What I learned from my Favorite Business Book

[Bob Carter]

Betty asks us what are those required reads that are "must reads".

We have a pretty extensive list going-so let's take it one step further.

Of all the great reads, what is the absolute best advice you learned and how did you incorporate that sage wisdom into your everyday business practices?

[lyoncat]

That you CAN DO IT. Before I started reading "Growing Your Own Business" by Hawkins, I felt it was a glass bubble people lived in that allowed them to own/operate their own business.

He speaks so openly about the struggles he(they, Smith was/is his partner)went through, and I thought, gee, I go through alot of BS working for so & so, what can be worse than working for myself..

I think the book is good for anyone wanting to start a business, and feels uncertain. Once you make up your mind to do it, the reading itinerary changes.

[B. Newman]

Out of all the books I have, one phrase, within one segment, within one chapter really opened my eyes.

The book is "Sacred Cows Make the Best Burgers" by David Brandt. The chapter is "Turning Resistance into Readiness." The section is "Reality Checks - Cutting Fear Down to Size." And the phrase is "What's the worst thing that could happen if the situation doesn't work out?"

That helped me more than anything to see and to cut the fear down to size. With that advice, I can look at any situation (inside of business or out) and create a contingency plan. The book says, "Changing worry to preparation is empowering. You're less worried because you have a fall-back strategy."

Another quote that I use all the time is from Entrepreneur magazine. It said, "When you begin to understand something at a deeper level, your passion for it begins to brew." (And that's true in every subject and area of life!)

Betty

[MAX]

"Green Eggs and Ham" by Dr. Suess.

Lessons: -- Persistence marketing pays off. If you have a new product, you're going to have to educate the customer about it Sell benefits, not features. Be open to new ideas and don't be afraid to try new things.

[Bob Carter]

I was wondering if there was a single quote that just stuck with you-something that provided that tiny nugget of information that truly made a difference. Anything that you wanted to write down and post on the wall?

I have two things that I always have with me: words to live by type of stuff.

One is Teddy Roosevelt's speech about "it's not the critic that counts". The other is Vince Lombardi's "What it takes to become No.1"

We have all these great books-what is that goldmine of infomation that produce that single nugget?

[Dermot]

I think it was from a Six Sigma course….but in the last few years or so what has driven my thought process regarding business is that……….

“Every thing should be examined for improvement”,

When you have made your decision and implemented the improvements/changes and have gone into maintenance mode………. you then start the whole process over again….what you are looking for is personal improvements,......cost improvements,…… process improvements, ……etc.…..improvement, improvement, improvement…….and then more improvements.


Bob from what I can gather this is how you operate………and I guess if we both think like this we may not always agree on the outcome.

Take care


Dermot

[ 10-28-2003, 11:51 AM: Message edited by: Dermot ]

[MAX]

One of the most interesting books I have ever read was about a man by the name of Russell Conwell. He was a lawyer for about fifteen years until he became a clergyman (funny how alot of lawyers follow this path, isn't it?).

Anyways, Dr. Conwell was intrigued by a true story. The story was about a farmer who lived in Africa and through a visitor became tremendously excited about looking for diamonds. Diamonds were already discovered in abundance on the African continent and this farmer got so excited about the idea of millions of dollars worth of diamonds that he sold his farm to head out to the diamond line. He wandered all over the continent, as the years slipped by, constantly searching for diamonds, wealth, which he never found. Eventually he went completely broke and threw himself into a river and drowned.

Meanwhile, the new owner of his farm picked up an unusual looking rock about the size of a country egg and put it on his mantle as a sort of curiosity. A visitor stopped by and in viewing the rock practically went into terminal convulsions (you can see where this is going, right?). He told the new owner of the farm that the funny looking rock on his mantle was about the biggest diamond that had ever been found. The new owner of the farm said, "Heck, the whole farm is covered with them" - and sure enough it was.

The farm turned out to be the Golconda Diamond Mine...the richest the world has ever known - richer than the Kimberly Mine. The original farmer was literally standing on "Acres of Diamonds" until he sold his farm.

