models and forge new solutions.

The nearly 30 successful innovations we looked at pursued a handful of strategies to change the economics of health care delivery in a fundamental way. In other words, they were not successful by chance. By understanding the opportunities these innovators seized, leaders throughout the health care system can identify opportunities for their own organizations.

A broad scan of innovations across the field, as well as an in-depth analysis of the business models behind 30 of them, showed us that successful ones use at least several if not all of the strategies described below.

Read the rest of this article at Forbes.com

George Torok

Creative Facilitation

Creative Problem Solving

TEC Canada Speaker

2010-05-02T13:37:00.005-04:00

George Torok is an approved speaker for TEC Canada and has been since 2000. George is also a TEC Associate/ Trusted Advisor. He is a member of TA group 9226 based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The chair of the group is Larry Bourk.

George Torok has spoken to TEC groups across Canada from BC to Halifax, NS and many stops in between.

He presents on three topics - Power Marketing, Presentation Skills and Creative Problem Solving.

The Executive Committee, (TEC) founded in 1957 is dedicated to "Increasing the effectiveness and enhancing the lives of Chief Executives."

TEC provided both peer advise and individual coaching to presidents, CEOs and owners of medium sized business, (sales of $10M to $200M).

Read more about:

TEC Canada

George Torok TEC Speaker

Power Marketing

Presentation Skills

Creative Problem Solving

Simple Ways to Drive Up Employee Retention

2010-04-11T12:50:00.006-04:00

Even though we're in the throws of a recession, employee retention remains an important business issue. Now more than ever, companies need to retain their best and brightest so they can do more with less. And the experts still tell us we're facing a looming skills shortage.

Current research on employee retention tells us that to increase employee satisfaction and retention, companies need to:

• Give employees meaningful feedback on an ongoing basis.
• Set clear goals and expectations for employees and help them see how their work matters to the organization.
• Reward and recognize employees fairly and consistently.
• Provide employees with opportunities for growth and development.

While these can seem like simple things, without the right tools and support, your managers may not be giving employees what they need.

Give Employees Meaningful Feedback on an Ongoing Basis

To remain engaged and satisfied, most employees need meaningful feedback on their performance. To encourage an ongoing dialogue between managers and employees, companies can:

Increase the frequency of employee reviews

Many companies find that implementing quarterly performance reviews helps give managers and employees a regularly committed interval for dialogue and feedback. These quarterly reviews don't need to be as long or as detailed as your annual performance review; their goal is to provide a structured forum for giving employees regular feedback and for checking on progress, alignment, development needs, etc.

Solicit feedback from others

Another way to provide employees with meaningful feedback is to gather input from others. This can be as simple as requesting feedback from another manager or supervisor that the employee works with, or from a third-party who has knowledge of the employee’s strengths and weaknesses. A more thorough approach involves gathering multi-rater, 360 degree feedback from peers, other managers, customers and more.

Keep ongoing notes on performance

Keeping and sharing notes on performance year-round helps to not only better document performance, but also to open up the dialogue between a manager and an employee. Highlights, challenges and disconnects that might not otherwise be discovered until the annual performance review meeting can be shared and explored in a timely way. Then, when it’s time to write your annual performance review, you have an accurate and detailed record to consult.

Define Clear Goals and Link Them to Organizational Goals

Another key to employee engagement, satisfaction and retention is the need for employees to clearly know what is expected of them, and to understand how their work contributes to the organization's mission and success.

The most effective way to write clear goals is to use the SMART technique. Specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound goals let employees know what is expected of them, how success will be measured, and when they must complete work.

You can also give employees a context for their work by linking their goals to higher-level organizational goals. This helps them understand the value of their work and see it's impact.

Recognize and Reward Your Employees Fairly and Consistently

Employees need to feel that their company rewards performance fairly and equitably. This applies to work/project opportunities, promotions, and awards, but especially to all areas of compensation, including base pay, bonuses, stock options, etc. It's critical for companies to have fair and transparent compensation processes that are tied to employee performance.

Provide Career Development Opportunities

Another way to drive up employee retention is to support employee development and career progression. Employees need to feel as though they have a future with an organization, and a career path that helps them further develop their knowledge skills and abilities. Development can take many forms, from formal courses, to challenging work assignments, to mentoring programs.

Stanley Janas is a Director of Human Resources at Halogen Software, one of the leading providers of talent management solutions. For more of his insights on how effective talent management can improve business results read his posts on Halogen's Blog.

How Harley Fell Into The Commoditization Trap

2010-03-20T17:44:00.005-04:00

As Published in Forbes

by Richard D'Aveni

In January Harley-Davidson announced higher-than-expected losses of $218.7 million for the final quarter of 2009. The motorcycle legend also announced that it anticipated sales of between 201,000 and 212,000 in 2010. Compare that with sales of 349,000 in 2006, and you get an idea of the ills that have beset the company.

Now, you might presume that Harley, with its premium-priced, iconic product, could not, definitely not, be affected by the phenomenon called commoditization, where a product becomes indistinguishable from its competitors. You would be wrong. The long straight highway has had a few hidden potholes, and in those potholes commoditization has lurked in the guise of both cheaper Japanese competitors like Honda and sexy upstarts at the top end like Big Dog.

Based on an in-depth study of more than 30 industries, I have identified the three most common patterns that create commodity traps: deterioration, when low-end firms move in with low-cost, low-benefit offerings that draw away the mass market; proliferation, when companies develop new combinations of price and unique benefits to attack part of an existing market; and escalation, when competitors offer more benefits at the same or a lower price, squeezing everyone's profit margins. Sound familiar? It certainly would if you were a Harley executive.

The company has faced two out of those three woes: deterioration and proliferation.
Harley first fell prey to commoditization in the 1970s, when it was undermined by a reputation for poor quality, lack of innovation and inadequate customer service. Japanese rivals such as Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha took advantage of its weakness and offered motorcycles at lower prices with better reliability. It was a textbook example of deterioration.

The outcome was predictable, if not inevitable. In spite of its legendary status, Harley's market share shrank from 39% to 23% between 1979 and 1983. The company could either slash prices to hold onto its market share or hold prices but concede share. Neither move would lead to financial health, given the firm's fixed costs.

