Randy Clark's Blog, page 59

How to Recognize Your Competitive Advantage

If you’re in business, you have competition. Regardless of what product or service you offer, other companies do the same. Many of your competitors have an advantage over you. Some are smart enough to market those advantages. The question is, do you recognize your competitive advantage?

Before you can recognize your competitive advantage, you need to know and understand a few things.

Target Audience

Do you have a clear understanding of your audience? Do you know who needs and wants your product, who it helps, and what problems it solves? “What’s your niche? The answers to these four questions will help you define your target audiences. What are you great at? What sets you apart? Where’s your expertise? What can you do better than anyone else?”  — How to Target Your Audience (Without Breaking the Bank.) Here’s more on identifying and reaching your target audience, Do You Know Your Target Audience?

Competition

Okay, this sounds obvious, but to recognize your competitive advantage, first, you need to know your competition. However, I’ve found that many organizations know little when it comes to the advantages a competitor has over them and vice-versa. Oh sure, most businesses know who their competition is, what they offer, and when they outbid them on a contract, but do they know why? Where do you begin? By monitoring their activities, following them on social media, conducting Google searches on the company and product, reading reviews, and following industry periodicals.

“By monitoring competitors on an on-going basis you get to know their behavior and so can start to anticipate what they will be likely to do next,” says Arthur Weiss, managing director of UK-based Aware, which helps businesses gain competitive intelligence. “You can then plan your own strategies so that you keep your customers and win (not steal) customers away from competitors.” In other words, keeping tabs on your competition is a great strategy for growing your business.” —    Inc: 10 tips on how to research your competition.

Value

What value do you bring to the table? Value is the convergence of price and benefit. Cutting too much from a product or service to reduce price may not benefit the customer. As counter-intuitive as it sounds a lower price might not be what the customer needs. We can all recall times, we’ve made the lowest price mistake and didn’t receive the benefit we needed for a product. The Lowest Bid Mistake. Conversely, pricing a product so far above the competition that consumers question what they’re paying for isn’t a beneficial strategy for your business or client.

Questions to Answer to Recognize Your Competitive Advantage

Superior product or service: How does your product beat the competition?
Lower price: Is your product less than competitors for the same or similar product?
Customer service: Does your customer service top your competition?
Individual solutions. Does your company work directly with clients to create a specific product to fit the customer’s needs?
Reviews: How does your business rank on Google reviews, Yelp, and customer testimonials?
Location: Do you have a locational advantage that can save your audience time and money?
Reliability: Do you have numbers you can share about your delivery time, quality, and service after the sale?
Trustworthiness: Have you been in business longer than your competition? Are there awards you’ve won and accreditations you’ve achieved, that speak of your trustworthiness?
Add-ons: Are there other benefits to working with your company?

What is Your Competitive Advantage?

By understanding your target audience, knowing your competition, and analyzing your value to the client you can take the next step and market your competitive advantages, but that’s another post.

Photo Credit: https://unsplash.com/photos/0KUGqYPYq-o

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5 Tips to Sharpen Your Leadership Instincts

“What’s the difference between a king and his horse? I don’t mean kiddy shit like “One’s a person and one’s an animal” or “One has two legs and one has four.” If their  form, ability, and power were exactly the same, why is it that one becomes the king and controls the battle, while the other becomes the horse and carries the king?! There’s only one answer. Instinct!​” – ​Bleach​, Tite Kubo

Every company in the world wants to hire only two kinds of employees – ones with the ability to lead, and others to follow them.

Kings, and horses – so that there is a clear structure to the company.

Does that mean that leadership instinct is a natural quality in a select few? In my experience, no!

Leadership is about honing your instincts and sharpening them to the point where you instinctively know what to do when a situation arises.

So, how do you become the king and stop being the horse?

These 5 leadership tips will help you sharpen your instincts and be a more effective leader:
Take the Blame, Share the Glory

The first knee-jerk reaction when things go sideways is to shift the blame and grab the glory. Nothing to be ashamed of, it is only human. But if you do that as a leader, then no one is EVER going to respect you or follow you.

You have to turn off that snide voice inside your head that says, “Do it!”

If things go wrong in your plan, then you need to accept your responsibility and take the blame. Even if it really isn’t, do it.

Why? Short answer – you become instantly seen as a figure of authority. The courage to stand up to your mistakes will make people want to do the same and rectify the situation.

