Randy Clark's Blog, page 5

What to Do When You Lose a Customer

What to do when you lose a customer begins with learning from it. You’ve recently lost a long-standing customer to competition. You’ve worked with this customer for years, built relationships, played golf, and watched their children grow. The thought of losing them makes you physically ill. So, what can you learn?

What to Do When You Lose a CustomerDon’t Oversell

Begin by contacting the customer with an open heart and mind. Although your first inclination may be to beg, borrow, or steal their business back, the first thing to do is listen. Don’t immediately go into defensive mode to retain them as a client. By listening, you may learn why they left and what they needed that you didn’t supply.

Thank Them

Next, thank them sincerely. Thank them for their patronage and for everything you’ve appreciated about working with them. Let them know if they ever need anything, advice, recommendations, or service to let you know because you are thankful for the relationship you developed.

Find out Why

Politely ask why they decided to go in a new direction. One way to do this is to ask for their help. Tell them you’d like to learn from this experience and improve your organization. Anything they can share about why they’ve left could greatly help you and your business.

Share Your Strengths

Once you’ve determined why they left, if it’s possible and profitable to retain them, offer to do so by solving their problems. You may be inclined to “win” their business back by disparaging your competitor. If you do, you will likely lose. Remind the client of your strengths, not your competitor’s weaknesses.

Learn From the Experience

Next, whether you retain this client or not, what can be learned? How can losing other loyal customers be averted? What needs to be changed? Ask yourself if there was anything you could’ve done differently.

Bring Your Team Onboard

It’s time to assemble the team—sales, marketing, production, installation, service, and any department involved with the customer. Lead your team in discussing what you’ve learned, how to implement changes, and why it’s vital to your business.

It’s easy for this to become a finger-pointing session, but what good would that do? If you want to learn and improve, this needs to be an open discussion of how you will improve as a team. It’s not who’s right; it’s what’s right.

I’ve been where you are. As I wrote this, I got a sick feeling remembering a customer I’d lost years ago. It hurt, but it was a learning experience, and I believe I saved other customers because I learned from my mistakes. What have you learned from losing a customer?

How Can I Help You?

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me. 

So, does your business have a management training plan? Because, if not, many organizations, large and small, use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook a crash course in effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program. Check it out. It might help you stop putting off what you want to do.

If you enjoyed this post you might also appreciate, How to Create a Customer Service Survey.

 

The post What to Do When You Lose a Customer appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

How to Overcome Sales Objections

I leaned how to overcome sales objections from a customer. Once, on a sales call, when the prospect stated what I took as an objection, I paused. While I attempted to piece together my rebuttal to his objection, the prospect interjected. He told me he’d been in sales most of his life, and he had a piece of advice for me. He said selling was a lot easier if I stopped thinking of client concerns as objections and saw them as questions. If it wasn’t an objection, I didn’t have to rebut. We weren’t in court. If it was a question, all I had to do was answer it. He was right because he didn’t have sales objections, he had questions.

How to Overcome Sales Objections8  Steps to Answering Client QuestionsStop thinking of them as sales objections

The first step to overcoming sales objections is changing your mindset and language. When we use the word objection, most people automatically think the next step is to give a rebuttal. However, when we see a customer’s inquiry as a question, we’re more likely to answer them than to rebut

Do your research

Before the sales call. Know the prospect and the problems they have before you contact them.

Listen to your prospect

Before you can answer their questions, you need to understand their needs, wants, and desires.

Don’t jump to an answer

Consider the prospect’s question and give your best answer.

Be honest

If you don’t have the answer the prospect wants—tell them so. If the answer they want might not be in their best interest—they need to know why.

Check their understanding

After you answer their question, politely ask if they have any other questions.

Don’t freak out

I’ve heard salespeople say they hate objections. They shouldn’t. Questions are good because they show that the prospect is engaged and considering the product or service. A flat-out no is bad; questions are good.

Move On

After answering the client’s question, move on. Don’t oversell—get on with your presentation.

