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Name of author Rick Baker, P.Eng.

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Sales Tweet #222

by Rick Baker
On May 24, 2011
Sales Tweet #222 LinkedIn is a sales tool - browse through your Clients' Contacts…that’s a way to prospect.
 
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
The value of LinkedIn is the value it captures around Strong Links [1st Contacts] and Weak Links [2nd and 3rd Contacts]. There is an argument to be made the most value exists around Weak Links. Weak Links such as 2nd and 3rd Contacts under LinkedIn are prospecting territory. More about Weak Links https://rickbaker.ca/post/2010/10/13/Networking-The-Strength-of-Weak-Links.aspx

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Leaders' Thoughts | Thought Tweets

Sales Tweet #221

by Rick Baker
On May 23, 2011
Sales Tweet #221 Ernest Seller philosophizes: If practice makes perfect and nobody's perfect then why bother practicing?
 
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
Apparently, Periander [the 6th Century BC ‘Tyrant of Corinth’] said “Practice is everything” and he was misquoted as saying “Practice makes perfect”. Perhaps, I should mention that to Ernest…No, that would open a whole new can of philosophical worms.

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Ernest Seller | Thought Tweets

ACRES of SUCCESS

by Rick Baker
On May 20, 2011
You want business success.
 
And you can define what success means to you.
 
S.M.A.R.T. Goals are a good place to start.
 
And more is required.
 
***
 
In an effort to capture 'more than S.M.A.R.T. Goals' we created the ACRES of SUCCESS metaphor.
 
What's that all about?
 
In summary:
 
We view S.M.A.R.T. as a filter for testing Goals. Are Goals specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bounded? If they are then they survive the S.M.A.R.T. filter.
 
And more is required.
 
For our business Goals to succeed we need at least an ACRE more of testing:
 
We need to anticipate and test:
 
A - Action
C - Conversion
R - Repercussion
E - Emotion
 
Picture 'Your Dream Property’.
 
Let your mind wander…imagine 'Your Dream Property’.
 
Like a post-card picture…'Your Dream Property’.
 
What needs to be done to make that dream a reality?
 
To create and maintain Your Dream Property you will need to take ACTION, specific planned action: preparing soil, considering sunlight, planning water and drainage, purchasing seeds, purchasing shrubs, and purchasing trees…arranging tools and equipment, etc.
 
You will design all that action with CONVERSION in mind. You will add things to your property and apply your energy to your property with the intent of converting your property from what it is to something much better...Your Dream Property.
 
You will do the work. There will be REPERCUSSIONS. To the extent you plan your work well, inject the right things, and 'Mother Nature' assists your work will result in Your Dream Property.
 
While you are doing the work and when it is done, you will experience EMOTIONS. It would be normal to feel fatigue as you toil. If the result of your work…stated another way…if the tangible repercussion of your work is Your Dream Property then when you are done all your work your emotions will be very positive. You will feel joy, justified pride, and a sense of accomplishment. Perhaps, you will feel the special bond that happens when people are in synch with Mother Nature.
 
If this happens, if you succeed at building Your Dream Property, then you will have created ACRES of SUCCESS.
 
You will feel ACRES of SUCCESS.
 
Similarly, you can create and feel ACRES of SUCCESS at work.
 
To experience ACRES of SUCCESSat work:
  1. Create Business Goals that pass the S.M.A.R.T.requirements
    • Specific
    • Measurable
    • Attainable
    • Relevant
    • Time-Bounded
  2. Put those S.M.A.R.T. Goals through your ACRESfilter
    • ACTION…consider the Top 3 actions you expect people to take
    • CONVERSION…consider the way you will measure what follows the actions
    • REPERCUSSIONS…consider the Top 3 most-likely tangible results
    • EMOTIONS…consider how people will feel before, during, and after the actions
  3. When your Goals pass both the S.M.A.R.T. test and the ACRES test you know you have SMARTACRES Goals.
  4. When you know you have SMARTACRES Goals you know you have set the stage for ACRES of SUCCESS at work.
  5. When you teach all your people how to create SMARTACRES Goals you know you have set the stage for ACRES and ACRES and ACRES of SUCCESS at work.

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Emotions & Feelings @ Work | Goals - SMARTACRE Goals | Spirited Leaders

Sales Tweet #220

by Rick Baker
On May 20, 2011
Sales Tweet #220 Change is only constructive when people are comfortable.
 
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
Here is an example of the thinking behind this Sales Tweet. From Edward de Bono’s website…comfort for defeat...How often do we deliberately design comfort for others? In an argument do we seek to design a comfortable way for the other party to accept defeat? In conflicts how much effort do we put into designing a way forward that suits both parties? Our primitive instincts of fighting and conquering are rather too dominant. Design is important but usually neglected. Link: http://www.edwdebono.com/index.html

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Change: Creating Positive Change | Thought Tweets

Striving, Driving, & Relating

by Rick Baker
On May 19, 2011
What are your talents?
 
Most of us have a fuzzy answer to that question.
 
How do you define the major categories of talents?
 
Most of us have a fuzzy answer to that question.
 
Isn’t that interesting!
 
Stop the next business person you see. It doesn’t matter who the person is. Could be someone you know. Could be a stranger. Regardless, stop that next business person. Ask that next business person:
 
Are talents an important thing…YES or NO?
 
I am guessing the person will answer, “YES”.
 
Ask a bunch of people that same question.
 
Again, I am guessing the vast majority of them will answer, “YES”.
 
“YES, talents are an important thing.”
 
If I am wrong then the rest of this Thought Post is wasted effort…please do not read the rest of it.
 
If you are still reading...
 
Ask that next business person the following question:
 
What talents do you rely on when you do your job?
 
Listen carefully to the answer.
 
Doesn’t the answer sound fuzzy!
 
I am re-reading ‘First, Break All The Rules – What The World’s Greatest Mangers Do Differently’ [Marcus Buckingham & Curt Coffman, 1999, by the Gallup Organization]. Their observation is accurate. People do not have a clear understanding of their talents. And, as Gallup concluded in 1999, people often provide answers that mix up talents and weaknesses… people claim their talents is also their weaknesses. Often, the talent they mention is not a talent…rather, it is a skill. Or, instead of a skill or a talent, people claim a piece of specialized knowledge is their talent.
 
The fuzziness expands if you ask about the major categories of talents, let alone how to structure a business team to make the best use of people’s talents. [that is, people’s amazingly-diverse talents]
 
Isn’t that interesting!

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STRENGTHS: People-Focused for Success

Sales Tweet #219

by Rick Baker
On May 19, 2011
Sales Tweet #219 Ernest likes fishing. He says, "A good thing about fishing is nobody asks you to brush your hair".
 
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
On the other hand, Ernest would not want to be a career fisherman. He’s pretty sure his family could not live off that sort of net income.

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Ernest Seller | Thought Tweets

Copyright © 2012. W.F.C (Rick) Baker. All Rights Reserved.