Dr. Conwell learned from the story of the farmer and continued to teach it's moral. Each of us is right in the middle of our own "Acre of Diamonds", if only we would realize it and develop the ground we are standing on before charging off in search of greener pastures.

Dr. Conwell told this story many times and attracted enormous audiences. He told the story long enough to have raised the money to start a college for underprivileged deserving students. He raised nearly six million dollars and the university he founded is known as Temple University, in Philadelphia.

When Doctor Russell H. Conwell talked about each of us being right on our own "Acre of Diamonds", he meant it. Opportunity does not just come along - it is there all the time - we just have to see it.


If anyone is interested YOU CAN READ THE FULL TRANSCRIPT OF THE FAMOUS SPEECH HERE (http://www.temple.edu/about/temples_founder/acres_text.html) I guarantee you it'l be time well spent!

[ 10-28-2003, 11:59 AM: Message edited by: MAX ]

[Bob Carter]

Hello Dermot-Absolutely correct-everything is open to review. Business is fluid. The dynamics that drive a decision today may not be valid tomorrow.

And, under no circumstances, would I expect anyone to develop the same decisions that I do. We all have different needs and directions.

One of my most favorite analogies comes from my participation at WCAF in 2002 on the panel with Blustone, Parker, Goltz, Dale and myself. At our pre-panel discussion meeting we were all talking shop and sharing and comparing ideas and philosophies. Every single one of us did things a little differently (sometimes a lot differently), but we all seemed to be able to make it work for our personal needs.

You could not have drawn up a Business Plan between us. And that was exactly the beauty of the group. And not one of us expected the other guy to change to our point of view, even though we were all supremely confident in the path we chose.

We all agreed that every concept had merit and that often the decision-making followed parallel lines, yet had vastly different outcomes.

As it should be

[lyoncat]

A quote hanging on my wall,near my desk:

"Take Action Everyday"

[B. Newman]

"Time is not the factor, it's accessability."

(It's not how much time it takes to do something, it's the amount of time it takes to get ready to do it.)

Don't remember where I read this, but it's on my wall.

Betty

[Barb Pelton]

Bob, I was thinking of starting another thread called "the pearls of wisdom you've collected on the way" or some such title. Thanks for starting the conversation, and to Betty for the new thread.

I've collected a few that have shaped the way I think and act. One was from my first "real" boss--a very difficult but brilliant designer with a degree with honors from Pratt and an advanced degree from NYState (I think). He had also done some additional studies at Parsons. I had the dubious honor of being his only employee--and he loved to teach, direct, call the shots, whatever. I figured that I'd tough it out (he had a reputation of being difficult to work with) and soak up as much of that education I could never afford via his teachings. He taught me alot.

One that has always stuck with me is:
Almost anyone can be a designer of sorts. Making a deadline is mandatory. Many can design something acceptable and do it while meeting a deadline; it's the attention to detail that will separate you from the masses.

His philosophy was that you should constantly hone your design skills to a cutting edge; excellence in design should be second nature. Only then can you deliver the design, on time, and with time to spare to all the details that send it over the top.

Another pearl came from a man that held a full day seminar in marketing your mail order business. He spent a great deal of time talking about getting out in the community, etc and becoming involved with projects that you hold dear. His point was that people will associate your product with the kind of person YOU are. It's such a simple and obvious point, but one so many people overlook. He ended that part of the session with the very simple statement: Some people will buy a product from YOU for no other reason than the fact that they like YOU. Smile. Be nice. Do good work. Give them a reason to like YOU.

Sometimes it's the simplest of lessons that make the largest impact.

[Cliff Wilson]

I've long ago forgotten where I heard this, but ... "Always Set Expectations So You Can Beat Them!"

As an example, If you promise a job in three weeks and deliver it in two, you're a hero. If you promise the same job in a week and deliver it in two, you're a goat!

People remember when you beat their expectations. It doesn't have to be time. It can be quality, or care, or anything. But, the key to the statement above is the verb "Set." Given two people doing the same job in the same way; the one who sets expectations lower will be percieved as delivering more. (Obviously, you have to be reasonable about it and not make yourself look poor.)

