Archive For: Success

Who Is It About?

Too often people in business get this question wrong, particularly in the Exhibiting industry.

The answer is, it is NOT about you – it is ALL about them.

Let’s be incredibly honest, no one really cares about what you do. What they care about is what you can do for THEM. That great saying of “What’s In It For Me” is running through their subconscious as they talk with you.

So with what you do, who is it about?

Your signs and posters, are they about you or are they about them?
Your new processes, are they about making it easier for you or making it easier for them?
Are the images you use about you or is it about them?
Your exhibiting booth, is it all about you or about them?
When you network, do you talk about you or do your talk about them?
When you get home from work, do you go on about your day or do you ask about theirs?

Life is not about you. It is about them.

The funny thing is, if you make it about them, they will happily make it about you – so everyone gets what they need.

PS Someone who did a lot for others and who has always been a personal idol is Robin Williams. His passing affected me deeply so I wrote about it. You can read it here.

The King Is Dead, Long Live the King

By now you know Robin Williams is dead. It is hard not to know as it has dominated all forms of media for the last couple of days.

I don’t “do” celebrities. I have been fortunate enough to meet many of them and some I have the pleasure of calling my friends. But I don’t stalk them, idolise them, want to be them, care what they endorse or even get concerned about what happens to them. They are people. They have their lives and I have mine. To be honest, I have enough trouble trying to get my life right let alone worry about other peoples, let alone famous people I will never meet.

This was different for me.

His death kicked me in the guts, brought me to tears and broke something inside. It has taken me a few days to collect myself and I felt I needed to write something.

I don’t know Robin, I never met him and most importantly, I have no idea about who he truly is. I am not sure anyone did. Any of his media interviews descended into farce and laughter. Even the serious ones end up off the track and distracted from the internal entity that was Robin.

He was very public with his issues – from addiction to health and even finance, yet still we never knew him.

Zelda, his daughter, mentions that while there are many photos of Robin she has the memories of time spent with him. She and her family were probably some of the very few who actually knew him.

To me, he was the King of the Stage and I wanted to be like the persona I saw.

Over the years he has given me many gifts that I can never repay and for which I am eternally grateful.

He showed me it was OK to be me. In a time and location where I felt my humour and habits were “not normal” he showed me it was OK to be “out there”. It was OK to show off, laugh and be genuinely crazy. It was OK to not conform, to be different and to be loud and proud of that difference.

He showed me it was OK to be hairy. His bath scene during Moscow on the Hudson was one of the first times I had seen a truly hirsute man on screen. In his stand up he would often refer to his body hair. Under this clean cut suit of mine is a man who looks more like Koko the gorilla than Robin does. While society seems to think “Hair is Bad”, I am now certain, “Hair is Me.”

He showed me what I think is the ultimate in comedy. To riff off what is in front of you, to say what is on your mind without thinking, to make it up as you go, to take it to the end and then take it further – that it a talent that I prize highly. I like to think that in some of my moments I can almost reach it and it is magical when I do.

He showed me there is a time to be serious. Some of his work is downright chilling. One Hour Photo and Insomnia prove that he is not just a comedian but he is a true actor.

He showed me that things will not go your way, but you can still have fun. Whether in the guise of Patch Adams, Adrian Cronauer or simple as Robin Williams, fighting his own demons anything is laughable. Some of his stand up seemed like drowning his own tragedies in laughter.

He showed me perspective. By shifting your view to the stance of another, you can open your mind to something new. His rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s Fire as Elmer Fudd is 90 seconds of pure magic.

He showed me the power of laughter. I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t laugh at Robin. Kids, adults and all in between, there was something magical about his approach to life and laughter.

Most importantly, he showed me that even though I have to grow older, I don’t have to grow up. So I am not going to!

Thank you Robin for the laughs but more importantly, thank you for truly guiding me into the person that I am today.

My marketing blurb says it and I truly feel it, I am part Robin Williams.

The King is dead. Long live the King. Your table is ready.

Image: I stole it of Facebook

So What Is It?

Success

Without knowing it, the question “What is Success?” drives you. It is the reason that you do or don’t do things.

Unfortunately most people have not decided for themselves what success is.

One of my long-time favourite definitions is from Ralph Waldo Emerson.

“To laugh much; to win respect of intelligent persons and the affections of children; to earn the approbation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to give one’s self; to leave the world a little better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition.; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm, and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived–this is to have succeeded.”

But it is still not MY definition.

I have a new exciting project coming up called Get More Success. The first step is to define what success is. Is it:

To earn a certain level of income
To have regular travel
To have a family
To remain single
To spend more time with certain people
To have certain assets
To live in a certain location
To contribute to others
To do all of these

Can I ask you to do me a favour? Can you please spend 15 minutes over your favourite beverage and define for yourself “What Is Success.”