At the same time, you have to pass your triumphs on to your subordinates.

The only way to climb one rung higher on the ladder is to have someone else ready to take your place. Push your employees and associates higher, and they will return the favor. Pull them down, and they will shirk their responsibilities when you need them the most.

Always Stay Centered

Staying centered and calm is one of the most admirable qualities of a leader. A leader who is prone to panic is never going to be respected by their colleagues.

Situations arise. In the immortal words of Batman, “Deal with it!”

When you panic, you give in to fear and insecurity – the two greatest detriments to rational thinking. The worst bit? You will project that onto your colleagues, and absolute chaos will ensue.

Staying centered is a valuable lesson that experience will teach you. Maybe this blog will speed up the process!

Have a Definite Vision

Whether you are in a management job or heading up your own company – you need to have a definite vision.

Shooting in the dark and simply doing things at random is a surefire way to lose a lot of money and have nothing to show for it.

Have your next five, maybe ten years planned ahead of time. This way, every year, you can keep inching towards a single, focused goal instead of meandering. Also, clients trust a person in charge who knows the exact outcome of their plan.

People working under your wing will greatly appreciate you too for helping them find a place where they belong.

Measure Your Daily Performance

This tip builds on the last one. If you know exactly where you want to go, chalk out a roadmap with milestones. This way, you get to know exactly how far or near you are to achieving your goals. All employees in any decent company record their daily performance so that the management can review it.

The stupidest mistake you can make is to think that you are above such things just because you are in charge.

“Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” ​(Who will guard the guards?) – ​Satires​, Juvenal

Benchmarking your performance is how you keep growing. Have your superiors or peers critique your work. A good leader thrives on constructive criticism. Be humble enough to take it when it is given.

Be Part of Something More than a Paycheck

Money is not the most important thing in your life. You need to be part of something much bigger than a paycheck if you want to lead.

Does this sound a bit cliched? That’s probably because you have heard this a thousand times before from different thought leaders.

Here’s a question – if you HAVE heard it before, then why is your paycheck still so important to you?

Let me let you in on a little secret. Do you know why the famous business consultants that charge $5,000 an hour can charge as much?

It’s not their experience or skill that they charge for. They charge you for their time. The reason why the top consultants can charge that much for their time is that they care about far more than a simple paycheck.

Rise. Rinse. Repeat.

And be a king!

Wrapping Up

These five tips will help you become a more rounded leader. Which of these tips did you like the most? Which of these have you used before? Let us know so that we can create more awesome content for you!

I want to thank the author of this post, Nirvana Guha, the CEO of SEO Elixir. If you need a crafty digital marketer, he’s your man.

Who is SEO Elixir? 

“We are a Digital Marketing Agency in India that offers custom Digital Marketing Solutions. At SEO Elixir, we focus on the individual needs of your business.

No matter how big or small your business needs are, we can help you out.” To learn what SEO Elixir can do for you click here,  SEO Elixir

 

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13 Pieces of Sales Advice for my Grandson

My eldest grandson called me and asked for my advice. I was thrilled. Evan’s 23, and on the go. It’s always great to hear from him. He asked for sales advice. He’d been recruited for a sales position and accepted it. We chatted over the phone for about twenty minutes. I rambled on about learning to listen, solving problems, and becoming a consultant – not a salesperson, but I wasn’t very thorough. So, Evan, here are a few more pieces of advice about selling.

13 Steps to Sales Success
Listen First

Evan, I fear you may have inherited the ‘talk don’t listen gene’ from me. My lack of listening skills hurt me when I was new to sales. It was a long road to get to where I could ask questions of a prospect and then listen to their answers without interrupting them or thinking about what I was going to say. The truth is, I’m still working on my listening skills. But think about this, if you don’t learn to listen how will you know what the client needs and wants? How to actively listen in a loud world.

Solve Problems

So, if you want to solve problems for your customers, and believe me you do, then you must learn to listen (see above). Too often, salespeople push what they want to sell on customers. They promote what they like, not what the customer wants. If you want to build a loyal client base, learn what people need, want, and desire then deliver it.

“Define the problems you solve. Who do you help and how do you help them? Too often when companies look for their target audience, they focus on the features of their product or service. Forget about the features, how does your product benefit the client? What does it do for them? When you can answer that, you’ll know who needs your product.” — How to target your audience without breaking the bank.