Change Seldom Happens Overnight

I wish I could tell you I took my customers’ advice to heart and immediately changed my rebutting ways, but that’s not what happened. I continued to use the old objection system of restating objections in favorable terms and then immediately returning to my pitch. At least for me, it was a slow process, but I eventually learned that it was better to answer questions, solve problems, and be helpful than to rebuttal.

New Age Consulting

When I was younger, I used every sales trick in the book and even invented a few. I used these tactics to sell and taught others how to dupe a customer into buying the product I wanted to sell, which was only sometimes what the consumer needed. I’m not proud of my early years in sales. I was “that” Salesperson.

Eventually, I learned that helping customers rather than “selling” them built lasting relationships. It not only made good business sense, but it also felt good. It was the right thing to do. Are you ready to do the right thing? Do you want to learn how to be a compassionate sales consultant and increase sales while building your customer base? If so, read this book. How to Sell Without Becoming “that” Salesperson

If you like this post, you might also appreciate 5 Things Top Consultants Do.

Photo by LinkedIn Sales Solutions on Unsplas

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How to Define Your Brand

How to define your brand begins with the understanding that brand definition should be the product of a well-thought-out unified marketing campaign. A strategy for sharing what an organization stands for. It should include all advertising and marketing media, from collateral material to signs on the building. It shouldn’t be left to the consumer to figure out the mission and vision of the business. And it shouldn’t be confusing—jumping from one message to another, depending on the format. And it shouldn’t be distracting, obscure, or irrelevant. Here’s how to define your brand.

How to Define Your BrandWho is your target audience? What do your customers have in common? What market do you want to reach that you haven’t?What are the benefits? What does your product or service do for your customer? What are the benefits to them?What problems do you solve? How do you help consumers? How do you make their lives easier?What’s your position in the market? Are you high-end or low? Do you deliver faster, make it better, or excel at customer service?What is your message? What should consumers know about your brand?What is your vision? Where is your organization headed, and how will that impact clients?How do customers, clients, and prospects perceive you?Creating your Brand

It begins with a logo

The logo should be easy to share across formats, simple, uncluttered, and easy to recognize.

Add a tagline

A tagline is the beginning of your story. It introduces the prospect to who you are and what you do.

Tell your story

Keep it simple and on point but compelling. The prospect should want to learn more because they can relate to and appreciate your story.

The next step is to share your logo, tag, and story.

Sharing your Brand

You should share your brand on everything your organization has that a customer or prospect might be exposed to.

Social Media Icons – All should use a version of the logoWebsites – Every page should fit a style guide conforming to established brand typography.Signage – Interior and exterior signs should use the brand’s logo, colors, and typography.Blogs – Once again, the format, images, and header should fit the style guide.Collateral material – All printed information from brochures to service forms should conform.Graphics – Floor, wall, vehicle, and window graphics need to fit the style guide.Business cards – Should promote the brand while sharing contact information.Promotional products –Trade show giveaways, holiday gifts, and employee recognition awards should share the organization’s logo, font, and colors.

A successful brand builds trust; it’s recognizable in many forms and relates to the consumer. A unified brand should share who you are, what you stand for, and how you can be counted on across media. How do you share your brand?

How Can I Help You?

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me. 

So, does your business have a management training plan? Because if not, many organizations, large and small, use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook, a crash course in effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program. Check it out.

If you enjoyed this post you might also like, 10 Business Social Media Good Manners to Follow

Photo by David Lezcano on Unsplash

The post How to Define Your Brand appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

Don’t Be a Jerk, Have Some Fun at Work!

Are you in management? Do you have any fun at work? When you hear the words manager or boss, what do you picture? Do you remember being called to the office, layoffs, or disciplinary action? Or do you think of payroll, insurance, and paperwork? Probably the last thing that comes to mind when you think about management is F-U-N fun. But the best managers know that a fun work culture is one key to happy employees, and happy employees are more productive with less turnover.