The company's future looked grim at that point. But after a leveraged management buyout in 1981, Harley's leadership turned the company around. They kept its classical advantage in engine power but also emphasized a valuable secondary benefit: branding based on its rebel image and iconic status. This made the Japanese rivals' advantage in reliability less important as an inducement to purchase and value motorcycles. Rebels care more for role models than reliability.

Key to this was the launch in 1983 of the Harley Owners Group. HOG became the largest factory-sponsored motorcycle club anywhere and now has over a million members. HOG helped Harley develop a brand that could be extended to apparel and collectibles and reinforced the brand's adventurous, bad-boy image. The company roared back. During the 1990s buyers had to wait in line for months to get their bikes. In 2003, its centennial year, the company announced record revenues of $4.6 billion, up 13% from the year before.

My research found that in 2002 Harley customers were willing to pay on average 38% more for a Harley-Davidson motorcycle than for a similarly equipped bike from one of the big four Japanese companies, Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki. Harley commanded this premium even though a Japanese bike at the same price offered 8% to 12% more power, measured by engine displacement. Harley customers were willing to pay more for less than purchasers of the most popular Japanese models.

A feeling of victory was understandable. Harley's turnaround showed how a company could--initially, at least--fight back successfully against commoditization by differentiating its products.

Read the rest of this article about Harley at Forbes

Drive The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

2010-03-15T17:18:00.004-04:00

by Daniel H. Pink
book review by Ian Cook

In his new book Dan Pink accomplishes two outcomes really well:
He consolidates some major social science research around human motivation into clear, straightforward discoveries

He challenges the current thinking and practice in the vast majority of our organizations.The Great DebateAm I motivated in my work primarily through what I receive from the organization and the key players around me or through the fulfillment of needs and desires that reside within me?

These are the dueling positions of extrinsic vs. intrinsic motivators that have fueled a debate in psychology over the last eighty-plus years.

On the one hand you had B.F. Skinner who saw all behavior as a pure stimulus-response mechanism and F.W. Taylor who studied the physical micro movements of a laborer to determine the optimum way to work with minimal variation or “interference” from the worker’s mind. According to their school of thought, rewards and punishment, or what Pink calls “Motivation 2.0,” are the only way to get people to maximize their productivity. (“Motivation 1.0,” by the way, is triggered by our very basic need for food and other necessities for our survival.)

On the other side of the debate are professors Edward Deci and Richard Ryan and others, like Pink, who claim Motivation 2.0 strategies don’t work for most new jobs that are emerging today and into the future. Rewards and punishment cause our minds to focus very narrowly on accomplishing the immediate task. But narrow focus doesn’t serve us well in the new jobs being created that require us to see patterns, work with concepts, address meaning, and come up with alternative strategies in a world of constant churn.

Furthermore, Deci and Ryan’s research confirms that, except for routine, mindless jobs, additional money will spur, at best, a brief uptick in performance. Then motivation actually starts to fall (“What have you done for me lately?”).

Clearing the Decks for Intrinsic MotivationMoney both is and isn’t a motivator! As Frederick Herzberg showed us decades ago, if you don’t provide (perceived) “fair” salaries and benefits your people will be demotivated. But pay them enough, plus a bit more, and they still won’t be motivated. They just will be no longer demotivated. Dan Pink calls this “taking money off the table.”

But now these adequately remunerated employees are ready for what the author calls “Motivation 3.0.” Instead of rewards and sanctions applied by bosses and companies, intrinsic (i.e. internal) motivators kick in. Pink’s research reveals three such motivators:
Autonomy – the freedom to have significant control over how you do your work to generate the performance results to which you agreed

Mastery – the opportunity to get continually better at something that matters to you. This is an elemental human desire

Purpose – having your work contribute to the well-being of people or to outcomes beyond your own self-interest

Why I like this book.
I recommend Drive to managers because of its clarity, its easy reading–the author writes with a journalist’s flair–and especially because of its message.

A sizeable majority of our governments, service organizations and private sector enterprises are mediocre and, in some cases, toxic places to work. If we are to turn these into great places to work, leaders have to take a good look at their beliefs about what motivates people. All too often, their assumptions that determine their management style are out-of-date and counter-productive for a 21st century world.

As Dan Pink presents so well, the verdict of science is in. Managers have to let go of their need to control the behavior of their staff. They have to realize that human beings, in all their infuriating and marvelous complexity, cannot be manipulated into performing better. But employees most definitely can be enrolled. You do this by providing a work experience that gives them the latitude to grow and to make a difference.

What’s missing for me.
The author covers a huge topic in his book. That said, there are three areas I would have liked him to address:

How you do motivate people in jobs where any opportunity for variety and creative expression has been designed out of them? Toll booth operators, ditch diggers and, of course, burger flippers come to mind. And then there are those jobs where a strong union will not agree to any deviation from rigid, collectively bargained job duties.

For the manager who sincerely wants to motivate his or her staff, the fixed design of jobs and work processes, as well as externally bargained work rules, represent the “elephant in the room.” So often managers’ hands are tied, yet they are still expected to produce solid results and create a satisfied employee group.

What does the science have to say about sales people? Monetary rewards linked to sales quotas are the fuel these people run on. I know there is the personal satisfaction in closing a deal but the scoreboard of choice remains money.

What role do employees themselves play in the preservation of Motivation 2.0? I teach in my own presentations that deep within almost all of us is the desire to make a difference, to have the work we do each day matter in some way to some people. That said, ask most employees what is missing for them in their work and their gut reply will be “more money.”Not only do the assumptions and beliefs of managers have to change. Employees must get in touch with their own need for autonomy, mastery and purpose, be aware when these elements are missing for them, and take responsibility for the level of work motivation they choose to have.

Dan Pink’s main thesis is that, despite the unassailable truths that have emerged from the field of social science and organizational behavior, when faced with the pressure to increase performance, most managers still fall back on the twin strategies of dangling more money or threatening negative consequences.

In Drive Dan is on a quest to raise our consciousness to this mismatch. He is a very good communicator and I believe he will transform a lot of managerial minds.

