Be Open!

At the crack of dawn this morning, I was having a conversation about being open with my best friend Gayle.

Off she had gone at 6 o’clock to a work out with her body in mind only to find that the she and her exercise instructor had business interests in comman. They got talking and are now looking at how they can cross refer each others businesses with ideal clients already in mind. Here is the thing, they were both open to opportunities where ever they might arise.

Being open doesn’t mean that you walk around with a sign on your head saying “Hey look at me I’m open!”. What is does mean is that you are willing to look for possibilities and opportunities regardless of the situation you find yourself in. Some people feel that business opportunities can only be found in business focused events, this is simply not true. You can find that your business interests are aligned with anyone, anywhere. It just depends on how will you are to ask questions, answer them and look for best fits.

Being open doesn’t mean that you attack everyone you meet with your business offering. It does mean, however, that when you get that urge in your gut that says “go on say something” or that tingle that says “ahh something might fit here” or any such sparkle that gets your curiosity going or your fear of rejection buds dancing… just go for it. Ask, inquire, inform and go for gold! It could be a new client or supplier, career or job, a mentor or coach, a new friend or access to that bit of information you’ve had problems getting hold of… being open means that all these options and more have a better chance of getting to you.

Be open to the opportunities around you today, don’t look at your problem, look for the solutions they are already in place and people and organisations are just waiting for you to be open!

What are companies afraid of? Surveys!

Good old fashioned feedback is a great way to find out vital information that can help your business grow. When you ask your customers honest questions which don’t lead them to only positive answers you can really gain some gems of information that can revolutionize your business. Sadly many companies today are afraid of that kind of feedback which puts the customer in the drivers seat.

We are not often sure of what we will get back from our customers and so as we are often afraid of the unknown, we stay not knowing. I’ve worked with a number of companies to whom I have suggested that a survey was a good way to go. They had kicked and screamed about surveying their clients with excuses including lack of funds, lack of time, lack of man power to decipher the findings and many more. Often the real reason fro their reluctance is that old chestnut… fear. Fear that clients may not say what they want to hear, fear of criticism, fear that they may not be able to fix the problems that arise from the feedback they get. FEAR!!

Well as Susan Jeffers says “Feel the Fear and do it Anyway” There is so much to be gained from the honesty of our clients, we learn why we may be turning them off our products and services and how to turn them back on again. We get great ideas on how to improve our business and offerings, we find out what we are doing well so that we can implement the same ethos in other areas of our business. We gain knowledge and data and in business, apart from cash flow, data is king! With great data you can better fill your clients needs and keep on filling them so that you have consistent business and loyal customers providing you with the essential cash flow you need for a successful business . Imagine writing to a client who filled in honestly worded survey and gave you a great idea for a product, service or delivering your business better, when they receive that letter just imagine how much more they will want to use your service/products over your competition and recommend you.

Surveying works and works well, when honestly created and the answer/responses are openly received and where necessary acted on. Try it… go on you know you really want to.

Customer Service and the Credit Crunch

Yesterday I found myself driving my girls around some of the little villages surrounding Watford. It was a beautiful day and since my daughter is currently on crutches I decided that country lanes were the best thing for us. It really was a beautiful spring day and it got me thinking about my garden and how I could make the best of it so that my summer months were delightful.

I happened across a garden store which was a business run from home. It had some really beautiful plants in that I could see making a real difference in my garden. I started walking down the aisle of plants and was in awe at the different varieties of plants, herbs and trees available. I came across  some heather which I though would be great for my garden as I wanted something that could spread over the boarders but still look pretty. So I embarked on asking the person who appeared to run the centre for some help.

Hmm, well yes he did answer my question but what was missing was good old customer service. In these times of credit crunch you can’t afford to lose an interested customer… well maybe he could… After answering my questions he proceeded to have a chat with his friend and completely ignored me. I decided it was time to leave and continue my amble around the countryside with my girls.

In short he lost a sale, I chose not to buy. He never really engaged with me, he never asked me what I was trying to achieve in my garden, or suggested what could work, he never offered to show me any other alternative to the heather. I had made it clear that I was looking for something that grew quite quickly, unfortunately he never picked up on it. I had asked if he had debit card facilities and he had said yes… My goodness man, that was a buying signal if ever I’ve heard one. Opportunity knocked and opportunity was lost.