Keep Your Promises

You’ve  heard under promise and over deliver. While that certainly is a better strategy than over promising, why not just keep your promises to your customers? When you oversell yourself, business, or product just to get a name on the dotted line, you open yourself up for a world of pain. Once you break a client’s trust they will question everything you do, they most likely will not be a repeat customer, and they do not say good things about you to others. Under promise and over deliver? How about just keeping your promise?

Be Easy to Work with

“Every business causes customer pain. Are you more difficult to work with than you need be? Do you communicate poorly? Does it take too long to get things done? Is your customer service unreceptive? Does your company listen to its customers? Great organizations look for ways to alleviate the pain. Where can you ease the pain?” — Are you easy to do business with?

Follow Up

There’s a fine line between overselling, becoming a pest, and staying in contact with prospects. It’s important to be available throughout the sales process. However, being pushy with over the top emails, stalking on social media, and unsolicited multiple phone calls isn’t good sales – it’s creepy.

I’ve read that the average consumer says no several times before coming to yes. So, how do you keep your name in the game without being creepy? By being helpful. Be available to answer questions. Let people know you’re there to help.

Ask for Referrals

“Do customers thank you? Do they thank you for superior work, solving problems, servicing your product, or correcting a mistake? When they do what do you say? “No, I thank you!” OK—nothing wrong with that, but you need to take it further. When your customer thanks you for the great job you and your company did, it’s time to ask for referrals. Look your customer in the eye and say, “Thank you, we try our best to meet our customer’s needs, may I ask, who do you know who might use our services and deserves to be treated this way?” I’m not big on verbatim scripts, so put it in your own words — but take the time to ask.” — How to get more leads without working harder.

And don’t forget about friends and family. I’ve been told by salespeople that they don’t want to be pushy with friends and family. My answer is don’t. However, why wouldn’t you ask the people who know and love you best to help you? Ask them to keep you in mind.

Don’t Go Old-School

The days of old-school sales psychology based on tricks and gambits are on their way out. People have too much access to information, and although these sales “tricks” might still work on some prospects, it’s not a tactic that will build clientele.

Yesterday I received an email from an organization I respect, but after the email — I have doubts. It was a sales offer with an “only good today” urgency. I almost replied the following day with, “Gosh, I’m sorry I missed this because I really, really wanted it, but it’s too late now.” Just say no to bad sales tactics.

Be Helpful

One of the best ways to promote yourself is to be helpful. I’ve told this story before, but it’s worth repeating. A few years ago, the VP of marketing for a national company that we worked with was attending an event in Indiana. At the time the organization was new to social media. I started following them on SM and took notes. TKO was a couple of years ahead of them as far as social media.

So, I attended the event, met the VP, and then offered to advise them on social media. They appreciated this, and I was happy to help. Near the end of our short conversation I added that we had a new sign division, so if they needed any help with signage just let us know. Later I did help them with social media. And they reached out to us about signage. We fabricated and installed more than 1 million dollars’ worth of signs for them over the next year. Be helpful.

Set Activities Based Goals

In the mid-1970’s I was an assistant manager at a Volkswagen dealership. Every month the management would set goals for the next month with each salesperson and the dealership. Each of us would complete a form showing how many cars we’d sold the previous month, YTD, dollar volume, and finance numbers. Then we’d fill in our goal for the next month. For example, if you sold 15 cars in August, your goal might be 18 in September.

We’d turn them in, get a pat on the back (or a talking to if we’d missed our goals), and then be sent on our way. Do you know what was missing? How were we going to hit our goals? What activities did we need to continue, stop, improve, or renew? You cannot do a goal – you have to take action. Why Smart goals are dumb.

Say No

If you’re asked to do something unethical, illegal, or immoral, it’s clear you should say no. But when else should you say no? If a customer insists on a product or service that you know will not meet their needs or expectations – tell them. Say no. If a prospect needs help outside of your expertise tell them. Say no. When you can’t deliver, don’t say, “You bet” just to get a name on the dotted line. Say no.

Share the Benefits

There’s an old acronym in sales called FAB – feature, advantage, benefit, and when presented properly it’s a good sales tool. However, too many salespeople get stuck on the feature or advantage and never get to the benefit. People don’t buy because of a feature; they buy because of what it does for them – the benefit.