------------------
Ian Cook, presenter and consultant, works with managers who want to increase their effectiveness as a leader and build a stronger team.

To book Ian for a training seminar, team facilitation or keynote presentation, call toll-free at: (385-2786) or e-mail: Contact Us

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Saturn, A Good Idea not allowed by GM to flourish

2010-03-13T14:59:00.006-05:00

Innovation is never enough by itself. This article in Forbes - How GM Destroyed Its Saturn Success, by David Hanna - explains what went wrong at Saturn.

"A lesson in how to win at innovation in even the most traditional company--and then how to crush that innovation."
---------------
I remember talking with an official from Saturn in the nineties. I was excited about what they were doing then and quite optimistic about their future. The biggest innovation that I saw was the partnership between labor and management.

From my dealing with GM in the eighties as material manager for a just-in-time supplier, I witnessed first hand how both management and labor at GM were messed up.

There were many bad management decisions from GM. That included poor planning and the resultant knee jerk decisions to put band aids on problems.

GM visited our plant often and I visited their operations several times. During one of my visits to a GM plant a GM engineer was explaining a packaging idea for the parts that we supplied to them.

The engineer wanted to show me what they were using for another product. So we approached a production line that was machining small parts for transmissions. He pointed out the plastic trays that they used to hold the finished parts and prevent them from being damaged. Each plastic tray was similar to an over-sized egg cartoon holding about 20 finished parts.

The trays in front of us were full of parts so the engineer asked the production worker, "Do you have an empty tray that we could have?"

The production worker looked at the engineer, then calmly picked up a tray full of finished parts, dumped the parts in a scrap bin and gave the tray to the engineer.

The engineer and I looked at each other in shock, shook our heads and returned to his office.

My first three cars were GM. I've never even considered buying GM since.

George Torok

Business Speaker

20 Essential Resources for Your Current Career or Your Next

2010-03-13T12:34:00.002-05:00

Here is a helpful list of resources for managing and growing your career.

"The work place is ever changing and you don’t want to get passed up for a raise or get laid off for becoming a stale employee. Click on the links below to be part of the cutting edge and show your boss and co-workers you are looking ahead and ready for anything. Or if you are unemployed, these sites will help you get ready for your next job."

20 Essential Resources for Your Current Career or Your Next

CEO Conversation with Ursula Burns, CEO, Xerox

2010-03-02T19:39:00.004-05:00

Ursula Burns, CEO of Xerox talks with Spelman college about global leadership.

George Torok

Fifteen Tips for Giving Great Radio Interviews

2010-02-28T18:33:00.004-05:00

Great Interviews
By Pam Lontos

Besides spreading the word about your product or service, what’s the best thing about landing a radio interview? The answer is: you can conduct the interview wearing your pajamas! But there’s a catch. You can’t sound like you’re wearing your pajamas.

That’s right. Even though you’re talking on the phone to the reporter and no one can see you, you still have to communicate a professional image. Otherwise, the radio producers might bump you from the show and they definitely won’t call you back for future stories.

So how can you ensure that you make the right impression and, perhaps more importantly, that you’re called back for more interviews? You can use the following fifteen tips for giving great radio interviews:

1. Allow yourself private time prior to the interview. Use this time to relax and focus. Imagine that you are speaking with the interviewer face to face. Rehearse the points you want to make and remember that you can never be too prepared.

2. Seek a quiet spot for the interview. If you are speaking from home, close yourself off in a room with few distractions. Turn off your computer, TV, or radio, and clear your desk so nothing can take your mind off the conversation.

3. Write your main points before the call begins. Do not read scripted responses from a pre-printed sheet, because reporters can tell when something is being read to them versus when you’re giving honest answers. But do prepare a note card with three to five topics you would like to touch upon during the interview. That way you won’t struggle with an answer during the interview.

4. Show that you care about the reporter and their story. Be helpful and responsive to their requests. Ask the interviewer what you can do to make his or her job easier. Then really listen to their answer and be an eager, accessible source of information.

5. Stand while giving the interview. Even though you’re talking on the phone, act as if you were giving a live presentation and stand tall. Standing will raise your energy level and you will be more alert than if you sere sitting. Radio interviewers love energy and can really pick up on your mood.

6. Smile, and answer honestly and sincerely. People can hear your smile over the phone and a reporter will feel more comfortable after hearing the joy in your voice. Also, the sound of smiling builds a rapport with interviewers. If they feel they can trust you, they will think of you first for their next interview.

7. Put energy and spunk into your voice. No one wants to listen to a monotonous drone on the radio, and the reporters and producers know this. So even before the interview, assure the radio reporters that you’ll be pleasant to the listeners’ ears by putting energy into your voice. This could make the difference between a mundane interview and a great conversation.

8. Have backup information handy. Reporters will inevitably ask you one question you don’t want to or can’t answer (this is another place your note card comes in handy). In case you are unable to respond, you can say, “That brings up an interesting point...” then go on to one of your prepared statements. Or, offer to find out the answer to the questions and get back to them as soon as possible.

9. Be concise. The average answer to a given question is only nine seconds long. If you cannot convey your message in this short amount of time, your answer will not be used. So be careful not to ramble and stick to the facts. Don’t overload the reporter with unnecessary information that is not directly related to the story.

10. Be forthright. Answer the reporter’s question accurately and thoroughly, and don’t be afraid to give away too much information. Many business professionals fear that they might give too much and then no one will buy their product or service. But it’s impossible to spoil years of experience and training in a five minute radio interview, and the radio listeners will actually want more when you give them a little. So answer the questions and don’t say, “You’ll find the answer to that when you buy my product or service.”

11. Use the word “you” often. The word “you” draws the listeners in and helps them relate to what you’re saying. And always give the listeners a reason to pay attention by adding benefit statements to the facts in your presentation.

12. Let the reporter lead the conversation. The reporter most likely has an agenda for the story’s development already in mind, so don’t attempt to take over the conversation or talk about points the reporter does not want to cover.

13. Incorporate personal experiences into your responses. Audiences love to hear firsthand accounts of experiences relating to the topic. It helps them feel as if they know you personally. But make sure you stay on topic and don’t get distracted with your story.