Once you know it will be a guiding beacon for all of your actions.

It’s Time!

I don’t do this very often so please indulge me.

Gough Whitlam is one of Australia’s elder statesmen. Some say that in politics he is a defining point. There is Before Gough and After Gough and these two political periods are very different.

In the Melbourne Fringe festival this year there is a one person play called Gough. It is about the man, the dismissal and what happened behind the scenes.

I am fortunate enough to have been cast as Gough. It is exciting and terrifying all at once!!

The plan is to run the Fringe Festival show and when it is successful have a repeat performance after the Fringe and then possibly take it on to Adelaide and Sydney festivals as the Writer/Director has done with his previous show.

To raise funds for the props, the theatre, the set and, most importantly, the wig, the Writer/Director has launched a Pozible campaign. It is close to reaching the target, only $404 to go.

If you can help, we would love your support. Click here to see a short video, view the donation rewards and contribute to a great show.

Thank you for indulging me!

Where’s Your Tribe?

I spent two hours this morning chatting with a friend from my tribe. My tribe is National Speakers; the association of Experts who Speak. It was only supposed to be an hour but once I got started, I found it hard to stop!

They understand my business like no one else does. They understand the ups, the downs, the problems, the opportunities and the excitement of running this kind of business.

They GET me.

While others will sort of get me (even Wifey doesn’t fully understand the business), no-one fully understands like other members of your tribe.

What about you? Where is your tribe? Who fully understands what you are going through?

Sometimes it is a professional association; it can also be a mastermind group or even a networking group of similar people. Whoever they are, find them, be part of them and give to them. By giving to them will you receive something no one else can give.

A sense of understanding and a sense of belonging.

So where’s your tribe?

008 Secrets to Financial Success

It seems the internet is loaded with the Secrets to Financial Success.

From get rich quick schemes and guaranteed gambling systems to outright scams!

But what do you do if you want to cautiously and securely build your wealth?

In this edition of Entrepreneurs In Action I talk with long term, successful, independently wealthy, Certified Financial Planner and Wealth Expert Chris Harris about what it takes to achieve Financial Success.

Enjoy!

Don’t forget to sign up to Entrepreneurs In Action podcast on iTunes by visiting www.EntrepreneursInAction.com.au or click here to hear it online

Do You Have the Courage to Lead?

I am a firm believer that you should Hire Slow and Fire Fast. Too often people hire the wrong person and then do nothing about it.

Here is what you could do:

Meet Hetty Kate.

Hetty was just leaving the choir I sing with as I joined it in 2007. She had worked for many years on her musical skills and was incredibly good. She had spent a couple of years with the choir to gain the experience of performing within a group and expanding her musical experience.

She would always talk about her dream of being a Jazz singer, singing with well known and regarded jazz musicians and going on tours singing.

Last week when Wifey and I were in Hobart, it was fabulous to see this article in the paper. Its references to how she has performed on four continents, released six albums and sung with James Morrison and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra shows that her dream is now her reality.

I’ve seen the same kind of thing with my clients.

But it MUST start with a dream. Something that inspires you and keeps you going when things get rough (as they will).

So what’s your dream? What are you aiming for?

PS Disney did a great song about this on their Tangled film. You can see some of here

Where Do You Get Them?

Let me be blatantly obvious. I am promoting a 30 minute webinar I am running this Friday on Successful Sponsorship Management. You probably got that from the last edition.

I will be covering Where to get sponsors, How to get sponsors and How to retain sponsors. If you want to find out more, be on the call or get access to the recording, register here.

In response to the last edition and some of my marketing of the webinar, I keep getting the questions, “Where do I get sponsors from?”

It is similar to the question, Where Do I Get My New Customers From?

Too often people will say “EVERYONE needs what I am selling.” It may be true but it is really hard work selling to people who don’t want to buy or don’t realise they need your product or service.

My sales coach, Paul McCarthy, has always said, “Go where the love is.” Years of being a muso taught him that it is easier to perform in front of people who love your style of music than those who don’t know it.

What sort of reaction would you get from a punk crowd if you started playing folk music? How would country and western fans respond when you start playing rap music?

It is the same when you are looking for sponsors. Go where the love is. Who loves your stuff, wants your stuff, needs your stuff and will pay money to access your stuff? They are your IDEAL sponsor.

To find out more, register for Friday’s webinar. Simply click here to find out more and enter your details.

Again, Again, Again

Are you scared to get things wrong?

In the past, I have been so scared to get things wrong or make the wrong decision, that I have done nothing just so I wouldn’t be wrong.

I am happy to be on stage in front of hundreds or thousands of people and stuff up. I have even completely stuffed up a song in my choir during a performance and been ok with it, but one on one I hate getting things wrong or doing the wrong thing.

