There have been several posts

on this Journey of Building

a Business regarding Customer Service.

Customer Service, in my opinion,

encompasses many aspects of the business cycle.

And one of those aspects is building a warm and friendly communication base with the INITIAL  Conversation.

That was evidenced yesterday while shopping on line for an accommodation on our upcoming trip to visit son.

He mentioned there were two Motels nearby and close in price. Using the Search Engine I found the websites for both and read information and looked at the virtual tours, then picked up my FAVORITE communicator the telephone…

First call was answered by a FRIENDLY voice and I explained I was looking at the choice of two for a 5 night stay…
HER ability to engage in warm friendly and sincere dialog sold me on the spot. Even though the rate a slightly higher than the “other Place”.

If you are building your business and answer your own phone, consider how you answer and also how your answering machine message sounds.

(Sure hope you do not have Automated Phone Tree)

• Are you Friendly?
• Is there a smile in your voice
• Do you announce who you are or your company name clearly and with friendly authority?
• Do you begin to ask questions as to HOW you can best serve the caller?

These traits may seem old-fashioned in this modern day of automated messaging and “push button” to go here etc.. But it is amazing how many more customers are secured from FRIENDLY and sincere Conversation.

If you ever feel the need to stay in Mineral Wells, Texas, I highly recommend the Comfort Suites, just based on the pleasant experience I had with Sarah, Reservation Clerk Extraordinaire.

I will report back if my enthusiasm is at all dampened during my stay from POOR Customer Service, but somehow I doubt that will happen because if management is sharp enough to hire a young lady like Sarah, they probably have their “Ducks in a row”

At age 69, I assumed a 90 Day Challenge

this past week.

My business ventures have always presented

exciting Challenges and those Challenges have

been fairly easy to meet and conquer.

But since our change in lifestyle a couple years ago, I have become more sedentary, and I found myself with the

Not very pretty, May 2012

Challenge of getting more FIT. There seems a synergistic relationship between NOT felling well and gaining weight. My arthritis in feet and knees was affecting the comfort of walking and less walking affected by ability to stay slim.

The above statement is not a professional diagnoses, but my Doctor, of 30 years, suggested I try to focus on getting back into reasonable shape, for all of the obvious reasons.

There is another motivation: I have always been an entrepreneur and enjoy the thrill of creating success. It demands Focus and the application of Discipline. As my weight increased, I also was losing some of the Drive and Focus, so needed to complete lofty goals.

The old adage about a Healthy body brings a Healthy Bank account rang true. I was not finishing new projects in a timely manner and the income was flattening…..

Not a healthy occurrence in these time of inflationary prices for fuel and other business expenses.

Enough of the reason WHY I chose to assume the responsibility to myself of a 90 day Challenge. I am going to share it publicly:

This may not seem to be much of a 90 Day Challenge for some, but THESE are My Goals and they are for my edification, no one Else’s.

Just like setting up the battle Plan for a New Business campaign, I wrote my Plan of Action on paper and surrounded myself with a solid group of Mastermind Alliance partners.

And now it MY responsibility to APPLY MASSIVE ACTION to that Plan.

I will keep you posted.

I also want to thank www.aymangh.com for the 90 Day Logo

Please – Leave me a Comment and
click that Facebook Like Button!  – ENJOY!

************************************************

I want to thank Mark Coll for this post
I have always enjoyed a quote from Friend Matt Geib. “Don’t worry about getting it right, Just get it Going” and Matt’s post is right along that Thought

In some cases, it’s good to try to

seek perfection.

Let’s say you’re a doctor performing surgery.  It is your obligation to make sure that everything is as close to perfect as possible (after all someone’s life could depend on it).  However, in the business world it is different.  The reason why is that how your products and service will impact the marketplace are virtually impossible to estimate, even if you’re an expert marketer.

A much better approach is just to put something out there — anything — and analyze the feedback you get from it.  In Internet marketing, this is known as the “ready, fire, aim” approach.  I like to think of it like this — it’s easier to make decisions right after the fact than to make the right decisions.

Whatever you put out in the marketplace, you can always improve upon it later.  The first draft is always the worst.  That’s good news.  So you create a product that averages one sale a week.  Now you have feedback.  Tweak elements of your sales page, your marketing schemes and the value you offer, and see what happens.  Eventually, if you keep at it, you will find a way to make two sales a week.  Then four, then eight.  Eventually, through testing, you will find what works best.