14. Be prepared to back up your claims. Reporters want factual information. So instead of saying, “The majority of people do this...” say, “Eighty-five percent of my clients do this...” And don’t say, “I think” or “maybe.” Speak with authority and confidence.

15. Find future stories. After the interview, thank the reporter and ask what other stories they’re covering. Even if their other stories don’t directly pertain to your business, explain how you can be beneficial to what they are investigating.

Interviews in the Future
Although radio interviews usually only entail a ten minute phone call, you still need to take your time and prepare for it beforehand. You don’t have to shower and shave, but you do need to have energy and excitement in your voice. During the call, you want to put your best foot forward with clear, honest, and accurate responses. And when you’re finished, don’t forget to thank the reporter and offer to help on other stories.

When you use these fifteen tips for giving great radio interviews, you’ll communicate a professional, expert image to the reporter and the audience for you and your business.

About the Author:
Pam Lontos is owner of PR/PR, a public relations firm that specializes in professional speakers, authors, and experts. Having been an author, speaker, and former VP of Disney's Shamrock Broadcasting, she knows the ropes of getting you good publicity and how to use it to really boost your business. Call for a free consultation at (407) 299-6128, and sign up for a free publicity tips e-newsletter at www.prpr.net.
---------------

George Torok
Host of Business in Motion

Whose fault is it anyway?

2010-01-04T19:46:00.002-05:00

Where are the responsible people when we need them? Could you be one? More of us need to ask this question of ourselves more often: "What am I responsible for?"

This question is not about laying blame. It is a question of accepting ownership of your thoughts and action. You control your thoughts and that determines your actions.

None of us can change what happened yesterday. We only control how we think now and how that might influence our future. We can't control the future. We can only influence it.

Even billionaire Jim Balsillie can't control what happens to his dream of a hockey franchise. However, he can control how he reacts to the obstacles thrown in his path. The bigger the obstacles, the more responsibility he seems to accept.

I believe successful people are successful because...
Read the rest of this article at the Hamilton Spectator.

by George Torok

This article first published in the Hamilton Spectator Monday January 4, 2010.

New Years Resolutions - help from Randy Park

2009-12-31T12:59:00.003-05:00

Tips for making and keeping New Years Resolutions

This is a summary from an interview that Global Television conducted with Randy Park

Here is a short recap of some of the points:

When most people talk about New Year's Resolutions they are referring to breaking a habit. Basically they want to do something differently. For successful New Year's Resolution strategies, it is important to understand the nature of habits.

Habits are automatic thinking - thinking without consciously thinking - walking, getting dressed, driving a car. You can see several common characteristics:

1. the examples listed are all behaviours you have learned2. you learned these through repetition3. they are all useful4. they are self reenforcing - every time you do them they become more ingrained5. they are all controlled by your brain

Since most of the habits that we learn are helpful, our brain has evolved to make it hard to change habits. (If it was easy, we might forget how to ride a bicycle if we didn't do it for a while.) The "hardware" of our brain where the habits are stored can't distinguish between a good habit and a bad habit - it will resist changing either.

Here are some suggestions for setting up and continuing successful resolutions:

1. Acknowledge it is hard. Your conscious will is trying to change an automatic learned behaviour, and we've seen your brain resists that change for very good reasons.

2. Make sure it is possible. Let's say you're on a volunteer committee and you resolve to be on time for your meetings from now on. You calculate that if you leave work right at 5:00 p.m. you can make the meetings on time. But if in reality you are seldom able to leave at 5:00 (for one reason or another) then realistically it will be very difficult to keep the resolution. Think things through to make sure there is a possibility of success.

3. Acknowledge there will be setbacks. DON"T fall into trap of predicting one future because if you have a setback, you might be tempted to admit defeat and tell yourself that your resolution won't work since you have proof that your view of what would happen is not accurate.

4. Plan for the setbacks - what will you do? If you are quitting TV and accidentally watch a show, what will you do when it is finished? If you have a plan, it might be to finish watching the show, then immediately pick up a book (rather than saying to yourself, oh well might as well keep on watching)

5. It may be helpful to have support, for two reasons. One, they can remind you - bring into consciousness - what you were so clear on when you started, especially as your resolution gets overwhelmed by day to day life. Two, they can provide help if you do slip with your resolution.

6. Sometimes a physical reminder is useful for some people. Maybe it is a note sitting on your desk; I use alarms during the day that remind me "am I following my planned priorities?"
The key is to keep conscious both the new behaviour you want to do as well as the moments when you slip toward the old behaviour. The goal is to make your new behaviour as automatic as your old one was!

Randy Park

Upcoming Event... Randy Park and three other professional speakers are staging an evening titled "Life Skills Business Success - Essentials for Thriving in Turbulent Times." This is a fundraiser for Laura's Hope, a charity that is actively funding research for Huntington's Disease.

It will be January 26 in the evening, in Burlington; for more information go to www.the4speakers.com

Randy's second book The Prediction Trap is now in select stores. Eric Reguly of The Globe and Mail says "Randy Park's stimulating book is a must-read for anyone who wants to confront the temptation to sacrifice long-term planning for short-term gratification."
Phone: 416-703-9202 Fax: 416-703-9198
e-mail: rp@ThinkingforResults.com web site: www.ThinkingforResults.com

PowerPoints: The Best of 2009

2009-12-29T17:24:00.004-05:00

MONDAY MORNING MANAGER
PowerPoints: The Best of 2009
December 28, 2009 Globe & Mail HARVEY SCHACHTER

“Do something that scares you at least once a year.” Burlington, Ont.-based consultant George Torok counseled earlier this year. For many business leaders, the economic downturn raised more scares than they might have preferred. But Mr. Torok’s advice, which appeared in his Motivational Speaker blog, makes you stop and think – as should many other nuggets of wisdom on leadership, strategy, execution, meetings and marketing that were dispensed over the year. Here’s a review of the most illuminating ideas that appeared in 2009.

Read the rest of The Best of 2009.