Especially in these times it is important to make your customers feel that there business is important to you. You never know who your customer could know or  who and what they are responsible for, for all the garden centre man knew I could have been the buyer for a larger garden centre. When customers are holding on tighter to their money, businesses need to be alert to the clients buying signals and seize on them with care and consideration for nervous buyers.

I’m not sure that I will ever buy from that garden centre, it seems that they were not interested in my custom and as a result I am no longer interested in their business offering. If you run your own business or work within the sales environment, remember that your customers are people who want to make wise decisions and sometimes need help to decipher how your offering fits into their need.

Are You Hungry?

My favourite children’s book is called The Very Hungry Caterpillar, when I see it in book stores I always want to purchase it again even though I know I already have two copies already stashed away at home. What is it about this book that holds my attention and makes me smile every time I see it wanting to read it again and again? You know what it is? It is the layers of learning that come from such a simple book.

The story is of a caterpillar who over the course of 7 days eats more and more food and eventually becomes so fat that it cannot move. The caterpillar becomes a chrysalis and then turns into a beautiful butterfly.

For children, the learn the seven days of the week and counting and various foods and so much more, but I got to thinking about this story and how it relates to life’s journey. I turn 40 this year and I am excited abut what the other half of my life holds for me, I realise that I have been on the journey of the caterpillar for all of the first 40 years of my life and right now I am ready to fly.

So here is the learning for me and for other adults out there who may be wondering when their change is going to come.

1. It takes time to develop who you are, your beliefs, values and most importantly what your purpose is.
2. Your experiences feed you with knowledge, understanding, skills, resources and resilience. You gain maturity through experience.
3. We are never given more than we can handle. The Very Hungry Caterpillar eats more food each day increasing exponentially only by one item each day until just before it goes it’s its metamorphosis I have learned that just before your change comes one is expected to handle a larger obstacle than ever experienced before. However you have been gearing up to this so that you can handle it.
4. There is a time when we need to stop and take stock of where we are and make changes. Where we find out who we really are. This may feel like we are not moving forward even though we are ready for change. However, like a fine wine we are maturing waiting for the right time to burst and delight ourselves and others.
5. It is only when we have gone through this process that we can emerge as a beautiful butterfly embracing all that we have learnt and continue to learn and stepping wholly and fully into our purpose without. This is when we truly realise the value of everything that we have been through before.

Here’s the thing… in order to get to being a beautiful butterfly you’ve got to be hungry.

It takes time…

We live in an ever increasingly instant gratification society, over the last decade we have had an exponential amount of loans, credit cards, by now pay later and other such financial carrots dangled at us as part of the “you can have it now” ethos that has taken over our world. Recently we have seen that this mentality has come crashing down around our shoulders and is fashionably referred to as the “Credit Crunch”.

When I was a child, it took time, hard work, effort and patience to make a house a home and fill it with the mod cons most home buyers expect today as standard. It took grit to afford to go on holiday and come back without owing a penny. Business took time to bed in and build so that it could be profitable and appreciated by it’s customers and suppliers instead of the set it up overnight and make a million in a philosophy that often privales in the modern board room.

What I have learnt in recent years goes against the modern norm… it takes time. It’s taken time for David and I to build Milestone and we know that it will take much more for it to be the sustainable business we want it to be. It’s taken time for us to appreciate that it “little by little” is far more powerful than “all in one go”. It takes time to build a positive reputation and it builds time for others to recognise it.

I sat proudly observing my husband today as he beamed because he was featured in “The Voice” Newspaper as one of the movers and shakers to watch in 2009. He has worked tirelessly with young people to raise their confidence and attainment levels and has networked constantly at the sacrifice of family time to build contacts who could help him gain access to the more lucrative corporate work that buoys up the work he does in education.  To see him featured was a real priviledge but not something that has come over night, it has taken time and it will take more to really get where we want to go.

There is a phrase in the bible that says “Let patience have her perfect work” and every day I am learning that this is exactly what I need to do. That with patience, endeavour and a giving spirit over time all things are possible.

So go ahead… take your time.

Don’t believe the hype

Recently I’ve had to really reassess what it is I want to do with my life or should I say my working life. Business development comes very naturally to me. Sit down in front of me and tell me about your business and inevitably I am able to help you find ways to reach your goals, focus better and maximise your business offering.

