Here’s a little something I came across that say’s it all as easy as ABC:

Attention to the customer is more important than anything. Period.

Be on the floor during peak hours.

Check your ego at the door.

Delegate operational areas so you can spend more time leading your team.

Energy and passion are your most effective tools.

Focus your team on achieving daily goals and the month will take care of itself.

Go first when you introduce something new in the store. People learn from watching you.

Humor is a great way to manage your team - as long as it’s in good taste. Remember, what’s funny to you may not be funny to someone else on your team

Interview potential employees as if your future depends on it. Most of the time it does.

Just because you think something doesn’t mean you should say it. Think before talking.

Knowledgeable employees are vital to a store’s success. Your role is to provide knowledge in an easy to learn, easy to apply method.

Lead by example with every customer encounter.

Meeting one-on-one with each staff member every month keeps communication open and positive.

Never put off a difficult conversation with an employee unless the time truly isn’t right. Waiting rarely makes it easier or better.

Optimism is a must for a team to achieve their goals.

Practice makes perfect. Roleplay with at least one employee every day. Remember, go first.

Question your staff on regularly about how you and the store can improve. Be open to their suggestions.

Respect people’s privacy. As a manager or owner it’s inappropriate to share knowledge about one employee with another unless there’s a real need to know.

Stress out at work and your team stresses with you. Remain upbeat and positive and your team remains upbeat and positive.

Time is one of the most valuable assets you have in a day. Spend it wisely.

Use each staff member’s strength to help others on the team to grow.

Values and integrity determine what kind of leader you really are.

“We” should be used more than “I” or “you” every day.

XXX words should never be used at the store.

Your development is as important as your staff’s development. You can’t give away what you don’t have.

Zap negativity before it spreads. Resolve issues or conflicts before they undermine the rest of the team and, eventually, the customer.

More than 90% of those starting their own businesses will fail. Wow, what a statistic!
I theorize that the biggest reason for these fatalities is that when one goes into business for him or herself, that he or she loses what 90% of people need; A Boss.
Too many new business owners become that boss they wish they had when they were on somebody’s payroll. They become that boss that doesn’t care if they come in late or go home early. They become that boss that looks the other way when projects are not completed on time. They become that boss that doesn’t care what anyone else thinks. They become that boss that fails and has to go back to working for a boss that cares about all of these things.
Practice being your own boss now, but the one that succeeds. Be an even better boss for yourself than the one you have. Your real boss takes time off and is away from you much of the time; you are with you 24 hours a day.
Make your goals your boss. When you do, success is easy.

Ron will be speaking to the members and guests of Small Business Hawaii (SBH) at the monthly Sunrise Networking Breakfast on Thursday, April 26th at 7:00 a.m.

Ron will talk about success, sales, and how to grow your business. Plan on hearing a motivating, fun talk from Ron as he weaves his years of experience into success tactics you can implement in your business and life.

If you would like to hear Ron speak, are interested in attending and are not a member of SBH, feel free to contact me for more information. These breakfasts are held at the Pineapple Room, Macy’s at Ala Moana Center. We look forward to seeing you at this breakfast!

Aloha,
Bob

Stage Restaurant at the exciting new Honolulu Design Center served a private premier meal Saturday evening to dignitaries including the HDC owners Thomas Sorensen, Peter Skaaning, and various VIPs such as retired 1st Hawaiian Bank CEO Walter Dodds.
Chef Jon Matsubara put on quite a show with a five course meal, fine wines and other treats from the full service bar.
Stage will open to the public on Saturday, April 14th. The Amuse Wine Bar will open on Monday April 9th.
See more photos inside:

When the rocks came sliding down covering the highway at Waimea Bay the last time, it devastated many Haleiwa businesses. One that it didn’t impact was Surf-n-Sea. Why not? The answer is ATTITUDE.
When the same thing happened yesterday, the team at Surf-n-Sea was quick to respond with shuttles to pick up their employees and bring them to the store.
And… when customers come into the store, you can bet your bottom dollar that they will be selling, not talking about the rock slide.

The sign on your door or window can oftentimes be your 1st (and lasting) impression. Since you never get a second chance to make a 1st impression, be sure that the one you are making is what you want it to be. Some signs to be careful of are are:

Help Wanted: If you choose to advertise for employees on your store door or window, be sure that the sign is professional, and infers that your need for help is because of growth, not your inability to keep employees.

Sales: People are not likely to believe that you are really offering an 80% discount. Signages offering huge discounts are more likely to communicate “huge markups” than they are “huge bargains”. Generally speaking, discounts should be used to close sales in the store, not to bring people in the door.

Be Back: When you have to close your store for some reason, accept the fact that you are going to miss some business while you are gone. Most shoppers will move on, and not return. The most expensive salesperson is the missing salesperson. If you are working alone, and need to leave, be sure that your sign is professional, and tells the precise time that you will return. A sign that say’s, “Be right back”, or “Will return in 10 minutes” makes one wonder; “starting when?”

The crowd attending the blessing of the new Honolulu Design center last night totaled in the thousands. It was the “Event of the Year” for sure. It was truly an “international event”. Owners Thomas Sorensen and Peter Skaaning were bursting with well deserved pride. Success Dynamics is honored to be a part of this exciting building. If you haven’t been there yet, it’s a “must do”.
See photos here:

Lack of time is one of the most commonly used excuses for not doing something. The fact is you always have time; it is just a matter of how you choose to spend it. Everyone gets the same amount of time; EVERY DAY; 24 hours; no more, no less!

NEVER say, “I don’t have time”; yes you do.
NEVER say, “I need more time”; you will never get it.
NEVER say, “I’m busy”; everyone is busy.

My dad used to say,” If there’s something you need done, ask a busy person to do it”. I have found this to be very true.
W. Clement Stone said, “DO IT NOW”. That’s a mantra that Works!

A question I hear almost every day is, “How is everyone else doing?” My answer has always been the same; “It depends on who you talk to. Some are breaking records and others are sucking wind”? I then ask, “Which one do you want to hear about?” Predictably, those asking that question are doing poorly and hoping to find someone else who is as well. Why? Well, misery does love company, but even more so when people are doing poorly and can find others that are as well, they can agree that the problem is not them!
Take responsibility for your results, seek out those that are doing well, and emulate their behavior. Don’t buy excuses, or even worse, make them. Remember this; “One who wants to finds a way, one who doesn’t finds an excuse.”

I am pleased to announce the newest member of the Success Dynamics Team.
Bob McAllaster joins us today as Director of Sales and Marketing.
Bob has lived and worked in Hawaii for 26 years. Bob brings with him a Masters degree in Organizational Development from Pepperdine University, as well as a Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan State University.
Bob has spent the past 26 years doing personal development, and corporate training work as well as having entrepreneurial experience in adventure and action based training. All of this, combined with 9 years of successful commission only sales experience makes him ideal for the task at hand.
Bob will be working with me to develop a national team of people to bring Success Dynamics and our products to businesses across the country. If you would like to be a part of this exciting adventure, e-mail Bob at bob@ronmartin.net.