Harvey Schachter's guide on how to handle everything from overflowing e-mail to meeting overload

George Torok
Canadian Business Speaker

The Globe and Mail, Canada's National Newspaper

Interivew with ING Bank

2009-12-01T17:51:00.006-05:00

Leadership
How We Created A New Kind Of Savings Bank
by Robert Reiss

Imagine entering a heavily regulated ultracompetitive industry as a start-up. That's what The Dutch-based ING Group decided to do in 1998. It founded ING Direct as a Robin Hood of the banking industry, a new kind of bank aiming to bring back saving to the average American. The idea was to have a bank without branches and pass the savings from reduced overhead on to the customer in the form of higher rates. ING Direct opened for business in 2000 and was an immediate success. By early 2001 it had passed the 100,000 customer mark, and just six months later it passed 200,000.

Through unconventional but focused advertising and marketing outreach, the word spread so explosively that today ING Direct is America's largest savings bank, with more than $90 billion in assets. I talked to Arkadi Kuhlmann, its founder and chief executive officer, about how he introduced something truly new into the banking industry.

Forbes: What is ING Direct's model, and how is it different from that of other banks?

Kuhlmann: There are 9,600 banks in this country. When we started, we thought, there's no point making another bank exactly like all the others, so let's do what's great in America, let's innovate. Let's innovate around marketing and technology and productivity.

We wanted an important and clear idea, and that was the idea of leading Americans back to savings. We saw that there was too much spending going on. Credit cards had become the opium of consumerism. Let's encourage Americans to save, we decided, and that has been our mission.

Our model was to grow organically with a high-volume, low-margin business. We wouldn't target the 30 million rich people in America; we would target the 270 million who are the backbone and who we thought needed a better value proposition--that is, more affordable savings. We could offer significantly higher rates if we removed costs from our model. Branches are usually a huge cost, up to 50% of a bank's expenses, so we didn't have branches and could pass on the savings to our customers. All our services are provided over the telephone and the Internet. We have also opened up several ING Cafes, to underscore the idea that opening an account should be as easy as buying a cup of coffee.

We have no minimums. You want to open an account for your grandchild for a dollar, you can do it. We have no fees. But we do have a maximum. You can't put more than a million dollars into this account. Why? If you have a million dollars, you need private banking. You need a whole bunch of other services that a high-volume, low-margin player isn't going to deliver to you. We are here for the everyday American.

How did you develop this model?

If you look within the banking industry, you'll end up doing what everybody else does. So we looked at other industries, airlines, hotels, retailers, electronics--models like Dell, for example.
We set out to be a high-volume, low-margin pure retail play, which meant we had to cut out fees. We would need a productivity advantage, just like retailers have. So we looked at grocery retailers who do a high-volume, low-margin business. They have to have a service-differentiated edge, clearly focused on who their customers are. We set out to take those ideas and create a new type of banking model.

As CEO, what are your most important roles?

CEOs need to be clear about how they express the vision and then the mission. Vision is aspirational, and mission is how you hold yourself accountable. Our vision is to lead Americans back to saving. Our mission is to simplify financial products.

How do you as CEO view social media?

Many of our customers are on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. In electronic networking, people talk about everything. We do want people to talk about us. Forty-three percent of our customers come by word of mouth. So whatever you say in an ad, you'd better deliver, and what you say in social media had better be true. If you are like me, you want to ride a Harley-Davidson, you want to carry a nine-millimeter gun, it had better be real. It cannot be for show. So either you're authentic about this or you're not, and people see through it.

But the other problem is you can't control social media. You can't go out and shape the public conversation. People are going to say what they want, negative and positive. And that irritates a lot of businesspeople. It certainly irritates CEOs, because they still believe they're in control of their brands and how their conversation in the public is shaped. Social media force you to let go of your brand and return it to where it belongs--with the customers.

Is the customer always right?

In most places, every customer is right. But in a highly automated productivity kind of business, we create value for the customer by simplifying everything and having just one highly successful model. It's like when Ford started and you could have any Ford you wanted as long as it was black. With ING, you can have any high-rate savings account you want as long as it's orange. It's simple because it's done in a uniform way, and everyone, regardless of account size, gets the same service. We can do that through high volume. We can pass those savings on to our customers.

As an example, we will not give you a mortgage unless you have a good down payment. I will not give you a mortgage for 100% loan-to-value. That's not our program. Now, Uncle Sam will do that, and he is competing with me, but I'm appealing to Americans who basically say that just because you can do it doesn't mean you should.

I have seven and a half million customers, and I am willing to stand up to every one of them and ask, have I given you a good deal? Have I tricked you? Have I surprised you? Have I disappointed you in any way?

What is your philosophy about building a culture?

The fundamental premise about culture is that you are either in a job or on a mission. Many of us have a simple contract. You put in time, you apply skills, you do certain tasks, you get the result, and you get paid for it. But that isn't really enough for most of us.

Most of us want to know that what we work on fulfills something we want to accomplish. It can be personal development. It can be doing good for society. It can be helping the environment. It can be creating something that improves the quality of life of people around us.

Culture gets created by itself. If you don't do anything, it gets created in a vacuum. Things just seep in, and a culture gets created on its own. Or you can direct it in a certain way. We said, well, let's direct it, and let's make sure it's consistent and aligned. I believe you need to direct the culture--and let the culture direct the business.

It sounds like this is more than just business to you.

In America our core characteristic is optimism, but underneath that Americans have a strong belief in independence and freedom. Our country has grown because we rely on ourselves. Our grandparents, yours and mine, found their own resources. They didn't believe every answer was a line of credit on a credit card or the government helping them out. The self-reliance of Americans is what founded this country, and we somehow have forgotten that.

I want people to say, those guys at ING Direct, they helped bring that self-reliance back. That's what we want to leave behind. It's not about just making money. Money is the oil in the economic machine, not the machine. And it all starts with the mentality of bringing America back to saving.

Robert Reiss is host of "The CEO Show," which is nationally syndicated by Business TalkRadio Network. This article was adapted from an interview that aired on "The CEO Show." To hear podcasts of it and other CEO interviews, click here.

Source: Forbes
------------------

George Torok
Business Speaker
Toronto Business Speaker

Thriving in Turbulent Times with Jim Clemmer

2009-11-30T07:12:00.003-05:00

It seems that these turbulent times are not over. Listen to this free webinar on Decemeber 3 with Jim Clemmer. Jim is one of the brightest business minds I know. When Jim Clemmer speaks, I listen closely.

