What does Service to Others mean to you?

Yesterday I was guest on a national conference call of consultants talking about my book, The neXus Initiative, which is about giving business away to get more business.

As I was fielding questions, the host, Jim Horan, commented that how Giving Service to Others is a marketing practice that is often not thought of as marketing. Nice thought Jim!

Tell me how you are using Service to Others as a marketing tool.

Are there silo's in your organization that seem impossible to overcome?

I recently worked with an international client trying to overcome entrenched silo's in their organization. This organization has grown globally through acquistion, keeping each company seperate but equal. This means they sometimes compete for the same clients which can cause customer confusion.

Do you experience this in your organization?
Do your silo's lack the relationships required internally to build more revenue?

tell me your story

Are you the light or the bulb?

Joseph Campbell once asked: " Are you the light or the bulb?" And in this time of economic uncertainty, rapidly changing priorities, and increasing customer expectations it is easy to get focused on the wrong stuff in business. Research shows in the periods of tumultuous change instead of moving through change, we actually put ourselves on hold until we get some certainty. Instead of focusing on our energy to move through the change, we tend to focus on structure, organization. The bulb vs the light.

The problem with this is simple: if we are on hold while the world changes we run the risk of rustout. Now is the time to invest in yourself, build some new skills, sharpen the saw, build new relationships, strengthen and foster you best relationships, take folks off your neXus who are not contributors and put new folks on your neXus.

So what things are you doing not to rust out and focus on the light instead of the bulb?

How do I stay engaged when my company is facing tough times?

This is a question posed to me this morning by a client and I want your input!

What ideas do you have on how to stay engaged when your company is facing tough times?

If you are a leader in the organization, what can you do to keep employees engaged?

In the end it will be OK

"Someday, everything is going to be smooth like a rhapsody, when I paint my masterpiece." - Bob Dylan

As I was listening to this song last night it reminded me of a recent conversation with a elected official out of Georgia. He said he ran for office to make a difference and he was frustrated how many problems there were in his county and how he will never achieve his goal of making a difference. He said he just wanted everything to be smooth!

I challenged him to think about it differently. "What would it look like if you went looking for problems to solve rather than waiting for them to come to you?"

"You mean actually hunting up things to fix?" he said. "Yes, that's it," I replied.
"Once you adopt the mindset of problem solver then you elevate your value in the community. Anyone can wait on problems to come to them. After all, in the end it will be OK. If it is not OK, then it is not the end."

What problems are you looking to fix?

How to give gifts that build business

In my book, The neXus Initiative, I talk about giving a gift the first time you meet a prospective client. This simple act is ancient, one brings a gift the first time they meet someone of importance.

Choosing the right gift is critical. If you bring an inappropriate gift you will never win the business. And many corporations have regulations and policies on gift giving, especially public companies.

Dr. Ellen Langer, a Harvard psychologist who has studied how gifts strengthen social ties says that to give a really good gift you must ask yourself, "what do I want the gift to convey? What are the various ways to convey it? How might I be misunderstood?"

I have never been disappointed in giving a business book to a prospect. Of course, mine is a great one to give, and not the only one that is appropriate. I will think of what the organization is going through and try to find a book that speaks to that experience.

What gifts have you given that have been successful? Please share

And Yet the Human Condition Still Remains Fragile

My friend and college classmate Doug recommended I read "It's a Meaningful Life-It Just Takes Practice" by Bo Lozoff, Director of the Human Kindness Foundation. The forward is written by the Dalai Lama:

"In recent times, civilization has made many advances, but we continue to be troubled by problems because of our undue emphasis solely on material development. We have become so engrossed in its pursuit that, almost without knowing it, we have neglected to foster the most basic human needs for love, kindness, cooperation and caring. And yet the development of human society is based entirely on people helping each other."

That is why I wrote my first book, The neXus Initiative, to explain that developing business is about helping others build their business first, and not focused on getting material wealth from others, but about cooperation and genuine care for other's business. When you do this, the law of human reciprocity takes effect, and more business than you can realize comes to you.

In our world of iPads, Androids, Blackberry's it is easy to forget that someone is across from you is eager to have a real human conversation, and not distracted by texts and emails. I am amazed how ready people are to tell me their story, when I ask and listen.

Tell me your story of how you put down your device and really listened to the story of another.