But I have had to ask myself… where does my passion life Madeline McQueen? And when I really thought about it, it comes with empowering people… women especially and helping them be the best that they can be. I’m passionate about helping them find the solutions to their problems whether that be making the best of their appearance finding the career that they want to be in or working on their relationships. It’s about helping them feel great and be great!!

So many times we follow a path because others tell us it is what we should be doing or we do so to be understood by and fit in with society. It’s just not necessary to do so! I realised that amidst all that I do work wise I have still be questioning if what I do is a legitimate job… why? Well something to do with not working 9 – 5 and having a payslip with the same amount of money in it each month! It’s silly I know, but I wonder just how many people out there who work for themselves or run their own businesses question their validity just because it doesn’t comform to the… “get a job” expectation that is placed on us from children.

So this morning, I say don’t believe the hype, be who you are and if that is not encompassed under one title… so what!! We are all many things and cannot be defined by the badge that someone else places on us. And so over the coming weeks you will find changing in my blog as I write about the varying sides of what I offer as a person and a business.

Step out into who you are and enjoy the journey…

Olympics… It’s Just Not Good Enough

Well it’s not is it…? I have been riveted to my screen during this years Olympics, I have cheered and watched with my mouth wide open, stayed up until almost 4:00am watching the women’s marathon and Paula Radcliff’s excruciating completion of a race she was unprepared for. Watched as UK athlete’s and sporting hopefuls worked there buts of to put Great Britain just over a week into the games at 3 position of the medals tables, unable to believe that we are still on the front page and climbing.

So what is it that is not good enough? Well my husband and I and many of our friends have all posed the question….. “Why is it that other countries are able to achieve phenomenal success in sporting championships and we (Great Briton) are always watching the success go by?

Well we did discuss that maybe the reason that Chinese do well is because their government hold their parents captive and the lives of their family and themselves is at risk if they don’t perform. Or that the Americans know that it is all milk and honey when they get back home and they are truly celebrated. Whilst we had a laugh we all unanimously agreed that one this and one thing only makes the biggest difference and this is…… investment!

I felt ashamed and angered and I listened to Kate Read who ran the 10,000m who said that she had “No support, no physiotherapy and no lottery funding”. Sounds about right!!! There must be better investment into the success of our sporting teams, better facilities (stop selling of the leisure centres and land), better training (use those that can… Linford Christie is a great example), link sports to education (they do it in America.. if you don’t have the grades you can’t compete). It’s time we sorted this out. Too often programmes to engage new talent are under funded, lasting 6 months or a year or so and then they fizzle out and the talent that they were nurturing fizzles out too.

If we really want to compete on an international level then we need to look at

what is working well or other countries and model what they do, investing in the infrastructure that is required to produce quality, consistent altheletes. Maybe…just maybe this might be one of the many answers to helping resolve the youth crime and youth disengagement that we see on our streets today.

I take nothing at all away from the outstanding performances of the athletes I have eagerly watched and cheered on our screens, and yes I was willing both of the athletes who went after gymnastic bronze medalist Louis Smith to fall and I did laugh and jump when they did, Hell I wanted the boy to win a medal and he did!! I feel excited about the prospects of 2012…. but somethings got to change and I think that it might be that the powers that be take British sporting seriously and stop short changing those who work tireless to bring home the medals for their country!

Are You Accountable?

It’s a questions that many people feel uncomfortable with. Whilst we like to think that we are accountable for our actions and words we live in a culture that blames everything and anything on everyone else. Gun crime, overspending,  a lack of discretion, children’s behaviour, racial inequality, a mistake at work, you name it and it’s someone elses’ fault.

One of the sign’s of maturity is when you are able to take responsibility for your actions (I emphase your actions not everyone elses’) without the “buts” and be accountable. Corporate environments are often a nest bed for blame culture and then many who work on their own often blame the market, the business and everyone else for their failure often ignoring the fact that it is their own actions and decisions that have determined their demise.  We see it in recent child abuse cases where all the parties involved in the case blamed each other for not doing enough. When will it end?