7 Ways to Have Fun at Work (Even if You’re the Manager) Start a FUN committee

Ask for volunteers from every department. Include employees from all levels of the organization. Meet monthly at lunch, and bring a pizza to set the fun mood. What’s more fun than pizza? Discuss ways for the corporation to create fun events. Look for fun activities to share throughout the organization.

Set the stage for FUN

Encourage fun by creating a fun environment. Add a bulletin board to the break room for teammates to post cartoons. Post a joke of the day. Add humor to the company newsletter. Think Readers Digest and their “A Day in the Life” section, except make it stories about your workplace and teammates. Add humorous quotes to Emails.

Make it a Game

Turn training into a game with points and prizes. Look for ways to make production a contest with rewards. Recognize milestones. Organize wellness contests.

Create FUN Days

Have dress-up days, brown bag lunch days, and talk-like-a-pirate days. “Ahoy there, Matey!” Hold a chili cook-off.

Make it happen after work

Create and organize a company picnic, Christmas party, or awards banquet—mail newsletters with employee recognition to team members’ homes and families. Recognize tenure and accomplishments with awards employees can take home. Involve the team in charitable events.

Encourage a sense of humor and spontaneity 

Yes, there is a time and a place to be serious and get down to business, but there should also be room for fun. Teach teammates when fun is appropriate and when it isn’t.

Show others how to have FUN 

Don’t be a dry, all-business manager—it only advances the stereotype. Smile, laugh, and have fun. Open meetings with an icebreaker, share self-deprecating humor, and look for ways to show everyone it’s OK to have a little fun, even if you’re the boss.

Don’t be a Stick-in-the-mud

Learn to smile, laugh, and have fun at work. There will be more than enough occasions where you need to wear your serious professional manager’s face. Those aren’t going away, but that’s not 100% of the time. There are times when it’s not only appropriate to have fun but also advantageous. If you want to build a productive team, if you want to reduce turnover, and if you want to make your job a little easier, then have some fun. Are you in management? How do you have fun at work?

How Can I Help You?

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me. 

So, does your business have a management training plan? Because, if not, many organizations, large and small, use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook a crash course in effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program. Check it out. It might help you stop putting off what you want to do.

Has work stopped being fun for you? Read this When Did Your Job Stop Being Fun?

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez  on Unsplash

The post Don’t Be a Jerk, Have Some Fun at Work! appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

Creating a Marketing Plan

The other day, I was chatting about creating a marketing plan with a friend. My friend has worked in advertising and marketing for more than 20 years. I asked him how he approached clients who came to him for a marketing plan. He shared several ideas, which I’ll share with you, but something he said rang true. “We work with a lot of businesses, large and small, that are experts in their field but lost when it comes to marketing. We try to direct them where to begin when creating a marketing plan. ”

Creating a Marketing PlanDo You Know Your Goal?

The first ingredient to creating a marketing plan is to have a goal in mind. Too often, businesses throw marketing at the wall to see what sticks; in other words, they’re uncertain about what they want to accomplish, so they haphazardly attempt multiple marketing efforts. One must first know what they want to understand how to achieve anything. What is your goal? Is it to:

Introduce a new product or service

Is your primary goal to let people know about a new offer? What problems does your product solve, what makes it unique, and how can this best be shared?

Cross-sell to existing clients

Are you trying to reach existing loyal customers with add-ons and supplemental products? Do you have multiple divisions that could benefit by marketing to each other’s clients?

Increased market

Do you want a larger market share for existing products and services? Who is your competition, and what market segments have they forgotten? What is your unique sales position and competitive edge?

Reach your target audience

Who will use the product? The target will inform the approach. For example, a product geared to IT personnel may use industry no-nonsense copy, while a product marketed to consumers may take an opposite approach.

What Media Should You Use?

Should you advertise on local radio, buy cable TV time, wrap your fleet vehicles, or all the above? The answer is — it depends.

