Great Quote
“If you keep on doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep on getting what you’ve always got.”
W.L.Bateman
Have a great day!
Lawrence
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We want perfection
We want perfection and frequently are disappointed
Sometimes it makes sense to look at how far we have come rather than how far we have to go.
We need to keep an eye on the finish line but never lose sight of where we first started. This allows us to maintain perspective while aspiring for perfection
Have a great day!
Lawrence
If it was your money, would you still be spending it?
How many times do you see an employee of a company request money to make a purchase and you KNOW that if it was their company and their money, at the very least, they would think twice before making the purchase.
When it’s someone else’s money, they need the newest furniture, the biggest monitor, the best of everything. When it’s their own money, the old furniture is just fine. The biggest monitor isn’t needed and good is fine, who needs the best?
When people travel on an expense account, do they eat where they normally would if they were paying or do they see this as an opportunity to eat at a place they wouldn’t want to pay for themselves?
Wouldn’t it be nice if all people involved in an organization were just as careful with the organizations money as they are with their own (or as they should be with their own)?
The next time you are spending someone else’s money, think whether you are doing the right thing or are you taking advantage of the situation? You might be surprised if you give yourself an honest answer
Have a great day!
Lawrence
Keeping up with….yourself
A person makes a certain amount this year (based on salary and/or commission or profit). The next year they make a little bit more. The next year they make even more.
Should this person base their fourth year spending on the assumption they will continue to increase their earnings or should they assume it will stay stable or should they go back to year one earnings, spend as if that would be repeated and know that anything above it is a bonus can be applied toward savings?
This is for personal spending and not reinvesting in a company.
Do you think most people would spend with the assumption their income will continue to rise or would most people take a more conservative approach?
Are you different than most people in this example? What would you do?
These questions are mainly asked to make you think but if you prefer feel free to email me with your thoughts.
Have a great day!
Lawrence
It’s a great time to be in business!
The economy sucks.
People are being laid off.
Sales are down.
If you want, I can keep going on the doom and gloom side.
On the other hand, those with courage and conviction will see this as a great time to be in business.
There are extremely talented people looking for work and willing to work for reasonable fees.
While others are cutting back, this is a GREAT time to look to take over market share. Those who survive the downturn will be the ones who are strong in the upturn.
There are still people out there who need goods and services and there is less competition than before.
There are banks willing to lend money for good opportunities but now, they truly do have to be good opportunities.
Everywhere I look I see great opportunities. For some reason, others look at the same things and only see the negatives.
I can’t speak for anyone else but it sure is a GREAT time to be in business!
Have a great day!
Lawrence
Would you rather be a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond?
When you live in a small town such as Charleston WV the big fish/little fish question comes to mind a lot. There are people in small towns who carry a lot of weight (meaning they wield a lot of power although some are fat as well) in their small community but when they leave their small community, they quickly realize just because they are a big fish in a small pond doesn’t mean when they go to a bigger pond they will also be a big fish there.
People from larger communities will sometimes look down upon these people because they realize in the overall scheme of things, these people are actually quite small in terms of power and relevance.
The wealthy person in the small community might not be all that wealthy when compared to wealthy people from the “big city”
Sometimes, people from the ‘big city”might look down upon the “big fish in the small pond” as being irrelevant in the overall scheme of things. Other times, the “big fish in the small pond” might over rate their importance because they forget what is out there in the rest of the world.
The truly smart people ignore these concepts altogether and make their judgments based on the individuals talents and not based on their surroundings.
For every big fish in the small pond who would struggle big time in a big city, there are many others who would flourish in a different environment. For the big city person who thinks they would “rule” in the small town environment, many would be shocked to find how much talent there is in small communities all over the world.
Is it better to be a big fish in a small pond or small fish in a big pond? I think the answer is….it just doesn’t matter. Do everything you can do, try to reach your limits and you will be a success, regardless of the size community you are in.
The problem with this big fish/little fish comparison is it’s all about comparing one person to another. The only person we should compare ourselves to is ourself. It’s not whether I’m more successful than someone else. It’s whether I’m as successful as I potentially can be. When each person tries to maximize their potential, then, and only then, will we as a society really flourish
Have a great day!
Lawrence
PS If you know others who would like to receive these posts via email please encourage them to go to http://www.lawrencefine.com/blog/subscribe/ to sign up
Is your entrance where people are entering?
