Category: <span>Uncategorized</span>

February 2019

Strategies for Success Newsletter February 2019 Issue 158

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Published by Emily Huling Selling Strategies
www.sellingstrategies.com
Copyright 2019 Emily Huling. All rights reserved.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In this February 2019 issue:

  1. Thoughts from Home
  2. Thoughts from the Office
  3. Josmo’s Cafe
  4. Stay Energized
  5. Emily Live

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Just released! 17 Terrific Tips for New Employee Development Employers want new employees to be prepared, focused, and eager to get started. It’s only fair that new employees receive the same consideration from their employer. These ideas will confirm and add to what you are doing to assure new hires are engaged and positioned for long-term success.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

  1. Thoughts from Home

It may be none of my business….

A week after sending a friend’s eight-year old daughter, Ella, a birthday card with a ten-dollar bill in it, I received a thank-you note in the mail. The envelope was addressed by her mother and Ella had handwritten the note. As Aunt Emily to many, I have received lots of thank you notes from eight-year olds.

Ella’s note alarmed me. Not what she wrote, but how it was written. Her handwriting and spelling were not up to the standards of children her age. I wondered if I should say something to her mother. Was this any of my business? I know that some schools don’t teach cursive writing anymore. What could be the fallout to the friendship?

I asked a close friend who has raised two amazing daughters for advice. Susan confirmed what my gut told me. I needed to say something to Ella’s mother. Better yet, Susan gave me advice on how to convey my concern.

I phoned Ella’s mother and told her how thrilled I was to receive a real thank-you note. I mentioned that I noticed Ella’s penmanship and spelling were not what I’ve seen for children her age. Then I said, “I’m curious. Has Ella ever been tested by the school?” Ella’s mom was very gracious. She told me that she hadn’t looked at Ella’s note when she put it in the envelope and Ella had not been tested as far as she knew. She thanked me and said she was on it!

Several months later I received another note in the mail from Ella. What a change! The note was perfect. Ella told me in the note she had been working on improving her handwriting and wanted to show me!

Moral of the story. Sometimes it pays to take a risk and get involved. It’s up to each of us to weigh the pros and cons and choose wisely.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

  1. Thoughts from the Office

Imagining the worst

I found an ant crawling across my desk one cold January morning. Unusual I thought. I don’t eat in my office so there is nothing that should attract an ant other than wanting to get in from the cold. Smart ant. I wondered, could there be other ants who follow his lead? Because of this thinking, I imagined that I felt an ant or two crawling up my leg. When I checked, nothing was there.

That got me thinking. Once our minds are triggered by something, our imagination can run wild. This applies to business dealings, relationships, service expectations, nasty drivers, and more.

Moral of the story. Avoid letting your imagination make a single occurrence worse than it is.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

  1. Josmo’s Café

Lemon lovers, do I have a cake for you! I wanted to use the rest of a big bag of lemons, buttermilk, and sour cream that I had on hand. In my search I discovered a new recipe blogger Averie Sunshine. Her Lemon Buttermilk Cake with Lemon Glaze is delicious and easy. Enjoy!

Check out other Josmo’s Cafe recipes on our website.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

  1. Stay Energized

Take a break – Yoga Dog is a two-minute YouTube video that is sure to bring a smile to your face whether you practice yoga or not.

Our Energizer Minute podcast for this month of Valentine’s Day is Melt into the moment.

Follow me on Twitter @EmilyHuling to read my weekday Energizer Moments.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

  1. Emily Live
  • Private Client – Phoenix, AZ – February 11-15, 2019
  • WSIA Underwriting Summit – National Harbor, MD – February 24-27, 2019
  • Agency Management CIC – Louisville, KY – March 6, 2019
  • NAMIC Personal Lines Seminar – Chicago, IL – Connecting with Your Agents – April 16, 2019
  • Private Client – Minneapolis, MN – SOAR for the Future – May 6-8, 2019
  • Private Client – Fargo, ND – SOAR for the Future – May 9, 2019
  • Agency Management CIC – Meriden, CT – June 26, 2019

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Please share any of my free stuff, articles, or newsletter content when proper credit is included.

Selling Strategies: Strategies for Success Newsletter is published by Emily Huling Selling Strategies. For further information, contact emily@sellingstrategies.com.

© 2019 Emily Huling Selling Strategies All rights reserved.