Budget

What can you afford to spend and for how long? Where can you get the biggest bang for your buck? For example, a business-to-consumer product such as apparel may be best marketed on a website and social media while a sales tool may be best introduced in an advertisement. What is the CPM (cost per one thousand impressions), and who will see the marketing?

Market segment

What are the targeted audience’s preferences? Do they watch the nightly local news, drive by billboards on their morning commute, pick up promotional products at trade shows, or something else?

Brand unification

How will any new marketing initiative fit the brand? Will the logo, colors, and taglines work together to present a unified brand?

Reach

Where is your market positioned geographically and demographically? Knowing where your prospects are will help you determine the best way to reach them. For example, if your service covers a twenty-mile radius, would investing in a TV ad that covers an area four times that be the best use of your advertising dollars? Maybe, maybe not.

Are you ready to create a marketing plan? The key is to focus on the plan, not just marketing to be marketing. So, what’s your goal?

New Age Consulting

When I was younger, I used every sales trick in the book and even invented a few. I used these tactics to sell and taught others how to dupe a customer into buying the product I wanted to sell, which was only sometimes what the consumer needed. I’m not proud of my early years in sales. I was “that” Salesperson.

Eventually, I learned that helping customers rather than “selling” them built lasting relationships. It not only made good business sense, but it also felt good. It was the right thing to do. Are you ready to do the right thing? Do you want to learn how to be a compassionate sales consultant and increase sales while building your customer base? If so, read this book. How to Sell Without Becoming “that” Salesperson

If you like this post, you might also appreciate 5 Things Top Consultants Do.

Photo by Memento Media on Unsplash

The post Creating a Marketing Plan appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

Stop Putting Off Your Business Plan

It’s a new year and high time to stop putting off or ignoring your business plan. Even if you’re self-employed, you need a business plan. Whether you’re an independent contractor, solo-preneur, or overseeing a five-million-dollar operation with fifty employees, you know you should have a business plan. You may even have one, you just haven’t looked at it for three years. The question is, why don’t you have a plan or use the one you have?

Stop Putting Off Your Business Plan

If you’re not using your plan, it may be too complicated for your immediate needs. There’s a time and place for a complete business plan as outlined here by the  Small Business Administration – How to Write a Business Plan. If you’re presenting to investors, seeking funds from financial institutes, or applying to government agencies, you’ll need a complete plan, but it might not be what you need to navigate your day-to-day business.

Why Don’t You Use Your Plan?There’s little or no flexibility. If your business plan isn’t adaptable to change and doesn’t respond to opportunities and threats, it may not be what you need to plan your next step.It’s not your plan. You hired a consultant or agency to “help” you devise a plan, and at the time, it sounded good, but the reality is… it’s not your reality.Your priorities have changed. It was what you wanted a couple of years ago, but things have changed. Your business has changed, and so have you.Why Don’t You Have a Plan?You’ve convinced yourself you don’t need a business plan—you’re not big enough, or you’re doing fine without it.You investigated it, but it was too time-consuming and complicated.You discussed it with a consultant, but it was too expensive.

You may not need a full-blown business plan with an executive summary, organizational chart, market analysis, and company description to give your business direction. Don’t get me wrong, a complete, well-executed business plan has its place, but it may not be what you need to guide your business daily. For that, you may need a simpler, more direct, and flexible plan.

What’s the Answer?What do you want to achieve, and how will you measure it? How do you define success? Whether it’s adding clients, gaining market share, or increasing margins, determine what you want.How will you get there? Determine what activities to ramp up, repeat, discontinue, or improve.Adjust it as needed. Review your business plan at the rate of change in your business. This may sound like overkill, but if your business changes daily—look at your plan daily. For most, a monthly review of the plan will suffice.KISS (keep it simple, stupid). This is your daily business guide, not your official send-this-to-the-bank business plan. This plan should take minutes, not hours, to review.

By determining what you want, the activities that will get you there, and consistently reviewing and adjusting, you can develop a business plan that works for you. When was the last time you looked at your business plan?

