Success is determined by our willingness to achieve and the spirit upon which we assume risk and responsibility” Jan DeLory If you read this quote and focus on the words that were selected, it packs quite a powerful punch

Change in recent years has created far-reaching implications for anyone in the sales field Globalization, technology, universal access to information, and the recent economy have changed everything

According to Jeffrey Gitomer author of Customer Satisfaction is Worthless: Customer Loyalty is Priceless, the answer is very clear “Satisfaction is no longer an acceptable measurement of customer service success

Depending upon what research study you read, companies in the United States are spending upwards of 134 Billion dollars a year on employee training and development However, according to a study on retention in The Journal of Economic Education, the annual rate of retention loss for employee training and development averages between 13 to 23%

Often times when companies have to squeeze the financial belt, developing employees and creating future leaders gets pushed aside However building a sustainable company requires having a leadership growth and succession plan in place at all times

There continues to be a great deal of focus on organizational culture and environment Whether you are focusing on that issue for the first time or whether you are looking at changing or improving an existing culture, it may be wise to remember that, like the long journey which begins with one step, an organizational culture is the cumulative effect of individual attitudes, values, and standards

Emotions play an important role in everyday behavior There is no thought, behavior, idea, or attitude that does not have a related emotional counterpart

He went to war as a Captain and returned as a Private Afterward, he failed in business

If you Google the word entrepreneur, you will find a number of definitions which will include some version of the phrase “a person who organizes, operates, and assumes the risk for a business venture” Albeit this definition is tactically accurate, I believe the true essence of an entrepreneur is much more

Based on the current business environment it really has become an employer’s market Employees are much less likely to change roles or companies based on fewer job opportunities and fear of the unknown

Often when succumbing to frustration, businesses and individuals find success to be a fleeting proposition There is no question that success is a journey, but it can become a very manageable and measurable journey focused on desired outcomes and results

“Your listeners won’t care how much you know until they know how much you care” - Anonymous One fundamental truth about effective communications is that people will not believe what you say if they don’t believe in you

Attitudes determine the way we treat people They affect the way we perceive change

Significant changes in customer retention rates have resulted in extraordinary improvements in profitability One survey found that a 5% increase in customer retention consistently resulted in a 25% to 100% increase in profits

“The very essence of leadership is that you have a vision You can’t blow an uncertain trumpet

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world Indeed it is the only thing that ever has

Sometimes people confuse coaches with traditional consultants Unconsciously, people ask coaches to give advice

After running several errands, my husband and I stopped at a local chain restaurant for dinner Monday evening We typically eat at the bar as there are several TVs lining the header of the bar, and its provides a great way to catch up on the day

Perceived value as defined by customers creates loyal customer relationships, and customer loyalty is the best predictor of your future strength and growth potential The value you provide to your customers is always compared to the value your competitors provide: therefore, value is your customers’ perception relative to similar products or services in the marketplace—your competitors

Peter Drucker said, “The function of business is to attract and maintain customers” Based on our experience with all types of organizations including traditional businesses as well as non-profits, we would add in order to make a profit or to be financially viable or best serve their community

No is such a small word and yet so hard to say Often we don’t want to say no, even when that’s the right thing to do because we don’t want to risk appearing unable, unappreciative, or disrespectful

Trust is essential to the success of any team Outstanding performance and winning teams are based on trust and competencies that produce results

Achieving success in life, business, sports, etc is about mastering excellence

It has been said, “We’d better pay attention to the future because that’s where we’re going to spend the rest of our lives” Success in any business is a clear picture of where the business is going and even though there is technically no “end,” What will the end result look like

Human capital is a top priority in today’s organizations In fact many organizations are faced with the reality that they need to get more results through smaller and perhaps more fragmented teams

By the time you read this article, the snowstorm of Feb 10, 2010 that dumped 18-24 inches over much of Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania will be old news However, the circumstances surrounding that day make for a great case study in productive behavior and how often actions speak louder than words

As a leader you must be many things to many people We have discussed in previous posts the need for a leader to be a visionary because involving people in realizing a compelling vision provides a beacon for the future and a standard of excellence

We have two distinct minds—our conscious mind and our subconscious mind Most of us are very aware of our conscious mind because we “seem” to spend a great deal of time there

As we end the first month of 2010, it is time to reflect on where your business is going and how are you going to achieve those objectives A number of significant events have taken place in our global environment that may be forcing you to look at your business much differently than you did a year ago

It is often said, “It’s not what you know; it’s who you know” When defining your personal and professional success it is critical that you focus on who you know

We talked in a recent article about making good decisions and how our attitudes and habits play a significant role in the decisions we make daily We are bombarded with many decisions every day, and thankfully those decisions require little thought as we are relying on past habits and experiences to make the right decision at that moment

You will get more out of your time when you learn how to get more out of your life After you determine what you want, what you value, what you believe, and where your priorities lie

When is the last time you had a conversation with someone where you really felt like the person you were talking with was engaged in the conversation and was really interested in what you were communicating Their body language, eye contact, and tone of voice were focused and inviting and surrounding distractions seemed irrelevant

The title of this blog comes from a principle theme within a book entitled Change The Way You See Everything by Kathryn D Cramer and Hank Wasiak

“All things are created twice There is a mental or first creation, and a physical or second creation of all things

Understanding how generational gaps or differences affect the success of business and industry is becoming an increasingly important issue Everywhere you look within business media somebody is sharing research, experiences, or opinions on the generational divide and specifically how it relates to Gen X and Gen Y as they enter today’s workforce

“Managers do not motivate employees by giving them higher wages, more benefits, or new status symbols Rather, employees are motivated by their own inherent need to succeed at a challenging task

In today’s market, sales teams are getting hammered for more sales Companies are looking for ways to conserve cash and increase revenue, and sales departments are caught in the cross hairs

Before a people consider buying anything, they must first have a want or need Their desire can be at a conscious or subconscious level, but it needs to exist in order to motivate any buying decision

The Power Within The phrase you ‘create your own reality’ is something that many new age folks talk about, but what does it really mean, and how does it apply to you ‘Creating your own reality’ is your perception of how you view your world, how you interact with your world, and how you interact with yourself and others