For example, if I was marketing a longer lasting light bulb, I could explain the feature – LED lamps, advantage —they can last two to three times longer than incandescent bulbs. I could explain the benefit that since they last longer you don’t need to buy them as often. In this case, it might be that the initial cost of the LED bulb is more but since it will outlast two or three of the old-style bulbs it costs less, and it uses less electricity which also saves money.

However, the more important benefit might be that the consumer doesn’t have to stand on a chair and change the light bulb in the kitchen as often. Are you selling the benefits of your product?

Establish a Budget

Early in the sales cycle, it’s wise to establish a budget. Ask the prospect what they want and expect to spend. Explain that you will do your best to find a solution within their budget.

Don’t be Afraid of Your Price

I’ve seen too many salespeople hesitate to share the price of their product because they were afraid of it. What it means is the salesperson wonders if the product is too expensive. To overcome this fear, learn what’s behind the price. In most cases, you’ll find good reasons for the price and if you don’t, if you think it’s a rip-off, then find another job.

Ask for the Sale

If you’ve done all the above and established yourself as a consultant with your client’s best interests served, then ask them to buy. It can be as simple as, “Would you like to begin the order process?” Or, “Does this meet your needs? If so, would you like to get started?” It’s not pushy to politely ask for the order when you’ve met the needs of your customer.

13 Pieces of Sales Advice Might Be too Much

In my notes, I have more steps, such as promote yourself, build trust, and more. Maybe those points will end up in a future post. For now, 13 steps to sales success is enough. It’s probably too much, so Evan, pick two or three and start working on them. You know how to reach me.

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

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Fort Wayne TEDx Adding Action to Words

A few years ago, I was privileged to speak at TEDx Fort Wayne. My talk was about building community by engaging friends. It was about the brainstorming group I belong to – Friend Up. However, it was also about adding action to your words.

I shared how Friend Up began and how to create a Friend Up group. It’s simple, you pick a time and place, invite friends, ask them for one or two areas where they could use help, choose a facilitator, brainstorm, take notes, and then post calls to action and advice in a private group.

The facilitator leads the discussion by asking:

How can we help?
Open-ended follow-up questions – what, how, and why.
Seeking the groups for input
Choose actions to take

I asked friends to define Friend Up and shared their definitions. For example:

“The people that I have met in the Friend Up group have helped to promote my various volunteer/work projects – Not only have these incredible individuals “tweeted” and “liked” but they have rolled up their sleeves and pitched in, as well. It is through their direct efforts that these initiatives have been successful.” — Bethann Buddenbaum

“The best friend ups have a core group of people that listen to each other and are willing to offer help, suggestions and ideas to one another. Meeting on a monthly basis is supplemented by conversations via social media, and even in person or phone. One of the true keys is Giving: a spirit of helping each other as opposed to Taking: what’s in it for me.” — Scott Howard

“A Friend up means more than social media, business development or networking. I think the fact that it has “Friend” in the name is important despite that it’s easy to overlook or take for granted as a generic term. The people at a friend up are friends first, then everything that comes from that is more meaningful and valuable than what I’ve experienced at many other similar types of events that don’t place quality, friendly relationships at the forefront of their purposes.” — Rocky Walls

And, I added action to my words

Near the end of my time, I asked the audience if they’d considered Fort Wayne TEDx a networking opportunity. Most did. Then I asked them to stand up, turn to someone, introduce themselves and ask, “How can I help you.” Next, I asked them to inquire, “What person, company, or industry would you like to be introduced to?” In the end, I had to interrupt them so I could finish my talk on time. I don’t know what connections were made and actions taken, but it was a good start. If you’d like to see it here’s the last two minutes of my talk. TEDx Fort Wayne Randy Clark Conclusion.

Here’s My Point

We talk a lot. We lecture in meetings and hold forth during presentations but what’s getting done? Too often it doesn’t get past talk. How often have we sat in meetings, and talked about what should be done with little or no action taken? So, if you want to make your life better, improve your workplace, or change the direction of your town, school, church, or club, you can’t do it if you only talk about. Commit to adding action to your words and you’ll make a difference in the world.

 

 

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A Daily Workplace Gratitude Checklist

Part of the leadership development training I facilitate is about improving working with yourself. The adage that you can’t love someone else until you love yourself holds true for management as well. It’s difficult to lead others when you are lost. The 7th chapter of my book, The Manager’s Guide to Becoming a Leader, is titled Leaders Work for the Team, I use the book as an outline for a training session. During the class, we discuss activities to support your team, and one of the ways to do this is by showing gratitude. So, what is a daily workplace gratitude checklist?