How Can I Help You?

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me. 

Are you a manager or a leader? My book The Manager’s Guide to Becoming a Leader explores this question.

Photo by Kaleidico on Unsplash

The post Stop Putting Off Your Business Plan appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

6 New Year’s Eve Party Safety Tips

Are you hosting a New Years Eve bash tonight? If so, here are some last minute New Year’s Eve party safety tips.

6 New Year’s Eve Party Safety TipsHow Are Guests Getting Home?Put someone in charge of getting everyone home safely.Pull up Uber or Lyft apps. Also, check locally. Many offer free transportation on New Year’s Eve.Monitor Alcohol ConsumptionOffer non-alcoholic drink options.Be sure to provide plenty of water.Food SafetyKeep perishable foods at safe temperatures.Don’t take chances with food susceptible to contamination. As much as I love sushi, leaving it out for hours on the food table might not be a good idea.Fireworks SafetyCheck regulations regarding fireworks in your area.If using fireworks, maintain a safe distance and have a fire extinguisher ready.Emergency PreparednessHave local emergency contacts handy.Keep a first aid kit accessible for minor injuries.Stay AwareKeep an eye on guests and be prepared to take action if someone appears overly intoxicated.Be ready to handle unexpected situations by calling on reliable guests at the start of the party to be prepared to help.

By planning and taking a few precautions you can have a wonderful gathering and a safe and happy New Year.  wish you and yours a prosperous, healthy, and Happy New Year!

How Can I Help You?

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me. 

Does your business have a management training plan? Many organizations, large and small, use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook a crash course in effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program. Check it out.

Photo by Yutacar on Unsplash

The post 6 New Year’s Eve Party Safety Tips appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

The Biggest Challenge Facing Sales in 2025

The title should have been “The biggest challenge facing sales in 2025—and what to do about it.” But I don’t have that much space.

Sales is Changing, but Some Challenges Haven’t Changed

I’ve been in and around sales for more than 50 years. It’s changed. A lot. Unfortunately, it hasn’t changed fast enough in some sectors. Because we continue to have bad examples, Just say no to bad sales tactics.

Salespeople today face challenges I couldn’t have imagined in 1970: navigating CRM systems, content management, keeping up with ever-changing products, and following the lead cycle. Sales challenges vary by industry, geography, and target market. An organization’s approach to sales impacts the challenges to be faced, as do recruiting, onboarding, and continuous training. However, the challenge below is universal to sales regardless of product or approach.

The Biggest Challenge Facing Sales in 2025Finding the Time to Do the Job

Systems have become more efficient yet more complicated. Too often, salespeople spend more time following up with production and delivering products and services than they do in the field selling.

How to Give Your Sales Team More Time Selling

According to this Hub Spot Infographic, salespeople spend less than one-third of their time selling. If the job description of salespeople is to sell, isn’t that how they should spend their time? What are they doing the other two-thirds of the time?

7 Actions Plans for Sales Success Administration

According to several studies, salespeople spend more time completing and following up on paperwork than selling.

Action —  Take away as many administrative duties as possible from sales and delegate them to office personnel. Every administrative task lifted from salespeople is an opportunity to grow the business.

Lead Generation

Lead gen is one of most salespeople’s responsibilities, but it shouldn’t take up the majority of their time. Salespeople should spend time generating leads through add-on sales to existing customers as well as referrals.

Action—The marketing department’s key metric should be lead generation. Whether it’s through email marketing, social media, or traditional forms of advertising, marketing’s first responsibility is to fill the top of the funnel with leads. A salesperson’s job isn’t to provide all the leads—it’s to turn leads into satisfied customers. It isn’t easy to throw the ball and swing the bat.

Production

Every minute a salesperson uses to schedule production, follow up on jobs, or act as a liaison between departments is a minute they aren’t selling.

Action– Limit the responsibility of sales in production by developing production specialists to follow orders. Many CRM systems are automated to follow production and inform customers of progress.

