My Personal 2013 Report Card http://ift.tt/JYnXUb

You’ve heard of the 80/20 rule, what about the 50/30/20 rule?

Long ago in a galaxy not so far from here, business people focused on relationships and positive customer experiences.

Customers enjoyed talking with salespeople more often, and weren’t afraid of being ambushed if they asked a question.

The biggest fear when going to buy something was not the pressure of the sales pitch, but if the make and model you wanted were available at the store.

Not so today.

In the time of an information tsunami, where most people see as many as 5,000 ads per day, standing out from the crowd has become the major goal. Many people resort to spamming you with emails, and yelling at you in large, bright typeface. It’s not uncommon to be stalked around a retail store, or bugged  constantly on your Twitter of FaceBook stream. And who can blame them? I’ve been guilty a time or two in the past. With things changing so quickly in technology it is tough to make a real splash among the people you want to interact with.

Or is it?

Have you ever heard the phrase “Old books are the best books”?

What about the phrase “Classic style never goes out of style”?

Or maybe the one that says “The best salespeople are not the best trained, but the most likeable”?

I’m convinced more than ever that the BEST way to run a profitable business and still be able to sleep at night, is by providing:

Incredible Customer Experiences. 

The businesses that you choose to interact with and purchase from are the ones that:

• Make it easy for you to find and purchase and
• Actually seem like they care

So here are the top three things that you can improve right away to make things easier for customers.

• Give people a reason to trust your solution

Trust inside the walls of a business situation really has to do with how well you appear to be listening to the customer. Does your solution actually match a problem people are having? Does your magic potion seem realistic for anyone who takes it? Can your solution make an impact quickly, and how do I know it’s working? Which leads to the next point…

• Tell/Show them their trust is important, so their refund is guaranteed

IF your solution is good, if your process is good, if you stand behind what you sale, this should be a no-brainer. There are always exceptions that come up, but that’s WHY you should guarantee satisfaction. Not only does this provide a nice safety net for people on the fence buying, it also continues to build your brand a positive reputation. For every refund you give because of the policy, you will gain 5 sales. Not to mention it’s the right thing to do.

• Make it easy for them to contact you with questions

I believe the benefits on both side of this equation are layers deep. For now I think it’s important to mention two. If you have a problem with something you buy not only do you want to be able to contact them quickly, you want them to answer quickly. An autoresponder is perfect for that job by the way  Just think how you would like things to go for you as the customer.

The second reason to be easily reachable is for real time feedback. There is no better way to test how well your product is doing and if anything is broken or not effective. Let the comments flow, and soak up the good info!

How would you expand on the 3 suggestions above? Tell me more in the comments below.

It’s Moustache Season and I’m growing a fine moustache for Movember! Please support my growing efforts and the 33,000 men who will die of prostate cancer and the nearly 8,300 men who will be diagnosed with testicular cancer this year. Thank you http://mobro.co/baldjake

Water is the most essential element to a good diet. 

I’ve heard that phrase over and over through the years and know it is a correct statement. I always feel better when I am drinking my 8 glasses a day. The thing that blew me away though is how important it is to how your body digests food.

Did you know that if you are eating an extremely healthy diet, but are not drinking enough water, that that body absorbs significantly less of the nutrients from the food?

"Water is needed to flush the digestive system , for instance. When you’re eating predominantly dry foods, the body must draw on its fluid reserves to carry out the chemical breakdown of food proteins.

Any dry food has a dehydrating effect, while fruits and vegetables  actually provide more water than is needed for their digestion, leading to a net fluid gain.” http://bit.ly/sDM7mD

Just by not being hydrated! So my ahah today is, really, seriously, drink more water!

I am reminded today of the importance to surround myself with nothing but viable options for snack and meals. 

The day started well with my shake and morning snack going as usual. Then we decided to go to Love Shack for lunch at work. Nothing good going on there for health…

While the afterglow of my ridiculously succulent tenderloin nachos was heavenly, it soon wore off. The afternoon is draggy and sleepy and regretful.

The only thing worse is that I followed it with a sugary caramel coffee for dessert. Once again a temporary high that led to a nasty crash. 

So be warned. Carry snacks and stay strong…

Is ignorance really bliss? I often wonder on Sunday nights when the world is getting ready to head back to work: Is it more painful to know you have a talent and be stuck in a job or to think you have no talent and be ignorant to entrepreneurship?

I’ve found that stories and music are powerful, how about you?

I made a small change today around a principle that I heard long ago and thought I had grasped.

The principle goes like this. A small change in your Habits, Attitudes, Beliefs or Expectations of 1 degree, you get 100 degrees in results.

This can be seen in a prism. Light goes in the left side small and focused, and comes out the other side large and colorful. This is where the shift occured for me.

I’ve always thought by having a dream or a goal written down and visible, it would push you through the hard parts in your business. What I failed to realize is that I must re-visit that dream in my mind everyday and in every challenge, to remind myself that my dream is WAY better than what life is throwing at me. It’s not just a scheduled visit once a week to my motivational happy place.

A major part of growth life is based on how you can improve yourself. So look at your currents “HABES” and see where you can make small 1 degree adjustments to get big, colorful results.