When people think about their websites, the first page they think about is their homepage.. However, that isn’t necessarily the page people are seeing.
As an example, I read USAToday.com each weekday morning. However, I have no idea what is on the homepage because I first go to the business section and then go to the sports section. I don’t remember ever seeing the homepage. It wouldn’t matter what they put on their homepage because I’ll never see it.
This concept transfers to brick and mortar buildings as well. You might have a beautiful entrance to your building but if everyone is parking in the back lot and entering the back door, they might never see this beautiful entrance.
Since we know how important first impressions are, it’s important to understand where people are entering our businesses (virtual or brick and mortar). Once we know this, then we can work to make sure their initial entry is a positive one.
Have a great day!
Lawrence
Good marketing for a bad product or bad marketing for a good product
Which would you prefer to have, bad marketing for a good product or good marketing for a bad product?
If you have a good product (or service) but don’t market it well, short term you will probably struggle. Long term, there is hope because even with bad marketing, if the product is good and a few people try it and like it, work of mouth can get your message to others.
If you have a bad product (or service) and market it really well, many people will have a bad experience in the short term and there will be no long term.
Good marketing will kill a bad product quickly. Bad marketing might kill a good product as well but it might not. Bad marketing of a bad product simply wont last. Good marketing of a good product is what we all want but few can accomplish.
There is no doubt that marketing matters but if you don’t have a good product or service, marketing wont help in the long run
Have a great day!
Lawrence
It’s easy
If you ask an accomplished chef how to cook something, chances are, he will say “it’s easy”.
If you ask a web designer how difficult it is to update a web site, he will say “it’s easy”.
If you ask the person who created a product how difficult it is to assemble, he will say “it’s easy”.
The thing we have to remember is what might be easy for one person might be very difficult for someone else. If you want me to assemble a product, you will have to be VERY specific (and in my case, it probably still wont work).
When giving directions, assume the person has no knowledge at all and be as specific as possible and it will make things much easier for others.
Have a great day!
Lawrence
It’s not what you know, it’s not who you know, it’s who knows you
A common saying (some would say excuse) is “it’s now what you know, it’s who you know”.
First of all, I don’t agree with this because I do believe knowledge is power and too often, people use this as an excuse for why they didn’t get something they wanted. I do agree that if there are two people of equal talent and experience, if one knows the person doing the hiring and the other doesn’t, the one who knows the person has a better chance of getting the job. However, if one person is much better than the other, long term, the person who is much better will prevail. I do understand many people wont agree with this but I truly do believe that ultimately the cream does rise to the top.
Having written this, there is no doubt that connections do help. They help when the two people of equal talent are wanting the same thing. They help to make the initial contact.
Since most people agree that having connections is helpful, the thing to understand is while it’s nice to know people, it’s much more important for other people to know you. You might think this is the same thing but the reality is, it’s quite different.
Think about the people you have met at a meeting, met at a party or met somewhere else. You might think “I know them” but this doesn’t do you any good if they don’t remember having met you.
It’s easy to forget this simple concept online, it’s something that happens all the time. You might follow someone on Twitter, regularly read their wall on facebook, read their blog all the time etc but this just means you know what they are writing. It still doesn’t mean you know them and it certainly doesn’t mean they know you.
As an example, last January I was at a soccer convention and was introduced to someone who felt we knew each other well. He said he had been reading my soccer newsletters for 8 years and had read all of my soccer books. In his mind, this meant he truly knew me. What he didn’t understand is this just meant he knew what I cared to share about soccer, nothing more. Also, while he had sent me a few emails over the years with questions, and I had answered them, this didn’t mean I knew who he was at all.
If you want someone to know you, give them a reason. Do something for them. If you want a business person to know you, figure out a way you can help their business (not a way their business can help you but how you can help them).
Getting people to know you takes time and effort. It works best when you are someone who thinks long term. It also works best when you are doing it to truly help others and not simply trying to bank favors for the future.
Remember, it’s not who you know that matters, it’s who knows you
Have a great day!
Lawrence
If there is one thing Lawrence Fine is most passionate about it's teaching. From sharing his knowledge about soccer as a soccer coach, he now shares his expertise in the field of human resources and the Internet. (More...)