Ways to show Gratitude

We shared ways to show gratitude, why it was important to do so, and what it can mean to your team. At the end of the session I shared the list below. We went through the list, and then I asked each manager to pick one thing they were grateful for at work. It didn’t have to be from the list, but it could be.

When we were done, and everyone had shared their gratitude I asked them how the felt. You already know the answer. They were in a happy and positive state. Next, I asked who they could lead in a gratitude exercise. They replied almost anyone anywhere could use a gratitude reminder – their teams at work, family, friends, club, and church.

An Attitude of Gratitude

So, I have two challenges for you. First, share something you’re thankful for at work and secondly, lead a gratefulness session. Let me know in comments how it worked out. I’d be most grateful.

Workplace Gratitude Checklist 

1. What’s the best thing that happened today?

2. Name a recent work or life victory

3. Find a positive in a negative

4. What lesson can you learn from a mistake?

5. Appreciate a co-worker

6. Say thank you

7. What do you love about the work you get to do?

8. Who helped you today?

9. Who is always there for you?

10. What has recently made your job easier?

11. What’s something that has recently inspired you?

12. How was today better than yesterday?

13. What did you learn today?

14. What’s the best thing about your job?

15. What’s something you did well today?

16. Name something your team accomplished today?

17. What’s your favorite thing about your team?

18. What’s your favorite thing about your job?

19. What’s your favorite thing about the company?

20. What makes you happy at work?

Postscript

Last Thanksgiving evening my wife and I joined a dozen or so friends in the basement of a local church. It was a gratitude meeting. The couple who led the meeting called on each of us to share what we were grateful for. It was one of the most inspirational meetings I’ve ever been privileged to be a part of.

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

 

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How to Recognize Opportunities for Continued Improvement

Isn’t it great that we can never learn everything? None of us are perfect. So, there’s always room for improvement. We should all be continually searching for ways to be a better person and leader. One way to recognize opportunities for continued improvement is to question your status quo.

You Should Constantly Ask Yourself:

Is this best way to do this?
Are there things we’re not doing that we should do?
Is there something that we are doing that we should not do?

Is This the Best Way to Do This?

Sometimes we do things one way because that’s just how we have always done it. You may say to yourself, “Why on earth would I look for a better way?” The answer is there may be new processes, technology, or a new idea from an employee. Keep an open mind.

What Are You NOT Doing that You Should Do?

Even when you’re feeling overworked, when there aren’t enough hours in the day, you need to ask this question. What are we not doing that we should be doing? Because, you can’t improve if you’re not asking this question. So, are there things that will not only help your customers, but will develop your people? Are there activities that could make you more efficient and better prepared to handle the future?

What Are You Doing that You Shouldn’t Do?

This question isn’t asked nearly enough. Are there things you do in your job that are done for reasons that no longer exist? For example, a report that no one uses or a process that was replaced by new technology?

Add Action to Your Words!

When you make a commitment to continuous improvement, you’ll make things better for you and your team. Here’s a simple plan of action. Pick three actions to take. One to be accomplished in the first 30 days, the second in 60, third in 90. Each should be:

Something which can be accomplished in 30 days
Something that’s achievable – not impossible
Activity-driven – how will it be accomplished?
Within your control – nothing which depends on others such as outside departments, customers, vendors or if it requires corporate approval

How to Recognize Opportunities for Continued Improvement

It also doesn’t have to be earth-shattering. Because progress and improvement are often made one small step at a time. So, what have you put off that you’d like to get done? What would impact your department, job, or customers in a positive way? How would it help your team? What can you and your department do better, more of, quicker, more cost-effective, or more organized? So, don’t overthink this or make it too complicated – we all have actions we’ve been meaning to “get to” what are yours?

Photo Credit: https://unsplash.com/photos/rk_Zz3b7G2Y

 

 

 

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Coffee, Tea, and Your Health

Over the years, I’ve read articles on coffee and tea lauding each for their health benefits, and then on the next page found a study where both were vilified as unhealthy. So, are coffee and tea unhealthy or healthy, which is it?

Do Coffee and Tea Cause Cancer?