One of the quickest ways to make money in Internet marketing is to create a product and sell it to a hungry crowd.

However, many people never ever create a product, even though they know that this is one of the best methods to making money on the Internet.  The reason why is because they spend too much time perfecting their product, instead of simply finishing it and putting it out there.  You cannot make money on a product that is not for sale.  However, you can make money even on a product that is only 70% perfect if it is for sale.

For example, let’s say you release a product and there is, god forbid, spelling errors in it.  Your business is not going to come crumbling down.  Simply correct the spelling mistakes, and then upload the new product.  Problem solved.

When it comes to getting an operation by a surgeon, the patient is very unforgiving of mistakes.  However, the marketplace is extremely unforgiving of mistakes.  Forget about perfection — just make it good enough, get it out there, and then improve on it based on the feedback you get from the marketplace.

The most IMPORTANT thing is DOING!

TAKE ACTION NOW and You WILL See SUCCESS!

Please! - I want to hear YOUR thoughts -  Leave a Comment

****************************************************************************************
This Article is being published with permission from the author – Mark Call.
Mark Call is a Full Time Internet Marketing Coach, Author & Motivational
Speaker. He specializes in Home Business and Work From Home Mentoring.

Do you have a difficult time building friendships? It occasionally can be difficult, but this isn’t a skill that we can’t improve. As a matter of fact, once you begin making friends, it in reality is addictive and a lot of fun. The key thing to making friends is being a friend yourself and being real. Remember, the more practice you get, the better you get to be.

Making new friends is always a big concern when moving to a fresh city or state, starting a fresh school or even switching to a fresh job. Change, itself, is difficult enough. However, it can be even more difficult if friends seem hard to come by. Well, don’t fret it! With a positive outlook and a little technique, you’ll have your very own group of friends in no time!

• Smile. It’s catching!

• Address the individual you’d like to make friends with by his or her name. This demonstrates that you are interested in getting to know them.

• Be true. Individuals are by nature attracted to somebody who is earnest and truly interested in them.

• Loosen up and relax. Be yourself.

• Ask questions that will help them to begin talking. Don’t ask queries that are too personal in nature.

• Be a beneficial listener.

• Build upon common ground, such as pastimes or hobbies.

• Abide by differences of opinion; that’s what makes friendships stimulating. Be nonsubjective and open-minded.

• Present compliments when required. People always appreciate positive feedback.

• Keep in touch by calling on them to do something amusing with you.

• Follow through with them later on.

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• Are you here to make friends? (smcitizens.com)

Recursive Self-improvement: a Looming Advancement in Artificial Intelligence

As experts continue to develop ways for human improvements, they have designed an artificial intelligence system that signifies a new stage in evolution. Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines—a very high level of advanced technology. Recently, AIs are popular themes for sci-fi films.

The artificial intelligence is based on three fundamental premises. The first one is the current understanding of the functional algorithms of intelligence. The second vital premise is cognitive science experiments. This includes the present knowledge of the brain, which can be acquired through the high-resolution of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). It is the latest technology to date that gives greater contrast between various soft tissues of the body. Also the artificial intelligence is based on the kind of computing available to AI designers.

Still a theory, the artificial intelligence system is impossible with human’s current biological structure and the current technological system. Neuroscientists are yet to construct techniques to genuinely enhance intelligence and apply to more intelligence enhancement techniques.

One popular term in artificial intelligence is the recursive self-improvement program. According to several studies, recursive self-improvement is “the ability of a mind to genuinely improve upon its own intelligence.” Worth noting is that intelligence itself is hard to define. There are several ways to achieve such goal. Examples of these means are hasting up or adding new components to the hardware, redesigning the cognitive architecture, and custom-designing specialized modules for recurring tasks to name a few. This program is fully reprogrammable and really fast.

Apparently, enhancing the hardware components of intelligence is not yet created especially experts have still debated on the exact meaning of intelligence. However, they are positive on such idea because cognitive science and the laws of physics seem to theoretically permit it. A concept of minimum threshold for intelligence has already been raised in the beginning of this academic endeavor. There are several debates put forth against recursive self-improvement. But many experts believe the imminence of this program as many technologies on biotech, medicine, and cognitive science continue to appear.

One expert on artificial intelligence have said such system can be achieved in a virtual environment within 20 to 30 years based on today’s high-resolution brain scanner and high-density storage facilities for recording. This estimation has of course overlooked the possibilities of political and social changes such as political turmoil, repressive governments, upcoming improved technologies, advances in cognitive science and qualitative improvements in scanning facilities to name a few.