As part of my continual professional development, I am doing some Improv training. The first thing they teach you is to celebrate your mistakes. There is no “wrong” and part of what slows you down is looking for the RIGHT thing. Our standard approach is that if you get stuck, stuff something up or just don’t know what to do, you wave your hands in the air and shout, “Again, again, again.”

How great would that be in real life? Imagine if during a negotiation, part way through a deep and meaningful conversation with a loved one or simply talking with a client, whenever what you said came out wrong or you weren’t how the next bit should go or they reacted unexpectedly to what you were saying you could just say, “Again, Again, Again.”

Next time you are scared to get things wrong, always remember you can say to yourself “Again, again, again.”

PS Want to see me get it wrong on stage?

My choir Mood Swing is performing this Sunday in North Melbourne at 2pm.
Two hours of family friendly entertainment for only $20 and kids are free.
With over 20 songs there will be plenty of opportunity for me to get words, dancing, commentaries and so much more WRONG!

To book your tickets or find out more, simply click here.

How Is Your Service?

What an amazing week in Abu Dhabi. So many amazing experiences and a great view from the lunch restaurant!

Grand Mosque

One of the things that I found fabulous was the level of service.

No, I was not staying at a 6, 7 or 8 star hotel, but it seemed no matter where you went the service was great.

What was the key thing that made the service so great? The assistants, waiters, hoteliers, AV crew, hosts were all smiling and happy.

You genuinely felt that they wanted you to have a good time and an enjoyable experience.

It proved to me that great customer service is a choice. You get to choose your attitude and the energy it takes to give a little extra is minimal.

So how is your service? Do you give good internal customer service as well as external customer service?

It’s a choice!

BONUS

As a little bonus, I shot a quick video (less than a minute!) when I was in Abu Dhabi on some of the service. Enjoy!

PS This concept of using a name was confirmed during my flight home. I noticed that the flight attendants name was Leanne (she was wearing a name tag).

So when she asked did I want chicken or fish, I replied “Can I have the chicken thank Leanne”.

She paused and said, “Thank you so much for using my name. I really appreciate it and wish more people would”. She then took great care of me on the way home and said thank you again as I left the plane.

Names are important. Use them as often as you can.

Warwick In Action

004 Seven Mistakes in Buying Industrial Equipment

Whether you are buying cleaning equipment or other industrial equipment, there are 7 key mistakes you want to avoid.

In this edition of Entrepreneurs In Action, Peter Bettes from CPC Equipment shares his experience on how to avoid those mistakes.

To make sure you don’t miss an episode, subscribe to Entrepreneurs In Action in iTunes. Simply visit www.EntrepreneursInAction.com.au

Greetings From Abu Dhabi

I have only just arrived here and I am here for a week presenting and hosting different elements of conference (I am looking forward to hosting the day at Ferrari World!)

In a session with The Bucket List Guy, Travis Bell, he told me that it is not achieving the item on the bucket list that counts; it is who you are on the other side of achieving it.

That put into words for me how I have always felt about travel. It is the exposure to different cultures, putting yourself in unfamiliar locations and situations, being resourceful enough to communicate when you don’t know the language, comprehending that YOU are the odd one out that stretch your mind.

When did you last put yourself in a “Foreign situation”? How can you have more of these growing experiences that stretch your mind?

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque near my hotel

2 Big Mistakes Speakers Make

Unknown to most people, I had my Performance Coach come and witness me perform as the Master of Ceremonies during Day 2 of a recent convention. She gave me some great feedback.

AND

She also made the comment that there were 2 big mistakes that most speakers made on stage. Including some of the more experienced speakers. I was talking about these mistakes with a meet up of a LinkedIn group this morning and thought that they may be of value to others who perform on stage. So here they are:

1) Speakers were not able to receive the acknowledgement from the crowd.
After a speaker spoke, the crowd got excited, applauded, whistled, threw items of clothing (ok so maybe not the last one) and the speaker gave a simple wave and walked off stage. It is the same as someone saying “Wow I like that outfit” and getting the reply “This old thing? I got it for $2 at the opshop”.

At the end of your presentation when people are applauding, stand there and receive it. Give a big bow or wave to acknowledge it but take the time to receive the accolades being given to you.

2) Most speakers used only 1/3 of the stage.
There was a huge stage there. USE IT! Ok so it can be fun to step off the stage, but it is also harder to see you. Way better to use the entire stage to better engage with your audience. I get for MCs we can be stuck at the lectern. Personally, I request a lapel microphone so I can stay away from the lectern. It helps me engage better and “play” with the audience.

So what do you think?
Do you agree with these concepts?
How will you change your next presentation?

003 Get More Clients

Another edition of Entrepreneurs In Action has been released. This session is an interview with serial entrepreneur Tim Hyde.

He has done a lot of work on how to get more clients. Find out some of his secrets.

Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the Podcast in iTunes by visiting www.EntrepreneursInAction.com.au

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