May 2010
Strategies for Success Newsletter May 2010 Issue 53
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Published by Emily Huling Selling Strategies
www.sellingstrategies.com
Copyright 2010 Emily Huling. All rights reserved.
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In this May 2010 issue:
Thoughts from the office
Thoughts from the road
Thoughts from home
On the road in 2010
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1. Thoughts from the office
Relax, rest, and rebalance
Our brains move fast. Continually flooded with facts, emotion, and problem-solving challenges, our personal processing systems can overload and shut down. Most of us don’t pay attention when that happens. Instead we work through it. The result can be short tempers, erroneous thinking, or an inability to focus attention. Just like computers that hang up or stop working when in overload, our minds can benefit from a complete rebooting. All it takes is ten minutes of quiet time. Here’s the process:
Find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed. Sit or lie down in a comfortable and open position.
Set a timer for ten minutes.
Close your eyes. Relax your neck and shoulders.
Begin breathing deeply concentrating on in and out breaths.
Settle your mind by silently repeating a gentle word such as peace, love, kindness, or grateful.
If your mind wanders away, that’s okay. Just refocus on your word.
When the timer goes off, take a moment to breathe deeply one last time before slowly getting up.
I do this exercise once a day, if not more, when I feel that sense of overload. At first, I resisted taking the break. But after a week of noticing a remarkable difference in my focus and attitude after the ten minute process, I started looking forward to the calming effect that resulted.
Give it a try for a week and see if you notice a difference.
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We can’t take care of others until we take care of ourselves. EH
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2. Thoughts from the road
It’s never too late to make things right
News item from the Associated Press: Phoenix. A high school librarian says a former student at the school returned two overdue books checked out 51 years ago along with a $1000 money order to cover the fines. The letter said the money order was to cover the fines of 2 cents per day for each book. That would total about $745. The letter says the extra money was added in case the rates had changed.
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The Energizer Minute
This month tune in to hear Take Your Hands Off the Wheel. Go to the www.sellingstrategies.com home page and click on the Energizer Minute.
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3. Thoughts from home
How do you read it?
John and I are yin and yang. He never ceases to amaze me with his patience, attention to detail and analytical approach to problem solving. And…well, suffice it to say, I don’t have all those qualities.
John does all of our laundry. (Am I lucky or what?) I have a jacket that was to be laundered for the first time. I read the tag and let John know that it said “Tumble Dry Low.”
Lucky for me, John double checked the tag. I was half right. It did read “Tumble Dry Low.” Sort of. John showed it to me, smiled and suggested I reread it – carefully. My dear husband knows I have the tendency to read from the bottom up. Here’s what was printed on the tag from the top down in four lines. “Made in China” “Machine Wash” “Do Not” “Tumble Dry Low.”
We had a hearty laugh together for two reasons. We wondered why a drying temperature would be combined with instructions to not tumble dry at all and my in-character, get-in-trouble reading style!
Moral to the story. Reading from the top down is a smart thing to do.
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Consulting, coaching, and workshops to stay up to date with current business trends and approaches:
Phone consulting to Create an Effective Marketing, Sales, and Service Plan for agencies with fewer than eight people. Learn more on the website consulting information page.
Strategy planning consulting and facilitation Professional facilitation and guidance enable owners and managers to agree on goals, strategy, and implementation. Establishing priorities, creating action plans, timelines, accountability and follow through generate results.
New producer development and sales coaching Customized personal guidance for new producers. Includes sales plan creation, structured curriculum and phone coaching,
Workshops – Turning Service to Sales for CSRs and Client Based Selling for Producers
In-house workshops for agency sales and service staff. These sessions fast forward individual skill building resulting in improved customer retention and new business growth.
Presentations Speaking topics include Lean and Mean Management, Selling from the Inside, and Kick Your “But” to name a few. Additional topics on the website information page.
For more information, www.sellingstrategies.com or emily@sellingstrategies.com or 888-309-8802.
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Are you looking for meaningful topics for your CSR staff meetings?
Great Service Sells: How Great CSRs Turn Service into Sales – book and audio CDs
A ready-to-use customer service program for your agency staff meetings!
Designed for CSR group learning in staff meetings using both the print book and accompanying audio CDs. Presented in 21, five-minute chapters, the tips, techniques, real-life stories and personal challenges offer a year’s worth of training sessions. For a complete list of chapters and facilitation tips, go to www.sellingstrategies.com. Newsletter readers receive a 20% discount by using coupon code NEWS11 at checkout.
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On the road
Business travel is taking to me these places. Please give me a call if you’d like to connect when I’m in your area.
Agency Management CIC, Edison, NJ May 14, 2010
Consulting engagement in Charlotte, NC – private client – May 18-19, 2010
Consulting engagement in Phoenix, AZ – private client – May 25-27, 2010
Consulting engagement in Pittsburgh, PA – private client – June 23-25, 2010
Agency Management CIC, Minneapolis, MN July 14, 2010
Agency Management CIC, Oklahoma City, OK July 21, 2010
AASCIF Conference, Lexington, KY July 25-29, 2010
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Selling Strategies: Strategies for Success Newsletter is published by Emily Huling Selling Strategies. For further information contact emily@sellingstrategies.com.
© 2010 Emily Huling. All rights reserved. Feel free to share our newsletter if copyright and credit are always included.