Lawrence Fine

Last week I was researching some options to purchase a type software application. I spoke with sales representatives from two different companies.

The first company asked me which of their competitors I was also considering. I told them the two other companies and he then told me everything they did poorly and why I shouldn’t go with them. He then told me about all of the features the program he was selling had and why it was such a good program.

The second company started off by asking me what I was looking for. They wanted to know what I was looking to use the software for, they wanted to know about my company and then they proceeded to show how their software could help me do what I wanted to do. They actually showed me how I could spend a little bit more and accomplish a LOT more than I even was looking for.

Each conversation took about the same amount of time. Neither sales technique cost more than the other.

You can figure out which technique is more effective but sadly, I’m not sure the first company ever will.

Just something to think about.

Have a great day!

Lawrence

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Too often we think we have two options.

If we want to buy a new car we can choose between option 1 or option 2

If have offers to sell a house we can choose between offer 1 and offer 2

If we are looking for a software program we can choose between the ones carried by the store.

The option we frequently forget is the option of “no”.

We can choose to not buy a new car.

We can turn down the offers for the house.

We can choose not to purchase any of the software.

Remember, we always have the option to say no.

Just something to think about.

Have a great day!

Lawrence

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Are there other uses for your service or product?

The famous example would be Listerine which was first used as a surgical antiseptic then as a floor cleaner and cure for gonorrhea, then as a solution for bad breath, and at various times as a way to combat dandruff, sore throats and many other uses.

Condominiums that haven’t sold well have been converted to apartments.

Baking soda has had MANY uses.

Can you “repackage” your product or service for other uses in order to increase profitability?

Just something to think about.

Have a great day!

Lawrence

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If we can help people work less, accomplish more, be more efficient etc we will be very successful.

While the first washing machine might have been very complicated to make, it allowed people to do less work and accomplish the same thing (clean clothes) so it was a success.

While creating a car might be extremely difficult, providing a ways for people to travel over long distances without great effort has allowed people to make a lot of money.

The key isn’t to try to figure out how to be lazy but rather to find a way to allow others to be lazy FOR A PRICE!

Just something to think about.

Have a great day!

Lawrence

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When leaving a message on voice mail take the time make it worth returning.

I received a message from a person I know that said “Lawrence, it’s ____, call me”. It’s one thing if this were a good friend but since this was from an acquaintanance, this person could/should add some details. If he said “Lawrence, it’s ___ give me a call when you have a minute to discuss a project” or “Lawrence, it’s ___ give me a call if you want to grab lunch” then I know what it’s about and know whether it’s a 1 minute conversation or a 30 minute conversation and based on that I can figure out when to best return the call.

If you don’t have the time to leave a few details in a message, I might not have the time to return the call.

Have a great day!

Lawrence

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Many of us are conditioned to want more.

More money
More power
More recognition
More homes
More everything

Why not look into wanting less.

Less stress
Less hours working
Less anxiety
Less obligations
Less debt

Frequently, once we recognize that we don’t really need many of the things we think we need more of, we will find it much easier to appreciate less.

Have a great day!

Lawrence

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A black tie New Years Eve ball with champagne, caviar and everyone who is anyone.

A luxury cruise around the world.

A mega mansion in the Hamptons.

A prime tee time at Pebble Beach.

A small cabin in the woods.

A rod, a reel and a great fishing spot.

A great book to read.

Depending upon the person, someone might find any one of these possibilities either an ultimate goal or a complete nightmare.

For some, the formal New Years Eve ball would be a once in a lifetime opportunity. For others, it’s a “not in my lifetime” awful experience.

For some, a good book, a quiet cabin and a peaceful existence is a dream come true. For others, it’s the ultimate in boredom.

It’s important to realize that what you look forward to, others avoid. What you find distasteful, others dream about.

We are all quite different so it’s important to not assume others feel the same way about things as we do.

Be careful about assuming others have the same values, beliefs and dreams that you do. It’s also important to remember that just because someone has different beliefs, it doesn’t mean you are right and they are wrong.

We are all different, it’s what makes us special.

Have a great day!

Lawrence

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There was a time when the bank in each town was a regal building that provided a feeling of safety and security when it came to your money. A person could just look at the building and feel confident that their money was secure.

Nowadays, because so much is done electronically the physical buildings aren’t nearly as impressive (in many cases) since less is done with physical transactions and more is done through the computer.

We assume that these electronic transactions are being done in a secure manner. We take it for granted they are using secure certificates etc in their work.

The reason I started thinking about this is yesterday I walked past 3 bank branches in downtown Charleston WV and each of them had desks situated so that it was easy to see their computer screens and to see the information they were entering.

Much of the hacking being done these isn’t from some elaborate technology but rather from people giving out or showing their information and then the hackers using that information for their own purposes.

In the same way that you should make sure you aren’t exposing your private information to others, make sure that others aren’t exposing your private information for you.

Just something to think about.

Have a great day!

Lawrence

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Because of bad weather yesterday I took a bus to get downtown. When I got on the bus a lady was talking on her cell phone (in a loud voice so everyone could hear her). Ten minutes when I got off the bus she was still talking.

Later on, I took a break and went to a coffee shop. A guy was sitting there screaming into his phone for all to hear.

Leaving the coffee shop I had to go to a meeting and while in the elevator to go to the meeting someone was speaking on their phone.

Maybe it’s just me but while it nice to have access to a phone while out in public it doesn’t mean that others want to be exposed to our conversations. In cases of emergencies it’s fine to make a call while others are around but in general it’s just bad manners.

Is time so short that we can’t wait to call someone back when we are in a more private location?

Are things so important that they have to be dealt with that moment?

Is what we are doing so unimportant that it’s ok to not focus?

If you are sitting at a restaurant with people and your phone rings and you choose to have a conversation with the caller do you realize you are sending a message to the people you are with that they aren’t important?

If you are driving with people in the car and you choose to answer do you realize the message that is sending to the others in the car? It’s saying that not only is the caller more important than them in terms of who you want to be speaking with but also the caller is more important than their safety (I don’t care if you are using a Bluetooth, or speakerphone or what, no one can convince me it’s as safe to drive while you are speaking on the phone as driving while you are focusing on the road).

Remember, multi tasking frequently means doing a few things half assed at the same time. Wouldn’t it be better to focus on what you are currently doing and do it right (even if that just means relaxing) than to be rude, dangerous and mediocre at what you are doing?

Have a great day!

Lawrence

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I was reading a newsletter yesterday encouraging people to avoid activities that are energy drains. The belief was that doing something that drains you of energy will affect you in other activities so whenever possible, avoid, delegate, outsource or find another way but rid yourself of these energy draining activities when possible.

While I agree with this in theory, in reality, most of us have to do things that might be considered energy drains so while we can try to avoid them, in practice some can’t be avoided at all.

On the other hand, we can and should do everything we can to avoid people who are energy drains. We all know them (and unfortunately, some of us might be them). These are the negative people who leave you feeling empty after spending time with them. They are the ones who encourage us to do as little as possible. They find a reason why nothing will work. They would rather not try than take a chance at trying something new.

If you spend enough time around an energy drain you will eventually become just like them. The alternative is to try to lift them out of the negativity OR, if that can’t be done, leave them and move on.

An energy drain can have a negative impact on your work, on your health and on your life. Take the time to move on and see how far you can go

Just something to think about.

Have a great day!

Lawrence

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