[Dermot]

Sorry Cliff……I have to go with “Stretched Goals”……

smile.gif

Take care

Dermot

[Cliff Wilson]

Dermot, There is a big difference between your internal goals, or goals you set for your employees like "Turn every job in ten days" and the expectations you set with your customers and/or vendors.

Stretch goals are internal goals and I agree. Go for the moon! But, you will always look better if you beat external EXPECTATIONS. Expectations don't have to (in fact SHOULD NOT) coincide with the goal.

[eg. if you think you can do it in 3 days, promise it in 4 (expectation) and try to do it in 2 (goal).]

[Dermot]

Cliff

I agree….I have posted in the past that I believe a customer should have “The best experience possible”……I borrow this from my favourite computer company…..dare I say it ….Dell………I know for a fact that they drive customer experiences by stretching goals…….in fact…..all of Dell business is driven in the first place by stretched goals……………….though I totally agree with you that the best PR a business can deliver is to ……surprise there customers…….by delivering “The best experience possible”……..and I believe this starts by stretching the goals of all areas of a business……internal, external or wherever.

To deliver the expectation to your customer you need to set the goals first…….or at least that’s how I approach things…….otherwise I feel that if there is no goals set the expectations can and will drift.


Take care

Dermot

[Dermot]

Just bring this back to the top.

Guy’s is it just me……I find it incredible that there are not more responders to this thread……surely more of you have had those magic moments in your business careers when you have read or heard something that tuned on a BIG bright bulb……I know that has been the way with me over the years…….and more often in the last four or five years……I know that in he last few years….that I seem to be reading or hearing something…..that has set of a chain of thought that has brought clarity to my thinking or a whole new thought process to how I have conducted my business up to now…….or is it that as you get older your thinking process improves.

Rgs

Dermot

:confused:

[ 11-02-2003, 09:49 AM: Message edited by: Dermot ]

[Barb Pelton]

Dermot-

I'm glad you brought this back up. I've written down the references made here that I'm unfamiliar with and plan to read them. People can always learn more, and even though I'm pleased where my business is now, I know it can be so much better and more finely tuned.

I'm perplexed as to why only a half dozen or so have contributed to this thread. If I can extract one little nugget from a book, or a class, etc. then it has been a worthy investment of time.

I'll share another. Actually I think I've mentioned it before as this particular seminar was literally life changing for me. It was a photography seminar I attended along with my husband and I expected nothing for me, however the topic was about creativity. The speaker was DeWitt Jones of National Geographic/Outdoor Photography fame and he spoke for 6+ hours and I was mesmerized. I wish that PPFA could book him to speak at Atlanta or another large venue--what a motivator!! The gist of it was make your life your art and it will bubble out into all aspects of your existance: your business, your family, your relationships, etc... He then goes into a very detailed outline of how you can achieve this level of creativity. www.dewittjones.com (http://www.dewittjones.com)

If you ever get a chance to hear him speak, RUN to hear him. His tapes are good, but nowhere close to the real live event.
When I left the building, I knew I would open a retail framing store, and that very weekend I set the events in motion to reach my goal. It took a year to put things in place, but I knew where I was going, and worked incessantly towards the goal.

[Framerguy]

Dermot,

I did prepare a reply that had something to do with a single sentence you posted but decided to save it for later this week.

Suffice it to say at this time that you gave me an insight to growing my business and I want to test the waters before posting the reply.

The statement was, “Every thing should be examined for improvement”, and that led to looking at something that I have been doing for quite some time now.

Framerguy

[B. Newman]

Originally posted by Framerguy:
The statement was, “Every thing should be examined for improvement”, and that led to looking at something that I have been doing for quite some time now.

You do know that "Sacred Cows Make the Best Burgers" doncha? ;)

Betty

[Framerguy]

:D And an Uncle Herschel's would just be another ham and egg breakfast if it wasn't for the "Heavenly Hogs"!! :D

(Most of my words of wisdom emanate from the thought of food!!) :cool:

FGII