The success of recursive self-improvement programs is dependent on sufficiency of an AI’s intelligence. Recursive self-improvement will begin a new era for different aspects of science and life. Many see the looming recursive self-improvement as an era of complexity and flexibility of mind.

But such advancement in science did not escape scrutiny and suffered setbacks. It was even frowned upon the same way the artificial intelligence is. Notable oppositions have already been raised in the debate. But no doubt, such concept is both a challenge and inspiration for philosophy and study of human field.

This is ONLY for those folks out there that want to do something online!
Build a business, create a blog, or add to your retirement fund.
It is NOT for Lookie Lou’s or Tire Kickers because you WILL have to do a little bit of learning to make it work for you. Also, there is nothing FREE here either! Once you register and get inside you will see why!

http://2gsm.biz/perks.html

See you inside on your road to knowledge and prosperity.

For those of you who have no clue,  a majority of the You Can Build It Crew have all come together through the Focus Society Mastermind.  We are all of like mind, have similar (but not the same ) goals, have read and enjoyed many of same books, and all help each other and learn from each other.

This post was prompted by observations within our community and others of similar make-up and direction.  Some of us have been using the Mastermind Concept, explained clearly in Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill over 70 years ago. (for a FREE audio and text version Click Here)

So What’s the Point?

It’s become very evident to me that a vast majority of people whom I have had the privilege of interacting with really don’t GET the point of what a mastermind alliance is for, why they need one, or what to do with it when they find one.  First, when we are talking about a “Mastermind” typically the person is not talking about everyone just listening to what some guru of some field has to say.  A mastermind is supposed to be a GROUP, and not a group of groupies!   So why am I going to focus on ways to get you kicked out?  Well, my hope is that you never do the four things I’m about to tell you.

1.) Focus intently on just your needs

I don’t know about you, but I have got to admit that I really have an issue with people who use the word “I” too many times in a conversation.  (Previous statement written purposely to prove the point.)   When you find that you are the center of your universe it’s time to stop and reflect on what’s truly important in life, what are you doing, and start to ask the big questions.  If you are only living to please yourself or to serve self – I’m deeply sorry for your empty shallow existence. Zig Zigler sums it up, “You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” It start by helping others get what they want!

2.) Expect the Mastermind to do it for you

Your mastermind is there to tell you how they did it, what worked or didn’t work for them, but by no means is it an outsourcing service.  Please don’t expect, or demand someone to do anything for you.  You may feel that because of the invest that is required in some Mastermind Alliances that you should receive some level of service – unless that is the case, and you also signed up for additional “Done For You” Service – expect nothing but a person to listen and help direct you.

3.) Demand everyone in the Mastermind to give you everything

This may as well be an extension of number two – but if you signed up for just all of the bonus and freebies.  Please do us all a favor, download everything and move on with your life.  I know that may sound really harsh – but the faster you can download all of the carefully planned out resources (that you know that you’ll never use) the faster we can move on to the people who will actually work the systems that we talk about.

Do you think that we just sat around on our time off to dream up more stuff that we can give you?  Because I have something (that I paid for) and you need it – does that mean that you shouldn’t pay for it too?  Please, stop for a moment and really think about that.

4.) Constantly Beg for FREE WORK

Your mastermind is not a source for FREE LABOR!!! This is by far my biggest and most upsetting point.  I’m a Father of Four of the most adorable and wonderful kids in this world.  I cherish my time, I guard it very diligently (I’m getting better about it at least) so every moment of my time is monetized.  If you want a partition of said time – it will cost you.  I have a rate card, if you’d like a copy please email me – as I’d be happy to send it to you.  Here’s the thing – I DON’T WORK FOR FREE.  Ever!  With that said – if you are a part of the Mastermind that I’m a part of,  I’m radically and extremely committed to see you succeed!  While I don’t work for free – I am here to help you choose what path is best for you and your business.  If it means that I spend a few moments passing emails with you – so be it, but don’t expect for me to work for FREE!

I’ll also add here that I don’t do deals with differed payment – unless I have a signed contract, and I don’t do speculation work.  Why am I preaching so very hard about this point?  It’s not because I’ve been burned (I have), it’s because I have a high regard for the one resource that God gave me that I cannot see a refund on – MY TIME!  Time that I’ve spent on free projects have stolen time away from my wife and kids, and I don’t like the way that I feel when that happens.

