September 2014
Strategies for Success Newsletter September 2014 Issue 105
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Published by Emily Huling Selling Strategies
www.sellingstrategies.com
Copyright 2014 Emily Huling. All rights reserved.
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In this September 2014 issue:
Thoughts from the road
Josmo’s Cafe
Thoughts from others
Stay energized
Emily Live
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Thoughts from the road
This is not a good idea.
This summer John and I vacationed with our friends, Debbie and Richard, at John’s brother’s beautiful home in Colorado. Our friends are adventurous and experienced hikers. Their family hiked the Grand Canyon a few years ago. John and I consider a walk in the woods on a well-worn flat trail a healthy hike! On a solo morning walk, Richard discovered a rocky and steep all-purpose recreation trail (hiking, ATV, dirt bikes) near us. He said the views were amazing and announced, “We’re going up!”
The four of us responded in sync with our risk-type personality. Richard leaps and knows the chute will open, Debbie was excited, John was game, and I emphatically stated, “This is not a good idea.” My years of insurance underwriting has permeated my sense of adventure. I stated my views – a motorized vehicle could run us down if we walked; who knows what animals live up there; a boulder could fall; and if we drove up in a four-wheel drive vehicle we might meet another car, and be stuck. Everyone laughed. I didn’t have to go, they told me, but they were going!
So I went. We took the four-wheel drive car. At every sharp turn and steep drop, I said, “This is not a good idea.” Thank goodness they laughed and ignored me. The adventure, mountain views, flowers, and sky were spectacular!
Moral of the story: If you’re lacking confidence in a specific area, surround yourself with friends who aren’t!
“Confidence is what you have when you don’t thoroughly understand the situation.” Message on a T-shirt that Richard appropriately bought for himself later in the week.
If you’d like to see some of our Colorado trip pictures, we’ve posted some on the website.
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Josmo’s Cafe
I haven’t made a Bundt cake in years. Then I saw a recipe for Key Lime Bundt Cake in the Charlotte Observer and thought is sounded great. It combines tart lemon and lime flavors in the cake and is topped with a lot of sugar. It was moist and flavorful. Like all Bundt cakes, every day it sat it just got better! Enjoy!
Josmo’s Cafe is celebrating its 10th anniversary! Learn its history and try the famous Josmo’s Cosmo cocktail posted on the Josmo’s Café webpage.
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Anyone need a short course to advance management skills?
Susan Koshewa, ARM, CRIS, Workers Compensation Underwriting Manager says this:
“Emily’s experience in developing managers and no-nonsense communication style is a perfect combination to learn dozens of pertinent ideas quickly. I listen to the audios twice. Once in the car and once at my desk to take notes. Emily’s management skill-building programs supply real-world valuable information.”
Retirements, company restructuring, and growing businesses are launching new leaders and managers. Four self-study learning tools will quickly advance front-line manager proficiency in these key areas:
· Developing staff accountability
· Effective delegation
· Managing remote workers
· Leading results-producing meetings
· Handling employee performance problems
For a limited time, we’re offering newsletter readers four management development tools for a package price of $115.00, a 40% savings. This product package is only available through this newsletter link – Management Short Course.
Be a Better Boss: 10 Strategies to Develop Top Performers (1 CD program) Upgrade your management strategies for current employee challenges. Learn how to lead and communicate emotional support, bolster intellectual potential, and provide performance and professional feedback.
Managing People for Maximum Performance (2 CD program) People with direct reports will learn how to maximize team and individual performance, eliminate harmful attitudes and behaviors, develop staff accountability and confidence, and a fail-proof intervention technique to handle any specific employee issue.
Touchpoints for Managers: Improving Employee Satisfaction and Productivity (1 CD program) Valued, encouraged, and intellectually-stimulated employees are productive employees. Learn dozens of fresh management strategies including eliminating backlog, delegating effectively, and leading productive meetings.