When we take accountability and responsibility for our actions we don’t ever need to look over are shoulders wondering when we will be caught out. We live and thrive in reality because we know what we are and what we are not capable of. We don’t need anyone else to be our crutch and don’t spend our time lying to ourselves about our responsibility in the events of our lives.  When we take responsibility for ourselves constructive criticism is  much easier to swallow as we are not too surprised by it’s conclusions, we already know where our weaknesses lie. Life is just that bit easier because we don’t have to waste energy attempting to believe our own lies to ourselves.

So as you go the events of your day today as yourself… am I accountable?

Why do we like to bitch?

I know, i know you didn’t expect me to use such as word for my blog title or use such a word in general. You’re right usually I wouldn’t use it as it is not necessary. But right now I think it’s the only word that describes what I’m about to talkabout.

It’s when people sit in a group and complain, bemoan, degrade, say derogatory things and verbally slaughter someone or something. What’s worse is that they do it without every attempting to address the issue with the person or the organisation or whatever the situation my be. They just revell in complaining about someone or something else without all the facts or understanding the circumstances behind the person or issue.

What is it about human nature that seems to revell in giving someone else or something a really hard time. I can talk about this because being quite a hypo critical person I have done this on more than one occassion. We love seeing a problem and expounding about it, assuming so many things as to what, why, how, where and when has happened or occurred. We we unforgiving in our bitching and take great pleasure it seems from assuming that the others motives are questionable.

Why is it that we don’t often deal with the person or actual issue face on? Why don’t we write a letter of complaint or contact the person or organsation to gain greater clarity or understanding? Why don’t we inform them in a polite manner of things we think could be included next time or highlight the error as we see it with suggestions of improvement?

We love to bitch!! We expect others to extend grace towards us and understand where we are coming from, but we seem to find it exceptionally difficult to extend that same grace and understanding that we expect of others. It’s high time that we drop the bitching and look for a better way of dealing with our frustation with others, taking action in some way makes much sense to me. It’s the solution that I have found works the best right now. Moreso it is far more energising and fruitful and leaves one with a sense of achievement.

So before you get involved in bemoaning someone or something, next time take a moment and see if there is another way of dealing with it that not only gratifies offending party but also yourself.

The Apprentice: About time too and all!!

Well thank goodness sense has at last prevailed!!! I just couldn’t bare to blog about The Apprentice over the last two weeks as it has been too painful. I am sure that this has been the worse set of candidates yet (I’m sure I’ve said that before). I have felt that Sir Allan made some wrong decisions and the conduct of some of the candidates absolutely appaulling.

Lee McQueen was on of my favourites (not because of the name!!) until last weeks uncalled for outburst on Sara. He was not the only one, I felt like she was outcast based on race, that her ideas because they were more cultural were dismissed and that she as a person was being dismissed as a second class citizen, called lazy for no other reason than she was of asian decent. That was how it made me feel and speaking to my Apprentice buddy Diva, she felt the same. Helena showed her vindictive side yet again and Raef, who has been endearing himself to me week after week, really showed why he stands out from the rest. The previous week Claire for me did not deserve to win and Lucinda showed her complete and utter talent for management. Lindi took the heat for really what Jen should have taken the heat for and Michael yet again proved that he is not ready for real decision making. Jenny yet again showed her complete inability to be humane and Kevin showed that selling really isn’t his skill as he was completely blinded by Jenny.

All that said Sir Allan made the right decisions this week. Jenny has feasted in the boardroom on the plight of others colding using derogative about another team member to make her escape. This week…. at long last… Sir Allan caught her full on and expelled her from the boardroom. Jen tried to fight by discrediting others, she should have extolled her own merits, she may have stayed, but like Lindi she too is only a sales person.

This week a number of people showed their true colours, Nick complimented Lucinda and Sara (at last some recognition for them), Claire proved again that she is a problem team member, Raef stood out as one of the most decent apprentice’s, Lee showed that he is very excitable and not always able to hold his swearing in check, Michael proved what a sleaze bag he really is and that he is actually a mouse for all of his bolshy arrogance and Alex is once again attempting to wait out till the end.

What a nightmare!!!

I think that we are close to having the cream of this crop left on the show but Michael needs to go and I still feel that Helena is missing some vital skills. It is possible that Claire is a diamond in the rough but she needs some serious work. Lucinda might not be as forthright as she needs to be to get the job and the same goes for Sara, that leaves Raef and Lee… at time point I’d take Raef extended dictionary and all at this stage.

Roll on next week…..