Do coffee and tea cause cancer? There is no definitive proof that either coffee or tea cause cancer. It may be the opposite. The WHO (World Health Organization) has taken coffee off its list of possible carcinogens. To the contrary, recent studies indicate coffee may help reduce the risk of colon cancer. Tea has been shown to lower the chance of skin and breast cancer.

Caffeine and Antioxidants

An eight-ounce cup of coffee contains 100 – 150 mg of caffeine while the same size cup of green tea has 30 — 50 mg. The antioxidants in caffeine can limit cell damage and boost the immune system.

Your Brain on Caffeine

More than 400 mg of coffee in a 24-hour period may cause jitteriness, clouded thinking, and insomnia. However, every metabolism is different. For example, I consume 600 to 800 mg of caffeine daily without experiencing any of the above.

EGCG, Green Tea, and Your Brain

“Tea is rich in polyphenols that have effects like reducing inflammation and helping to fight cancer. Green tea is about 30 percent polyphenols by weight, including large amounts of a catechin called EGCG. Catechins are natural antioxidants that help prevent cell damage and provide other benefits.” —  10 Benefits of Green Tea.

EGCG reduces plaque buildup in the brain which may lower the risk of Alzheimer’s and has been shown to improve Parkinson’s disease.

Coffee and tea both contain polyphenols, a type of antioxidant, which naturally occurs in plants. Antioxidants have exhibited the potential to help with type II diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, by lowering blood pressure and reducing bad cholesterol levels.

Coffee, Tea, and Asthma

I’ve lived with asthma my entire life. Without any scientific proof, I know that coffee helps my asthma. Sometimes when I feel an impending asthma attack, a cup of coffee is enough to stave it off. It works.

“Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, cola drinks, and cocoa. Caffeine is a drug that is very similar to theophylline. Theophylline is a bronchodilator drug that is taken to open up the airways in the lungs and therefore relieves the symptoms of asthma, such as wheezing, coughing and breathlessness.” — The National Library of Medicine

Are Coffee and Tea Unhealthy?

So, are coffee and tea unhealthy or healthy? The answer is, the health benefits far outweigh any risk. However, like most things, the effects on individuals should be monitored. It might be that the 600 to 800 mg of caffeine that I consume daily would cause adverse reactions in others. So, the amount of coffee or tea that is beneficial depends on the individual.

So, what do you think? Are you a coffee or tea drinker? Do you believe they’re healthy or unhealthy for you?

Many of the facts shared in the post were gleaned from WebMD, Coffee vs. Tea is one better for your health?

Photo Credit: Unsplash photos — Photographer rebekah baines  

 

 

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Words of Love from Dr. Martin Luther King

Today, Monday, January 21, 2019, is Martin Luther King Day. On my editorial calendar I wrote – What can we learn from Dr. Martin Luther King? I had a general idea about what I wanted to share. I wanted to explain I’m a product of the 1960s, who like many of my generation, was influenced by Dr. King’s initiatives. He demonstrated how to live as a committed contributing person in our society, not as a black, white, red, or yellow person, but as a person. He showed us how one person could make a difference. I can think of no better way to express those lessons than with Dr. King’s own words, words of love from Dr. Martin Luther King.

Words of Love from Dr. Martin Luther King

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”

“All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?”

“Never succumb to the temptation of bitterness.”

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

“Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.”

“That old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind.”

“The time is always right to do what is right.”

“We must use time creatively.”

“Whatever your life’s work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better.”

“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

His Lessons of Love are Universal  

Reflecting on Dr. Kings actions, achievements, and his words I am proud of the lessons I have learned and hopeful for the areas I find myself lacking. If you’d like to read more quotes from Dr. King go to Martin Luther King Jr’s beliefs and values.

If you enjoyed this post you might also like, You Never Know When You’ll Be Called to Give.  

Photo Credit: https://unsplash.com/photos/F16YG4WLIvk

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A Book Review: Make Peace with Your Mind

I’ve never written a book review before now. Oh, sure I did book reports in middle school, but never a book review as an adult. So, why this book, “Make Peace with Your Mind”? There’s a couple of reasons the first being I think everyone should read it and probably read it more than once.

Why You Should Read this Book

Over the last several months I’ve completed an unscientific survey. I’ve asked dozens of people about their inner voice; if they had one, was it judgmental, did it adversely affect their self-esteem, and did they believe there were times that their inner voice held them back? The answers were almost unanimous – yes, their inner judge was a problem.