I know that these cannot be the only things that may or not get you booted from a mastermind group – I don’t want for this to just be a grip session.  (Please call no one out in the comments)

What can we do here – so that you get more out of everyone’s time?

Enjoy the Simple Scroll from
Think and Grow Rich

I posted on a few social networks last week something to the extent, “If your dreams are easy enough that you can do them on your own, then you’re not dreaming big enough”.  The reasoning or logic to only dream to do the things that you KNOW, that YOU can accomplish on YOUR OWN keeps you inside of the warm and fuzzy comfort zone.  The end result of this will be a lack of growth, and the only thing that will grow is your frustration because you’re getting exactly what you want.

Three BIG risks in Dreaming BIG?

1.) You might fail!

Yes, in any adventure there a possibility that you will not achieve the prize that you set out to score, but that does not mean that you don’t try.  That certainly doesn’t mean that you become content with mediocrity.  So what if you fall on your face, you only fail if you don’t get back up!

2.) They’re all going to laugh at me.

In the past I would allow the expectations of others would shape who I am, and what I would do way too often than I’d care to ever admit. I still get nervous before I speak publicly even when I’m not actually in the room with them (doing a web meeting). So I can’t say that I’ve been able to move past this point per say, but I’m caring less about it as I go along.

3.) You get every thing you’ve ever wanted.

When I was in high school I formulated a mental “Before I turn 30″ check list of things that I would have accumulated or conquered.  Last year on September 4th I stayed up to watch the clock as I blissfully mourned the total lack of doing 98% of the list.  Yes, some of it was wishful thinking.  No these were not hard and focused goals that I wrote down and with focus spent time on systematical accomplishing, but in the moment that clock hit midnight, and I was officially old, I had the epiphany that life is not about a destination, it’s about the journey to get there – and when you do get there, you can’t just camp out – it’s about the next journey.

How can this effect your business?

As a business owner, we have to look outside of ourselves to see the potential that we create in our businesses to help our communities, the lives of our employees, as well as the lives of our customers. If we are only in business to benefit ourselves or our families I believe that we will see that our ventures will be short lived, and easily forgotten because we could not see beyond our own needs.  When you wake up every day to better the world for someone else you’ll find that your paradigm shifts to one that sees the world in a different light than anyone else and in that light you can discover the next break through that will revolutionize our society and the world as a whole!

So please, don’t just dream big – but dream HUGE!

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• Start: Best Time to Live Your Dreams (womensblog.score.org)
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Winding to the end of the First month of the New Year still finds me working on Plans for 2010. Looking at last year’s Balance Sheet has been helpful in projecting the desire Increase for 2010….

But how many of us spend time studying another important component of  Building Your Business, The Balance Sheet of Life.

“Life without balance can cost you your relationships. Life without balance can cost you your health. Life without balance can cost you your spirituality. Life without balance can cost you your wealth and your happiness. So find things to motivate you from all areas of life. Your success depends on it.” —Jim Rohn

It simple to establish a  Business Plan, Cash Flow Projections and discuss the excitement of Achieving Your Dreams; but I believe every truly successful person, those able to endure the course, also developed the skill of Balancing their Life, Health and Relationships most dominate.

Darren Hardy, Publisher of Success Magazine, has offered a powerful FREE Course, Design Your  10 Best Years Now connected to his Blog, Insider’s Guide  to Success.

I was most struck with the following post:
Balance Sheet of Life

I would encourage everyone to sign up for this inspiring Course. Interesting side Note: Success Magazine was originally Founded by Orison Swett Marden in 1887, the Author of the Classic, The Miracle of Right Thought.

For a free Copy  Click Here

It is true that sales produce the profits that we need. The MLM, multi level marketing and network marketing heavy hitters may tell you there are two important things YOU MUST learn to recruit, recruit and go recruit . They will also tell you that you must learn to sell, sell, and go sell. While it is true that MLM and network marketing systems rely on distributors and products. We are in the people business. Yes there I said it the people business.

Real success comes from understanding and developing relationships with people.

The heavy hitters that are able to recruit and sell massive amounts of products make you think that you should be able to replicate that. It makes you think that is the key to their success. The facts are that 90 percent of people will not be able to replicate the heavy hitters results, but can take the steps to build a large successful organization themselves by building relationships.