April 2017

Strategies for Success Newsletter April 2017 Issue 136

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Published by Emily Huling Selling Strategies

www.sellingstrategies.com

Copyright 2017 Emily Huling. All rights reserved.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In this April 2017 issue:

  1. Thoughts from the Office
  2. Thoughts to Ponder
  3. Josmo’s Cafe
  4. Stay Energized
  5. Emily Live

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

  1. Thoughts from the Office

Leaking information.

No, this story isn’t about WikiLeaks or unnamed sources. It’s about providing great customer service.

Valvoline Instant Oil Change in Mooresville, NC has been servicing my cars for oil changes and inspections for over 15 years. The service is fast, the waiting area is clean (not that I wait long), and their service team is friendly. I took my car in last week for the annual state inspection. When I paid the bill, the service man said, “By the way, we noticed there is an oil leak. If you haven’t had it checked out, we suggest you do.”  I wasn’t aware of an oil leak and thanked him for mentioning it. I’ve since taken the car to our mechanic and the problem has been fixed.

What a customer-focused thing to do when servicing an account! Pay attention to what’s not right, needs attention, or mention something new the customer would benefit from. Begin with saying “By the way.”  It’s non-threatening. It’s simply having your customer’s best interest in mind.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

  1. Thoughts to Ponder

Turning age 21, Kevin was excited he could legally drink. He decided to conduct an experiment to identify what would be his preferred stiff drink.

He bought bottles of whiskey, scotch, and rye. The first night he drank whiskey and water. The next morning, he woke with a smashing headache. The second night he drank scotch and water. The next morning, he woke with a smashing headache. The third night he drank rye and water. The next morning, he woke with a smashing headache.

He really liked all the liquor – the whiskey, the scotch, and the rye. The revelation? No matter which liquor he chose, one thing was obvious. To avoid a hangover, he shouldn’t mix any of them with water.

Moral of the story: It can be dangerous to jump to conclusions without digging into facts.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

  1. Josmo’s Cafe

Blintz Soufflé is our recipe of the month. It’s a perfect springtime light-and-creamy brunch dish that goes well with fresh fruit and coffee cake. Enjoy!

Please visit our Josmo’s Cafe recipes list to find a wide variety of our favorite recipes. All dishes have been taste tested many, many times!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

2017 Event Speaking News

Agency Nation’s Ryan Hanley interviewed me about my presentation Leading with Certainty at Elevate 2017. Please enjoy the podcast!

Looking for hot topics for your client, member, or employee meetings? Our most requested presentations are listed on our 2017 speaking topics web page.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

  1. Stay Energized

Managers tell me they find lots of helpful ideas in our column 17 Terrific Management Tips. Visit the Business Building page on our website to read all eleven 17 Terrific Tips columns.

April Energizer Minute – Second Choice May Just be BetterGet 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.

John has a new remote-controlled model boat! Combining talent, skill, and the patience of a saint, John has created another amazing model boat.  To view John’s slideshow of the building his PT 109 and video of him running it, click on these links Building the 109 and The PT109 in action.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

  1. Emily Live
  • Agency Management CIC – Austin, TX – April 5-6, 2017
  • Private Client – Parsippany, NJ – April 11-13, 2017
  • AAMGA Annual Conference – Orlando, FL – May 21-23, 2017
  • Elevate 2017 – Agency Nation event – Leading with Certainty – Milwaukee, WI – June 4-6, 2017
  • Agency Management CIC – Knoxville, TN – August 16-18, 2017
  • NAPSLO Annual Conference – San Diego – September 10-13, 2017
  • Private Client – Fargo, ND – Working Together for Success – October 2-5, 2017

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Share any of my free stuff, articles, or newsletter content as long as proper credit is included.

Selling Strategies: Strategies for Success Newsletter is published by Emily Huling Selling Strategies. For further information, contact emily@sellingstrategies.com.

© 2017 Emily Huling. All rights reserved.

Four Bean Baked Beans

Summer picnics need awesome baked beans! This yummy, old-fashioned baked bean casserole is from a 1975 Minnesota church cookbook. It proves our mothers and grandmothers knew what was good!

 

1 can kidney beans, drain only half the liquid

1 can lima beans, drained only half the liquid

1 can butter beans, drain only half the liquid

1 can pork & beans with molasses, do not drain

 

Mix beans together in an oven-proof casserole.

Make sauce:

Brown ½ pound chopped bacon with 2 large onions. Add garlic salt, ½ teaspoon dry mustard, ½ cup catsup, and ¾ cup brown sugar. Simmer for 10-20 minutes. Add to beans and mix well.

Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.