It’s a Special Day
I hope that you still have yours. If so, it’s about time to honor her, if not then to remember her. Most people have more than one mom in their life. People have mothers, grandmothers, spousal grandmothers, mothers in law, ex mothers in law, wives, mothers of husbands or wives, and even some mother friends.

Big Day
Mother’s Day is the biggest single gift giving day of the year. Like any other holiday, people tend to proscrastinate and put off their gift buying until the last minute.

Be a BIG Reminder
Help your customers remember that Mother’s Day is coming soon and encourage them to start buying now. Create a simple countdown sheet of some sort saying how many days are left to shop for Mother’s Day and update that number every day. It will keep this upcoming event in your mind as well as put it into the mind of your customer. Ask your customers, “How many mothers are there in your world?” Don’t wait for Mother’s Day Sales.

LOL
Give yourself a break. Murders, plane crashes and the economy grab the headlines these days. I guess they always have. In spite of all that’s ugly, you can still find something to laugh about. Bring some humor into your workday. Humor makes everyone feel better about anything. Make your customers laugh and they will like you. People buy from people they like. It’s all so easy, and all so important. Did you hear the one about…?

 REMINDER!

“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”
I have heard that quote attributed to so many people that I dare not say who first said it. I don’t think it needs a famous name to add credence to it. Everyone knows that it is true, but not everyone keeps it in mind at all times.
Work to be sure that the first impression you make is the one you want it to be. As unfair as it sounds, people will form an opinion about you within seconds after meeting you. All at once (or so it seems) they look you up and down, noticing your dress, jewelry, grooming, body language and facial expressions.

Would You Buy a Used Car From This Guy?
There is no profession where a solid first impression is more important than in sales. People will forgive the sloppy appearance of a new doctor faster than they will an unknown salesperson. The doctor’s credentials are framed on the wall, yours are not.

Pretty Woman
One of my favorite quotes was made by Julia Roberts; she said, “Even I don’t wake up looking like Julia Roberts.” Chances are that you don’t either. Put your best foot forward, a sincere smile on your face, and expect more success. When selling, you must not only think about the first impression that you are making, but also to be sure that your first impression of the customer does NOT influence your behavior. Speaking of Julia Roberts and first impressions, most people have seen the movie Pretty Woman, and recall the mistake made by the salesperson in that posh Beverly Hills boutique. If you missed it, CLICK HERE and enjoy it. If you saw it, enjoy it again.

Many Differences
There are no doubt many differences between those that make up the “Animal Kingdom.” Some seem to be smarter than others, some more ferocious and others quite docile. Some are easily “trained” and others more difficult. And, they come in all sorts of shapes, colors and sizes. They speak different languages and reside in different places around the globe as well as under the sea.

The Human Animal
Humans are a part of the Animal Kingdom as well, and here again there are many differences to be seen. Some are nice; some are mean. Some sensitive and others not. They have different tastes and desires.

LOVE RULES
The one thing that most all animals understand is “Love” and I love seeing examples of it. To see one of my favorites, just CLICK RIGHT HERE: It’s an Amazing Story.

UPDATE: I ended this posting last year with the words, “Stand by.” Well, so much for the call registry, I am still getting unwelcome solicitation robo calls. Are you? 

ANNOYING!
The latest telemarketing scam is one telling you that “your automobile warranty has or is about to expire and to call today to prevent costly repairs.” The recording gives you the option to “Press one to speak to a representative” or to “Press two to be removed from the list”. The first few times I pressed two, was rudely disconnected, and the calls kept coming.

Auto Dialer
The automated calling machine continued to call me with more messages, some saying that I was running out of time to renew, and finally one that said, “This is your last warning. If you do not renew today your insurance will be terminated.” I thought that was the end of it, but in a few days the calls started all over again. I took a different tact and pressed one. I asked to speak with “someone in management or a position of authority.” In some cases I was transferred to a recording asking to leave my number, other times I spoke with someone who listened to my complaint and then just hung up on me.

Nice
Today a pleasant woman answered and asked me for my auto information. I explained the situation to her and she said, “I’m sorry sir, I will have your name removed so that we do not call you again.” I told her that I had been told that in the past but that the calls continue. She told me that I could block their number and I explained that the calls keep coming from different numbers. She then told me that I could go to the National Do Not Call Registry and block all such calls in the future. She said that it may take 30 days to be processed. I made the call and blocked both of my numbers. You can block up to three numbers and it’s free. So, if you are getting similar annoying calls and want to block them, just click HERE and follow the simple directions.
Stand by…

WHAT?
Wikipedia defines jargon as, “Special words or expressions that are used by a particular profession or group and are difficult for others to understand.” Have you ever encountered someone using jargon to describe a product?
I went into a Starbucks recently and ordered a “Medium size coffee of the day.” The person behind the counter said, “We call that a Grande.” I felt chastised for not knowing their term for a medium size cup of coffee. On another day I went in with the same order and was asked, “Pikes Place or Clover?” I wanted to ask, “What’s the difference?” but after I get it loaded with 1/2 & 1/2 I wouldn’t know the difference anyway, so I just said, “Whatever.”
It’s easy to assume that those around you understand the language of your business, but haven’t we all seen the 
word “ASS-U-ME” broken down? Make it easy for people to understand your products and they are more likely to buy. Nobody likes to feel stupid.
I enjoyed a video that Pam Chambers sent to me the other day demonstrating how jargon can lose someone. The man in this video is dead serious; this is not a joke.
See how much of it YOU understand; just CLICK HERE:

Opportunity Abounds
This is the sort of news that I love to get in the morning;

Aloha Ron,
I see that Hawaiian Accessories had a record setting month in March. Nothing seems to slow these guys down. Doing their Morning Reports is a pleasure for me. I love seeing records broken.
Tammy Morris 
Success Dynamics - Morning Report Team

Hawaiian Accessories is a 20 year old company, and a long time client of ours, so setting new records is nothing to be taken lightly. For me this acheivement is especially rewarding haven taken this company “under my arm” personally just a few short years ago. Curtis started doing all of the things we suggest. In addition to the Morning Report, we started having monthly Success Rallies, Monthly Contests, and Opprtunity Shopping. We revised the compensation program, hired new people, and gave them the attention needed.
The next time that someone tells you that business is “slow”, just send him or her a link to this post, or better yet give me a call. This is a great time to stand out above the rest.