Click here to register for Dec 3 webinar with Jim Clemmer.

Selling Yourself in an Interview by Kelley Robertson

2009-11-30T06:47:00.003-05:00

Hunting for a new job? Want helpful tips on interviewing?

Then study this Slideshare presentation from sales trainer, Kelley Robertson.

Selling Yourself In An Interview

View more presentations from Kelley Robertson.

Boundary Makers by Seth Godin

2009-11-28T07:22:00.003-05:00

There is more than one way to be creative. Enjoy this perspective from Seth Godin. Where do you fit?

Boundary makers
by Seth Godin

Some artists continually seek to tear down boundaries, to find new powder, new territory, new worlds to explore. They're the ones that hop the fence to get to places no one has ever been.

Other artists understand that they need to see the edges of the box if they're going to create work that lasts. No fence, no art.

Can't do both at the same time.

My guess is that you're already one kind of person or the other. When people present you with an opportunity/problem, what's your first reaction? Some people immediately start looking for loopholes or weak boundaries. "You didn't say we couldn't do xxx". For these people, the best and most obvious solution is to completely demolish the problem and play by different rules.

Other people, some just as successful, take a hard look at the boundaries and create something that plays within, that follows the rules, but that is likely to win because of this.

In my experience, either can work, but only by someone willing to push harder than most in their push to be remarkable. Going with the flow is a euphemism for failing.
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George Torok
Creativity Catalyst
Creative Facilitation

Oliberte - founder is guest of Business in Motion

2009-10-28T16:28:00.006-04:00

Tal Dehtiar is a man who makes a difference. Some people want to - Tal does.

He is my guest on the Business in Motion radio show this week. His latest project is Oliberte. Read more below.

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Oliberté is the first to market premium urban-casual footwear made in Africa.
Our logo represents a new voice in footwear and for Africa. During a revolt, when rebels finally gain their freedom, they take the country's most important symbol, the flag, and rip out the middle stating that a new beginning is here.
Africa is more than just poverty and Oliberté is the start of a revolution that shows, through urban footwear, this is the real Africa!

With every pair of Oliberté you buy, you are making a powerful statement that Africa is proud, free and full of potential. You do this all while being a hero, because you are the reason men and women from Liberia to Swaziland to Ethiopia have a job, have food on the table and can send their children to school.

Oliberté is not a charity – it is a company that believes you can change how the world views Africa and help build lives every time when you buy a pair of Oliberté shoes that are made in Africa.

------------------------

Listen to Business In Motion Fridays at noon on 93.3 FM in Hamilton, Ontario or online at http://cfmu.msumcmaster.ca/

George Torok

Host of the weekly radio show, Business in Motion

Canadian Business Speaker

Interviews with George Torok

2009-10-09T17:36:00.004-04:00

Listen, view and read these interviews

George Torok makes an engaging and provocative interview guest for your TV show, radio program or print article. He had appeared on dozens of TV and radio shows and has been quoted in hundreds of print articles. George Torok knows how to deliver a memorable interview because he is a communication specialist, radio show host and independent journalist. What's his style? What's his opinion?

What does he look and sound like? Check out the following video, audio and print interviews. To arrange an interview with George Torok call 905-335-1997

Video and print interview
Motivational Speakers
George Torok was featured in the Hamilton Spectator as one of four local motivational speakers. Read the article and enjoy the video. He is the fourth speaker on this video. He is worth waiting for - or you can fast forward the video.
Read the article and watch the video

Video interview
Entrepreneurs
Enjoy this 7-minute video interview with George Torok about the lessons he has learned from interviewing over 400 entrepreneurs on his weekly radio show, Business In Motion. The off-camera interviewer is John Robert Colombo - the Canadian prolific author and holder of the Order of Canada.
Watch this video interview.

Audio interview
Achieve an Unfair Marketing Advantage
"Do you want an unfair advantage over your competitors? You steely eyed entrepreneur, you. In the current SmallBizPod, the small business podcast no less, there's a ball-busting interview with the Canadian writer and marketing expert George Torok. George is one of those rich successful guys who chooses to share his success rather than rub it in your face. He gives away trade secrets and tells you how to make yourself into a brand you can sell. This podcast may sound boring, but the info is pure marketing gold dust. It will make you want to run out immediately and close a deal." (The Brits do have a way with words.) Listen to this audio interview

Print Interview
Secrets of Power Marketing
Interview with George Torok regarding the bestselling book, "Secrets of Power Marketing: Promote Brand You".
In this interview, co-author, George Torok discusses how individuals can harness the power of personal marketing and what big business can adapt for their success. This interview was prepared for your convenience. You may quote from this interview in part or whole.
Read this interview

An interview with George Torok George Torok is entertaining. He is an provocative, insightful and engaging interview guest. He can be topical, funny and pithy. As an experienced interviewer he is willing, able and eager to help you with your interview.

To interview George Torok call 905-335-1997

George Torok

Canadian Business Speaker

Forbes: How to Run a Meeting

2009-10-08T18:47:00.004-04:00

Business Basics: How To Run A Meeting
By Susan Adams
Forbes.com

Dr. Nadine Katz goes to a lot of meetings. Some of them last so long the participants have to order in food or switch rooms.

About seven years ago Katz, who is associate dean, professor and director of medical education in the department of obstetrics, gynecology and women's health at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, decided she'd try to figure out how to make those endless meetings more efficient.

Her study produced great results at Einstein. Though she doesn't like to toot her own horn--"I'm turning crimson right now," she says when asked how her meeting style has helped her career--she has improved a slew of committee conclaves at her institution. Two years ago she was promoted to associate dean. "You never know who's going to be in the room and who might be considering you for another opportunity," she allows. She even speaks to physicians' professional associations about how to improve meetings.

Katz's approach applies to meetings everywhere. Her tips go beyond the standard meeting advice, which pretty much comes down to start and end on time, set an agenda and stick to it.