I asked the questions because I fight with my inner voice daily. A few years ago, I read  My Stroke of Insight A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey by Jill Bolte Taylor. She introduced me to the idea of telling your inner voice no. During her recovery from a debilitating stroke she learned to curtail her inner judge by saying, “Thank you, but no thank you, I’ve got this.” Adopting this improved my outlook and my life. Thank you, Jill Bolte Taylor. Mark Coleman in his book takes managing your inner judge to the next level.

Why This Book Works

Make Peace with Your Mind works because Mark knows what he’s talking about. He’s been a victim of his inner judge and allowed it to harm himself. He’s also an internationally acclaimed mindfulness trainer. The book works in part because Mark’s writing style is sincere and easy to read, but for me, the biggest reason it works is that Mark ends every chapter with what he calls practice. Practice is 10 minutes of actions you can take that covers the chapter. We’ve all read books with good intentions of acting only to find the book on a shelf with no action taken a year later. Mark puts you to work all through the book. It works.

Like I said earlier, I’ve never written a book review, but when I saw a spot on my editorial calendar for a wellness post, well, this book can make you well.

In Mark Coleman’s Own Words

“The inner critic is the voice inside our heads reminding us that we are never “good enough.” It’s behind the insidious thoughts that can make us second-guess our every action and doubt our own value. The inner critic might feel overpowering, but it can be managed effectively. Meditation teacher and therapist Mark Coleman helps readers understand and free themselves from the inner critic using the tools of mindfulness and compassion. Each chapter offers constructive insights into what creates, drives, and disarms the critic; real people’s journeys to inspire and guide readers; and simple practices anyone can use to live a free, happy, and flourishing life. — Make Peace with Your Mind: How Mindfulness and Compassion Can Free You from Your Inner Critic

“Mindfulness is the ability to be aware, to note, to notice. When we apply that to our thoughts and mental habits, we bring a clarity of awareness in seeing what’s just an ordinary thought and what’s a judging thought that’s pejorative or putting us down in some way. So, we first bring that lens of awareness, and then we can do all kinds of different strategies. We can inquire.” — Psychology Today — Make Peace With Your Mind: A Conversation With Mark Coleman 

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Don’t just Learn from your Mistakes Share the Lesson

Learning from your mistakes, and sharing what you learn, can be profitable. Sharing lessons may be transparency at its best. No one is perfect. No one will start a religion after any of us. I believe most of us are looking for others we can trust. Let me ask, who do you trust – someone who shares their mistakes (and lessons) or those who present a pristine, mistake-free exterior? Have you ever made a mistake with a customer? I have more than once, and it could happen again. So, what do you do? Begin by correcting the mistake, learn from it, and when appropriate, share it. Don’t just learn from your mistakes share the lesson.

Don’t just Learn from your Mistakes Share the Lesson

Apologize – Reacting defensively, pointing fingers, or passing the blame will only fuel the fire.
Take responsibility – Suck it up and take responsibility.
Initiate a solution – Fix the problem. Do it right, quick, and exceed your customer’s expectations. Ask yourself, “What could take them from disappointment to becoming an advocate of our business?”
Learn from the mistake – Was there a procedure? Was it followed? Was it consequential? Is training required? Is a new procedure needed? Should there be corrective action?
Implement a procedure – Agree on a procedure. And then, to avoid mistakes in future – train, use, and monitor it.
Share it – Post the mistake on your website, record a video, write a blog, and share it on social media.

Look Who’s Talking 

It is important to know what is being said about your organization. It’s easy and convenient to track your company’s online reputation. Google Alerts send you emails alerts about your organization, niche, and interests. TweetDeck and Hootsuite can not only be used to organize your social media but to keep track of your organization, customers, competitors and more. Advanced searches can be used for specific searches including geographies, attitudes, and phrases.

Can You Be Too Transparent?

What mistakes should you share? Should you share all of them or a few of them? Could too much sharing seem like self-promotion, and not transparency? I believe the answer is to share important lessons. If you haven’t learned something from your mistake, what would you have to share? The best lessons transcend across industries. Ask yourself, “Can others learn from my lesson?”

Too many admissions, when not necessary, can also make a company look incompetent.

There’s A Bonus

Doing the right thing is fun. There is something fulfilling about taking responsibility. It feels good to apologize. It’s great to help customers get what they expect and deserve – and, it can be profitable. So, don’t just learn from your mistakes share the lesson.

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