May 2012
Strategies for Success Newsletter May 2012 Issue 77
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Published by Emily Huling Selling Strategies
www.sellingstrategies.com
Copyright 2012 Emily Huling. All rights reserved.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
In this May 2012 issue:
Thoughts from the road
Thoughts to ponder
What’s new on the website?
Thoughts from others
On the road
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
1. Thoughts from the road
Misfortune to good fortune
Each spring, I remember my good fortune when a family vacation was canceled.
For many years, John and I vacationed in March in beautiful Colorado with his brother’s family. The dates of the trip were set by their son’s spring break. Several years ago, two months before the annual trip, we received a call from his brother telling us that his son’s spring break was being used to take a driver’s education course to avoid penalties on his license. We didn’t ask too many questions, but figured the kid was lucky to have that option at all! Selfishly, we were really disappointed that our trip was being canceled because of teenage trouble.
The next morning, I updated my calendar to reflect my open week. Two days later, I received a message from one of the insurance associations for which I do a lot of speaking. I was being invited to present at a conference that just happened to be during my newly available week. Lucky me! I was thrilled to have an engagement since I couldn’t be on vacation.
Fast forward two months to the conference. Immediate feedback confirmed my program went well. That’s always good. This was reinforced the following Monday when I got a call from one of the participants. He and his colleague were thrilled to have heard my presentation. Their company had been looking for an insurance industry expert to help them with their sales and service culture change. Discussions followed and we worked together for several years.
Moral of the story. It’s tempting to wallow in disappointment when the unexpected occurs, but the faster a person hits reset, the sooner good fortune follows.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Be alert! Good fortune is often disguised. EH
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Newly Released Audio Programs to Build Workplace Success
Be a Better Boss: 10 Strategies to Develop Top Performers
Be a Better Producer: 10 Strategies to Earn More Money
Be a Better CSR: 10 Strategies to Differentiate Yourself and Delight Customers
Who will benefit: Everyone in your agency – Owners, Managers, Personal Lines, Commercial Lines, and Life and Health Producers and CSRs.
How to use: As a group or individually, participants will listen and learn from the audio program. At the close of each strategy described, Emily provides a how-to strategy challenge as a call to action.
What’s in the programs: Each high-content program contains real-world stories and practical, easy-to-implement ideas.
Cost: Each one-hour program costs $59 plus S&H. Save 15% on the complete set by using Coupon Code BETTER at checkout.
Go to www.sellingstrategies.com/beabetter.html for detailed program content and to order.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
2. Thoughts to ponder
What would you have done?
I was teaching a CIC in Tulsa. It was the mid-afternoon break. As I’m walking back into the room towards the refreshment table, I run straight into a teenage boy walking out of the room with two cans of Coke in his hand. I caught his attention and said, “Excuse me. Are you in this class?” “No,” he sheepishly replied. I said, “These refreshments are for the people attending this class.” He shrugged, apologized, put them back and left.
I headed to the table to get my drink. One of the participants approached me and said that he had seen the young man take the soda but decided not to say anything. What I gathered from his comment was this – what harm does it do if someone helps himself to a coke or two? I smiled and said that I see a lot of people pilfering refreshments from meetings, but when I can safely remind them that what they are taking it not theirs to take, I do. Of course, I realize was in a position of authority at this meeting and this man wasn’t, so maybe that made the difference in his deciding not to say anything. I’m sorry I didn’t ask him.
If you were that participant, would you have reacted differently?
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
May’s Energizer Minute
Tune in to hear Recording Memories. Go to the www.sellingstrategies.com home page and click on the Energizer Minute.
The 2011 Energizer Minute Collection CD is now available! This CD also includes a bonus track The Lost Art of Personal Networking. Get your free copy with any product order over $50.00.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
3. What’s new on www.sellingstrategies.com
· May’s featured recipe from Josmo’s Café is Dill Marinated Shrimp. Read the story behind the name of our home-based eatery is on the website page. For this recipe and more, click on the Josmo’s Café icon on the website menu bar on the left. Enjoy!
· John had a busy winter in his man cave building another remote-controlled boat model! See a slide show of making of the USS Crockett and its water launch. Go to About Emily on the website and you’ll see the link.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
4. Thoughts from others
Rejoice/Sorrow by Mike Magee, MD
Sorrow is a special form of vulnerability, temporarily rendering a person childlike without defense. It is isolating, but less so as we learn how common is this experience shared. Nature teaches loss and recovery, suffering survived. How good to be alive. Lose a little, learn a lot – that’s the way upward. Joy will come for those willing to wait. For we were not born to get through free of pain. The things for which there is no control, what choice is left but acceptance? Luckily for us, the human spirit is remarkably sturdy and resilient, allowing most hardship to be bearable as long as we can tell little from the big and find a way to smile through.
In loving memory of my beloved friend Renee Slonim
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
5. On the road
Business travel is taking me to these places. Please call me if you’d like to connect when I’m in your area.
Private client – Neenah, WI – May 8-9, 2012
Agency Management CIC – Charlotte, NC – May 10-11, 2012
Private client – Appleton, WI – May 23, 2012
Private client – Providence, RI – June 1, 2012
Agency Management CIC – Lansing, MI – June 21, 2012
Private client – Atlanta, GA – July 10-12, 2012
Private client – Oklahoma City, OK – August 27-30, 2012
Agency Management CIC – Topeka, KS – September 11, 2012
NAMIC Annual Conference – Grapevine, TX – September 16-19, 2012
Independent Insurance Agents of Illinois Annual Conference – Springfield, IL – October 2-4, 2012
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
For Free Stuff, articles, books, and audios to build individual and organization top performance, visit www.sellingstrategies.com .
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.
© 2012 Emily Huling. All rights reserved.