Service

There isn’t anything more important than offering timely and efficient service when customers need help. It may be vital that salespeople stay in the loop with customer service, but it doesn’t mean they should be the primary service contact person.

Action—Delegate customer service to customer service representatives. Part of CSRs’ jobs should be to satisfy customer service needs and update salespeople on service progress.

Distractions

There are so many ways to be distracted in today’s world. One of the biggest distractions is the steady sound of pings.

Action — Turn the pings off. Do not check email, texts, and social media every ten minutes. Set time aside to concentrate on the task at hand without interruptions. Don’t buy into The Multitasking Myth. Don’t get confused by urgent tasks that take salespeople away from the important task of selling.

Travel Time

There will always be a need for travel. While meeting with key clients face-to-face may be more important than anything else, not every meeting needs to be or should be F2F.

Action—Schedule Zoom meetings. Phone calls are becoming old-fashioned and out of style, but they remain an excellent way to stay in touch. Before calling, it may be best to text or email a phone appointment request.

Downtime

The number one reason for downtime is poor planning. For example, when a sales visit is set with a client and no other appointments are scheduled, what happens if that client is unable to make the meeting? In this scenario, scheduling several meetings throughout the day reduces downtime.

Action – Help the sales team get organized by sharing daily and weekly planners.

Is it Time to Take Action?       

Implementing these seven actions, even in a small way, will positively impact sales. Eliminating distractions, reducing downtime, and helping salespeople concentrate on selling will pay off with increased sales, new customers, and more work for the company. How would any business be impacted by reducing non-sales time from 66% to 33%?  It seems reasonable, doesn’t it?

How Can I Help You?

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me. 

So, does your business have a  management training plan? Because, if not, many organizations, large and small, use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook a crash course in effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program. Check it out.

Photo by BoliviaInteligente on Unsplash

 

The post The Biggest Challenge Facing Sales in 2025 appeared first on Randy Clark Leadership Training.

Have You Walked in Their Shoes?

So, have you walked in their shoes? Several years ago, about three weeks before Christmas, I was shopping in a discount department store. I had a list of items for a 10-year-old girl, an Angel from the Salvation Army Angel Tree Toy Drive. I had a list of needs and sizes, but I was lost. What did I know about 10-year-old girl fashion, let alone what socks and underclothes to buy? Me choose underclothes? No way.  I saw an employee who helped me make purchases for another child the previous week. She recognized me and said, with a big smile and a slight chuckle. “You need help don’t you.” I grinned back and said, “Yes, please.” The store employee was helping another and told me she’d be right with me. I asked the lady she was helping, “Do you think a 10-year-old girl would like these outfits?” She said, “Oh goodness, those are so cute, she’ll love them!” I thanked her and then we chatted for a few minutes.

Have You Walked in Their Shoes?You Never Know Who You’re Talking to

As we talked, a tear ran down her cheek. I asked if she was okay, and she told me it was the first time she’d been out of the house in three weeks. She’d lost her husband of 27 years three weeks ago. She lost her soul mate, her best friend, and her partner all in one moment. I asked if she’d like a hug.

She said yes. We hugged, and then she told me about her husband and how he was a kind and gentle soul. How considerate and understanding he was and how lucky she had been to have him come into her life. I listened, nodded, and agreed. When she was done, she thanked me for listening. After the funeral, she’d had no one to talk with. Her pain was still bottled up inside. By the end, tears were running down my cheek as well.

The Lesson and the Plan  

We’ve all heard you never know what crosses people have to bear, but I wonder if we truly consider this in our interactions with others. It’s easy to quote “Walk in someone’s shoes,” but do we do it? I know I don’t do it nearly enough. I plan to change that. Here’s my plan.

Ask and Listen

When I’m talking with others ask about them first and then give them all my attention. Especially if I don’t like or agree with their actions. Before I can help, I must understand what motivated the activity.