Her number one recommendation:
Prepare, prepare and prepare some more. Not only does she lay out in advance a detailed agenda for a meeting and touch base with the participants to alert them to important points, she also surveys the physical space where the meeting will be held--down to details like the room temperature and whether there might be a flickering fluorescent light bulb. "I am someone who believes in overly preparing," she admits. When ordering refreshments, she even checks on individual taste. "If someone likes Tab, we order Tab," she says. Small amenities like that can help participants feel welcome and eager to participate.

Read the rest of this article at Forbes.com
---------------------------

Clearly there is a lot more to running an effective meeting than just showing up. It's all about the details.

Over the decades I've attended way too many meetings and enjoyed very few of them. You might understand my feelings about meetings.

“There are three types of meetings – boring, complete waste of time and postponed.”

George Torok
Host of radio show, Business in Motion
Motivational Business Speaker

Virtual Reality

2009-09-16T17:38:00.004-04:00

Virtual Reality

“Virtual” is a word that is over used, misunderstood and misused.

In the simplest definition virtual means “almost but not quite”. Another word for virtual might be imitation.

Hence virtual leather is not leather but might look like or feel like the real thing. A virtual disaster is not a disaster. A virtual success is not a success.

When the boss asks if you are ready to present your report and you answer “I’m virtually there.” The boss knows that you are really saying that you are not ready yet.

When you ask you kids how they did on their exams – they tell you that “I virtually aced them.” You know there are some problems.

When you ask your doctor, “How do my tests look?” The doctor responds with, “You are virtually in perfect health”. You know it’s time for a serious conversation.

When you ask your spouse, “Do you love me?” And the response is “I virtually love you.” You know it’s time for counseling or divorce court.

But some people seem to like the word virtual and are using it.

Virtual Teams
What does that mean? Teams that look like and smell like teams but are not really teams? Apparently “virtual teams” is the phrase used to describe teams who are geographically dispersed. Are they really teams or just sales people on the road that occasionally touch base with head office? Are they really teams or are they just wandering minstrels that some head office wants to call teams?

Virtual Assistants
Not really my assistant but virtually. This group of entrepreneurs is providing assistance to other entrepreneurs. So what makes these virtual assistants virtual? I think it is that they pretend to be your full time assistant. So does the word virtual in this case mean pretend, phony or part time?

Sounds like outsourcing to me. Why not skip the phony title of virtual and just call it outsourcing?

And then there is the oxymoron of virtual reality. That’s like saying cold hot, bumpy smooth or fat thin.

Those phrases make virtual sense.

George Torok
Canadian Business Speaker
Toronto Business Speaker

The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Book Review

2009-09-09T12:35:00.005-04:00

The Practice of Adaptive Leadership
Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World

by Ronald Heifetz, Alexander Grashow, & Marty Linsky
Harvard Business Press,
Reviewed by Ian Cook

Dealing with change and problem solving–these tasks are at the core of what leader/managers do. But there are two distinctly different types of challenges that precipitate change and bring on problems for managers. The authors of this enlightening book lay these out right at the beginning:

1. Technical challenges – problems that can be pretty clearly defined and can be addressed with known solutions or ones that can be developed by a few technical experts. These fixes can usually be implemented using the organization’s current structures and procedures. No big impact on people here.

2. Adaptive challenges – these forces require significant (and often painful) shifts in people’s habits, status, role, identity, way of thinking, etc.For example, how do we change to put more decision authority in the hands of our front-line employees? Or, high tech communications and teleworking are transforming us into a virtual company but people feel they are losing touch with one another and with the corporate center.

Most managers come up through organizational ranks primarily on the strength of their professional or technical knowledge. Their strong suit is tackling technical challenges and solving them through analysis, logic, and experience.

This default response pattern will not work nearly as well on adaptive challenges, however, because these are less clear. They tend to impact the organization as a whole system of interrelated processes and human elements. They require the involvement of many or all stakeholders, especially employees, to come up with and implement an optimal solution. They call for an “adaptive leadership” which mobilizes people and units that frequently have different needs, priorities and perspectives toward new ways of working and ways of thinking.

This book is a roadmap for individuals at any level who want to lead “adaptively” in response to a complex change that is being faced. Rich with suggestions and examples, it divides the topic into three logical sections:

1. How to diagnose your organization (it’s current structure, culture, political dynamics and ability to adapt) and the nature of the challenge you face.

2. How to mobilize the system (interpreting the challenge, acting politically, surfacing and managing the inevitable conflict, experimenting, and making effective interventions to generate change.)

3. Seeing how you, yourself, are part of the system (as a leader, you have your own needs, vested interests, fears, perceptions and biases, connections with key others in the organization, etc., that will influence how you look at the problem and forge potential responses)

I am going to highlight just a few of the authors’ ideas that particularly caught my attention and convinced me to recommend this book.

On the “Balcony” and “On the Dance Floor”The two perspectives an adaptive leader must have. The “balcony” (looking down on the “dance”) is where you get a larger perspective of what you’re facing and how you are doing with your response. From here you do your observing of patterns, reflecting, option thinking, analyzing and monitoring of the change.

When you take action and make an intervention, you have stepped onto the “dance floor” and are participating in the “dance.” For example, you convene a meeting, announce a strategy, create a task force, restructure, reassign some staff. The point is you need to shift back and forth frequently as you plan and execute your response to the adaptive challenge, experiment with strategies and assess the results, solicit input from opposing factions and deliberate on how best to deal with them.

The “Productive Zone of Disequilibrium”…with your “Hand on the Thermostat”
Since this is an adaptive challenge you face, you will, of necessity, be taking your people outside their comfort zone. But how much “heat” should you create for them? The authors’ answer: as much as they can take! You want to get their attention and keep the change moving forward without causing them to totally resist. With keen observation, the adaptive leader keeps adjusting the “thermostat” (applying more pressure for change or backing off temporarily) just enough as the process unfolds. This surely must be where leadership becomes an art.

“Authorizers”
We all have authorizers. They are anybody who grants us the authority (formal or informal) to lead. Your boss is an obvious one. She gives you your job description and decides whether to intervene when she feels that you have gone outside your mandate. Your staff, by their willingness to respond to your leadership, are authorizers too. A group of recalcitrant employees can really limit your influence to get things done.