Selling from the Inside: Creating a Front Line that Adds to the Bottom Line (Book) Dozens of ideas to create a client-focused organization, keep clients happy, and equip your front line to sell.
This bundle package is only available through this newsletter link – Management Short Course.
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Thoughts from others
Shake it off and step up
One day a farmer’s donkey fell into an abandoned well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway; so it just wasn’t worth it to him to try to retrieve the donkey.
He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They each grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. Realizing what was happening, the donkey at first cried and wailed horribly. Then, a few shovelfuls later, he quieted down completely.
The farmer peered down into the well, and was astounded by what he saw. With every shovelful of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up on the new layer of dirt. As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up.
Pretty soon, the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off, to the shock and astonishment of all the neighbors.
Moral of the story: Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick is to not let it bury you, but to shake it off and step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone.
Second moral of the story: The donkey gave the farmer who tried to bury him a very good kicking. When you try to cover your ass, it always comes back and gets you.
Author unknown
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2015 Convention and Meeting Topics and Descriptions are now available!
Are you looking for a thought-provoking presenter who is at the cutting edge of workplace changes and challenges and provides doable solutions? Newly-written programs are:
Stop Selling! Essential Strategies to Help Buyers Buy
Modern-Day Management – Get Work Done and Develop People
Create Career Success: A Short Course to Advance Professionally
Organic Growth – The Process and Practices of Sustained Success
Strengthening Agency-Company Relationships
How to Become the Agent of Choice
For more information, read the program descriptions and get in touch.
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In celebration of Selling Strategies’ 20th anniversary, we’re offering a 20% discount on books and audios (excludes product bundle offers). Apply coupon code HAPPY at checkout to receive your savings.
All orders include a complimentary copy of the 2013 Energizer Minute Collection with the bonus track – 27 Tips to Be a Great Co-worker.
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Stay Energized!
September Energizer Minute – Prevent or Fix? Get supercharged with Energizer Minutes – one-to-two minute audio stories told by yours truly to energize, invigorate, and inspire!
Follow me on Twitter @EmilyHuling to read my weekday Energizer Moments.
Receive your complimentary copy of the priceless 2013 Energizer Minute Collection plus 27 Tips to Be a Great Co-worker with all learning material orders.
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Since 1994, Selling Strategies’ purpose is to build top-performing sales, service, and leadership organizations. We offer insurance industry expertise to companies, agents, MGAs, industry partners, and service providers.
Our Commitment to Our Clients
We will improve your clients’ experience, grow your top-line revenue, and your bottom-line profit. Together we accomplish this through:
· Strategic planning and implementation
· Leadership and management development
· Business development – marketing, sales, service strategies
· Organization and process improvements
· Individual skill and team development
· Personal coaching
To discuss how to fast forward achieving your goals, please contact me for a complimentary 30-minute conversation. Call 888-309-8802 or emily@sellingstrategies.com.
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Emily Live
· Private Client – consulting – Phoenix, AZ – September 6-10, 2014
· NAPSLO Annual Convention – Atlanta, GA – September 15-17, 2014
· NAMIC Annual Convention – National Resort, Oxon Hill, MD – Three Strategies to Earn Agents’ Business – September 21-23, 2014
· Private Client – Charlotte, NC – Delivering a Remarkable Patient Experience – September 30, 2014
· Private Client – annual agents event – Indianapolis, IN – Deliver Service that Sells and Protects and Turning Change into Opportunity – October 7-9, 2014
· Agency Management CIC – Louisville, KY – October 15-17, 2014
· Private Client – operations review, planning, sales and service workshops – South Bend, IN – October 27-31, 2014
· Private Client – operations review, planning, workshops – Blue Ridge, GA – November 4-6, 2014
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Selling Strategies: Strategies for Success Newsletter is published by Emily Huling Selling Strategies. For further information contact emily@sellingstrategies.com.
© 2014 Emily Huling. All rights reserved.