Show Compassion

Rather than jumping to conclusions, try to learn what’s behind the action and share genuine compassion through this understanding.

See Myself in Others

Instead of focusing on our differences, look for similarities. Even the most diverse group of people has more in common than they think. A friend once told me he was appalled that a certain culture wore bright, even flamboyant clothing to a funeral. He was accustomed to dark sober clothing at a funeral.  The two cultures were alike because they had specific funeral apparel guidelines.

Stop Being Judgmental 

I should stop being judgmental and biased. How someone dresses or wears their hair doesn’t define who they are and what crosses they bear.

It was happenstance that I met a lady who needed a hug as much as she had ever needed one in her life. And it was with understanding and compassion that I listened to her story and commiserated.

It would’ve been easy to ignore the tear sliding down her cheek and walk away. I’m glad I didn’t. I know there have been times I would have ignored her, and now I know it would’ve been my loss.

The next time you’re about to walk away from a teammate, family member, or stranger, stop and take a moment to imagine yourself in their shoes. You’ll be better for it. Have you walked in their shoes?

If you liked this post you might also enjoy, Do You Believe in Karma?

Photo by Radek Skrzypczak on Unsplash

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My Top Ten Top Ten Holiday Lists

What? Top Ten Top Ten Holiday Lists? Okay – The title is a little confusing. Besides, there are so many top ten holiday lists. Do we really need one more? There are the top ten Irish gifts, top ten odd traditions, top ten holiday horror movies, top ten holiday cookbooks, gadgets, and getaways. I thought I’d share a few of the top ten lists currently at or near the top of the holiday top 10 heap. From movies to cookies, there are over 200 suggestions. Maybe this should be titled the Top 200-holiday list.

My Top Ten Top Ten Holiday Lists

10. Good Housekeeping.com — The Hottest Toys from the “Toys We Love” 2024 List. Since I don’t have any youngsters to buy for, can someone tell me what a Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza is? Is it a toy or a pizza?

9. Holiday Cocktails. I posted 10 days of holiday cocktails. Here’s a couple of them.

8. Penguin Random House — 15 Christmas Classics This has three of my favorites, which I read every year: A Christmas Carol, Skipping Christmas, and A Christmas Story. I’d like to add Miracle and Other Christmas Stories by Connie Willis and The best Christmas pageant ever by Barbara Robinson. BTW, I loved the new movie! The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Movie Review

7. Good Housekeeping — The Top 76 Christmas Movies of All Time You’re sure to find some of your favorites and some new to you movies on this list. However, Ernest Saves Christmas made it and not The Ref. C’mon, man.

6. Allrecipes.com — Our Top 22 Traditional Christmas Dishes. Here are a few must have holiday recipes.

5. Cookies It’s 250 calories just to look at this list. Mexican tea (sometimes called wedding) cakes should be first, not tenth!

4. Greatest of All Time Holiday 100 Songs Billboards top 10 out of their top 100 includes my favorite at number 4 The Christmas song (Chestnuts roasting). It’s my Christmas Karaoke go to.

3. 25+ Christmas Traditions in the US and Around The World. “Explore the heartwarming world of Christmas traditions, from festive customs to timeless family rituals. Discover the magic of the holiday season” with our guide, Mint.

2. Psychology Today — 10 Tips for Surviving the Holidays. Holidays can bring mixed emotions. Follow these tips to make them more joyous. This post is an oldie but a goodie.

And drum roll please…

The number one Top Ten List is not a Top Ten List

 #1. Sharing the Joy 365 Days a Year

Okay, so it’s not a top-ten list, but it does have 365 days. The holiday season is about joy—the joy of sharing time with loved ones and the joy of giving and receiving. It is a time that invites us to slow down and embrace the wonder of the season. So, as we light our candles, sing our carols, and reflect on the year that has passed, let us remember that the true meaning of the season is found in the love and peace we bring to one another 365 days a year. Happy Holidays!

Photo by David Beale on Unsplash

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