The facts are that any huge project in the real world, lets take a suspension bridge for an example, and no large networking business is built by one person. It takes a team of engineers, architects, fabricators, inspectors, laborers, and skilled workers to build a suspension bridge. It takes team work, people from many different walks of life and experience level. This is true of a suspension bridge and it is true of a large successful network marketing business. No one super duper iron worker has built an entire suspension bridge, and no super duper marketer has built an entire organization by themselves. The truth is it takes many people united in purpose to build any massive project whether it is a construction project or a network marketing business.
The best bridge construction teams and the best network marketing businesses work together! To work together they must have a plan, they must agree and work towards the plan together. The key of either of these scenarios is working together. To effectively work together we must have strong relationships. The most effective and profitable building and networking teams have good relationships, good communication and are a team.

It is important to have great products at a fair price. It is important to sell these products, to have a customer base for your companies products. The best most long lasting customers are ones that know and trust you. Customers that have a relationship are dedicated and loyal customers.
It is important to recruit distributors, business affiliates who will work with the team vision and goal to build a large, formidable network marketing business. The best business affiliates in your organization are the ones you have a strong relationship with.

For great information that is of no cost please join our Mentoring For Free site and use the endless resources to build once, build solid and build it right by helping others…
This has been powerful for me and I think you will learn from it also.
There are no businesses or products mentioned in any training or call!
http://kinstleandsonsservices.com

If you have been told that your mlm and or network marketing business is a sales business, please check again because the strongest networks are ones that have strong ties. The trust and loyalty that only comes by building a relationship and spending the time it takes to help people. If you have not investigated the cooperative marketing model that is unique to TriVita you will want to, yet still it is about building relationships not just recruiting or not just sales..

Build your business by building relationships with great people and you will have a successful business every time! Build People and People will build your business..
http://kinstleandsonsservices.com

OK, you ask, “What is the relevancy of that long-tailed headline?” and what does it have to do with Business Building?”  Read further..

The world really is about Relationships, Sharing, and Prospering

Earlier this morning, December 20th,  Shirley and I were invited to our oldest son’s Church for Services in Orland, California. It was a pleasure to return to our “hometown for the past 30 years and see so many neighbors and old friends.

The enthusiastic music and  singing was led by The retired Police Chief, Bob Pasero, and he then conducted the Sermon.  Bob and I go back a few years.  He encouraged me to join the Glenn County Sheriffs Posse almost 30 years ago and I have always appreciated the honor to serve the Community and share the love and respect of the Horse with so many young people.

Bob has always been a fantastic “Story Teller” and his Sermon…Seeking the Buried Treasure was a real GEM. He spun tales of all of the REAL buried treasure and lost mines right here in beautiful Northern California, The loot from Stage robberies  and “lost Mines”, today worth 100′s of millions of dollars,  has still not been found!

Telling a good story has always been one of the Key Skills of a Professional Marketer and Bob’s long time Law Enforcement career and Ministerial duties allowed him to become a Master marketer…

What! Am I being blasphemous!

No….

The legend told from the pulpit spun right into the fact that although Man spends so much Time dreaming of finding the Buried Treasure’s, The REAL Treasure of Life is looking back to him in the Mirror.

Yes, when we realizes from WHOM we came and that we possess the power of thought, the maps to the Hidden Treasure of a Full Rich and Rewarding Life are unfolded before our eyes.  And all it takes to Achieve our Dreams is the application of honest effort and follow the TIME-Tested Plan of Action.

It is during this Season of Giving, known as Christmas in Christian Circles, that we become aware how much WE have to Give..

And it does not need to be material goods,  giving of yourself, your ideas, your beliefs, your convictions, and most important, YOUR LOVE for fellow Man can bestow on your Community and Family the Greatest Gift of ALL.

Where could this world be if, for the next year,  mankind DAILY set into motion the spirit of GIVING from the heart 365 days and longer?

Now for the CLOSE…

How does this lesson apply to those also seeking the FREEDOM and Joy of a Self-directed life of an Entrepreneur?

Make it a Habit daily:

• Express Gratitude to all for what you have
• Share, not force,  your Beliefs openly
• Improve your Story telling skills..with integrity
• Apply Massive Action to the Life Plan YOU have drawn
• Be Excited
• Learn to say Please and Thank you

And the Buried Treasure, the Hidden treasure of peace and prosperity will unfold.

Final note.. join us on our Webinar Series .. for the next few Months.
It is a Sharing experience

I’ll be back to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas Season