If you decide to exercise adaptive leadership and you are not positioned at the executive level, here are three things you need to keep in mind about authorizers:

1. A big reason people resist your push for changes in their behavior, procedures, ways of thinking, etc., is that they feel loyalties to certain of their authorizers. For example, a resistant sales team may feel obligations to their own Vice President who is on record as opposing moving from a geographical to a product line organization.

2. How much latitude you have to intervene is greatly influenced by your authorizers above you. Being an adaptive leader means pushing the edge of your authority and taking chances, then asking for forgiveness (vs. permission) later on.

3. On top of this, adaptive leadership is all about challenging people’s expectations and comfort levels. That, of course, can include the expectations and tranquility of those powerful authorizers above you in the chain of command.

Signs that the challenge is Adaptive
Ron Heifetz and his colleagues offer some great indicators that the challenge you have taken on is indeed an adaptive one, one that triggers an emotional response in people:

People’s talk about the situation sounds increasingly like complaining.
Previously successful responses and/or the efforts of internal or external “experts” have not alleviated the situation.
The situation festers or reappears following a short-term fix.
Current, perhaps long-held, values or truths in the organization seem to be getting in the way.

Finally, this book drives home the point that adaptive challenges are about people changing…

Often they must shift their behavior from what up to now has been guided by by deeply-worn neural pathways. They may have to learn new skills, take on new roles, adopt new beliefs, honor new values, and so on.Conflict between different stakeholders and groups that is inherent in the change process must be coaxed to the surface, mediated in a safe forum, and resolved.Then there is the adaptive leader himself who must be acutely aware of what is going inside him–his own doubts, feelings of incompetence, fear of failure, and apprehension about possible retribution or punishment for stands he takes.

If you have never read a book on dealing with change, I would start with William Bridges’ Managing Transitions. It lays out a simple framework for the (human) transition process, from “Endings” through the “Neutral Zone” to “New Beginnings.” Once you understand Bridges’ basic roadmap, The Practice of Adaptive Leadership is a great next step.

Adaptive leaders are courageous leaders. And in this increasingly complex world we need a lot of them.
(1176 words)

Ian Cook, presenter and consultant, works with managers who want to increase their effectiveness as a leader and build a stronger team.

To book Ian for a training seminar, team facilitation or keynote presentation, call toll-free at: 1-888-FULCRUM (385-2786) or e-mail: Contact Us
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Want to lose your job? Buy foreign.

2009-08-29T20:31:00.004-04:00

Want to lose your job. Keep buying foreign

That was the bumper sticker on the Chrysler pickup in front of me at the stoplight. I’ve seen that bumper sticker a few times before and was bemused by it each time.

I don’t remember if the other stickers were on Chrysler products. For sure it was one of the former big American three. When I saw the bumper sticker my immediate thought was ‘Red neck idiot”.

That bumper sticker reveals more about the individual then he might care to reveal. I say “he” because each time the driver was a male.

He is afraid of competition. His message screams – don’t buy from the competition because I don’t want to compete. I’m too comfortable with my highly paid job. If the only reason to buy your product is to save your job – how good can the product be?

How does he define foreign? Is it by geography? Does he care about the workers in the next city, county, province or state? Is Canada foreign to USA? Did he buy local produce at the grocery store? Are Florida oranges in his kitchen? Is he eating bananas from South America?

Does he abhor other countries’ products? I hope there are no TV’s in his house – because they are no longer made in North America. How serious is he about not buying foreign?

Better not be any computers in his house or office. Dell is an American based company but if you open any computer you will discover a map of third world countries on the mother board.

I just bought a light bulb at the Home Depot in Burlington, Ontario. It was manufactured in Mexico. Is that bad? Mexicans, Americans and Canadians participated in the delivery of this product. Does he feel threatened by that?

Clothing. What are you wearing? Better not be wearing Nike – because it comes from foreign nations. As a Canadian patriot you have very few choices for clothing.

Did this Canadian patriot ever buy or desire to buy a vacation in the USA, Caribbean or Europe? Did he promise to take his family to Disney World or his wife to Hawaii? Imagine how unpatriotic that would be. Why not vacation in Nova Scotia or the Yukon?

Did he enjoy a pizza, Chinese, Greek or other foreign dish lately? How committed is this red neck to avoiding the purchase of foreign?

Maybe this redneck is only worried about his own neck and just wants to keep his easy job. You can’t blame him. But you don’t need to listen to him or feel sorry for him.

I suggest that you buy the best deal that you get even if that is foreign.

George Torok
Host of Business in Motion
Canadian Business Speaker

Video: Bransen on the role of the Entreprenuer in this crisis

2009-08-11T18:27:00.003-04:00

It's the small businesses that are going to get America back on its feet again. Iconic entrepreneur Richard Branson explains in this video interview.

Richard Bransen in video interview about the role of entrepreneurs to end the recession.

George Torok

Host of radio show Business in Motion

Follow EntrepreneurX on Twitter

No Barketing

2009-07-27T15:07:00.004-04:00

July 20, 2009 Globe & Mail Harvey Schachter
Monday Morning Manager

Harvey Schachter's guide on how to handle everything from overflowing e-mail to meeting overload

NO BARKING, PLEASE

Burlington Ont-based consultant George Torok has coined a new word, barketing, which is a cross between marketing and barking like a dog: Barking, he says is often repetitive, annoying and loud, and always a one-way message. Barketing is marketing gone the way of dogs, as you annoy customers with your message attempt, try to outshout the competition, sound like the rest of the pack, and display no finesses. Avoid it says.
George Torok blog
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As appeared in the Globe and Mail

George Torok

Evan Carmichael on Entpreneuership

2009-07-26T19:13:00.004-04:00

Evan Carmichael offers an article directory website that is a good resource for entrepreneurs. Lots of helpful articles plus motivational quotes and stories about inspiring entreprenuers.

If you offer a sevice or product to entrepreneurs then this is also a good site to publish your articles. When you publish your articles you get links to your websites or blogs and there is no cost to you - unless you join the elite program.

Check it out at http://www.evancarmichael.com/

Read my published articles at http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2700/summary.php

George Torok