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Point to
Ponder
Anything to declare...?
By Bob 'Idea Man'
Hooey
How often have you heard
these words as you stand or sit in line to reenter Canada after a
vacation or business trip? And how often have you been scratching
your head wondering if you remembered everything, or added it up
correctly?
As a professional speaker, success coach, and trainer, I often
have the privilege of traveling North America and occasionally
other countries to share my Ideas At Work! My work has allowed
me to visit and work in 34 countries on 4 continents so far.
This year I have been fortunate to visit Honolulu, Hawaii;
Australia (Sydney, Perth, Geraldton, Kalbarri, Noosa Head,
and Brisbane); Amsterdam; Detroit, Mi; Mexico; Seoul, Korea;
Valdivostok, Eastern Russia; and Orlando, Florida in addition
to traveling across Canada. This month I will be in Phoenix
for CAMP NSA and December will see me flying to Montreal for
our 14th annual CAPS convention.
Despite the romantic
notion of world travel and the privilege to meet people from
around the globe, being on the road is not always fun. Late
flights, rushed food, not enough sleep, missed connections,
and varying conditions for food, service, and variable accommodation
can take their toll on your body and your spirit. But
I wouldn't miss it for anything - I love what I do! Some of
the trips are even more special as Irene is there for the
adventure.
But I have to admit, there are
times when I've flown nearly 24 hours and had a delay or two enroute
that I really want to answer the question "Anything to
declare...?" with a simple, tired, "Yes, I'm glad to be home and I'm
glad to be a Canadian."
How about
you?
© Copyright 2010 Bob 'Idea Man' Hooey http://www.ideaman.net
All rights in all media reserved.
Archives of past issues are available on our www.ideaman.net website.
Thanksgiving greetings to our
US subscribers. I wish you the very best for this season.
Seven
success ideas you can build on!
By Bob 'Idea
Man' Hooey
If we are serious about offering
value-added service and meeting the changing needs of our customers,
we need to explore some different avenues in helping them solve or
resolve their problems. Here are seven areas that successful
businesses have used in their efforts to assist them. See if some of
these will lend themselves to your career or business, and build on
it!
Showroom or
in-store seminars
If your product or service lends itself
to being more effectively used by the use of different applications,
holding an in-house session is a great idea. How can you adapt
or change your situation to be able to offer this service to your
potential customers? I used these activities to enhance my career as
a successful kitchen designer.
In-house, client newsletter or e-zine
Keeping in touch and sharing information
on how to better use your products or services or what's happening
in your industry is a great way to serve. With some of the new
software programs, this is increasingly easier to accomplish.
I'd suggest doing this 2 to 4 times a year at first, so you don't
promise what you can't deliver. Keep it simple and
conversational. Keep the focus on "WIIFM" - what's in it for
me! Write it from their perspective, if you would truly serve
them. It can even be done as an e-letter and sent via the
Internet. When will you start? What will you call
it? Send me a copy... bob@ideaman.net ... I'd
love to see it! This is why we have been publishing our
Ideas @ Work! ezine for the past 6 years.
Send
stories to local media
Become a source of information to your
community by taking the risk of sending items of interest to
their readers to the media. Keeping people informed about
newsworthy developments is a customer service activity.
How can you do this in your area? Being quoted or having your
articles published can lead to some very productive responses.
I was hired to speak for OK Tire in Cancun after the lady who
was planning the event read one of my articles and decided I
was a great fit for her event - then she called to engage me.
(Gee, February in Cancun. Who would have thought?)
Write a
booklet, workbook or book
If you have built a solid reputation or
a depth of experience in your field, perhaps you can add value
to your service or business by taking the time to write a few
thoughts. It doesn't have to be a work of art, just valuable
and easily read. I started with "How to Remodel Your Kitchen
and Stay Married!"" when I was still designing kitchens 15 years
back. It was a very effective tool! Since I moved into the realm
of speaking, coaching and mentoring I have been able to write
and create a wide range of business, sales, leadership, and
career success publications. Recently we've published 4
Pocket Wisdom books on Sales, Leadership, Creativity,
and Presentation Skills. We plan to publish at least a dozen
over the next few years.
Mall
shows or home shows
Another opportunity to provide a needed
service to potential customers. It's a bit of work, but it will
pay off in the long run. Does your firm or product lend itself
to this type of instruction and marketing? Check out opportunities
in your area to better serve your customers, by sharing your
knowledge and exhibiting what you provide to the market. Is
there a mall show in your area that you can enter? How about
a display at a local bank or other location? My 'How to Remodel..."
lead to an offer to headline at the BC Home Show on my own Kitchen
Idea Stage. It worked wonders for my exposure and my business.
Another area would be to set up a display at local networking
and business or professional association events.
Continuing
education or guest lecturer
This is how I started and eventually this
outpouring of training as a professional kitchen designer allowed me
to teach fellow designers and potential customers alike. Later, we
expanded areas of instruction into the areas of time management,
creativity and problem solving and of course Customer Service. I've
been a full time speaker, trainer and consultant now for over 15
years; a National charter member of the Canadian Association of
Professional Speakers; and a member of the National Speakers
Association. It all started in night school. What
is it you know that would be teachable and provide solid value to
potential customers? What is stopping you from taking this
step?
Become a
media source
Contact your local media and let them
know you'd be willing to act as a source if something comes up
within your area of expertise. Often they are looking for local or
national responses to breaking stories. If they know you and
your expertise, you might be called on to respond or comment as an
industry 'expert.' What can you be an 'expert' on? Make
a commitment to let them know! See our 'Creative Collection
of Wisdom' Articles web page for information on how to
become known as the expert. www.ideaman.net/articles.html
Other ideas
As you read this, other ideas have
crossed your mind. Take a moment to jot them down. I'd be glad
to hear your ideas as well. Drop me a note at bob@ideaman.net
Copyright 2010 Bob 'Idea Man' Hooey
All Rights Reserved. Bob is a Business Enhancement Success Thinker,
Success Mentor and trainer who works with individuals and
organizations who want to unleash their potential and thrive in the
21st Century. He is the author of 10 business,
leadership and career success publications and his Ideas At Work!
have been successfully applied by then's of thousands of
professionals across North America. Visit his website for more
information: www.ideaman.net
Last Minute
News
October was an amazing
month. Keynoted for SKF Canada's cross Canada sales
team and their executive following the opening of their
new Solutions Factory in Edmonton. Evidently I did well
as I just had a report back that their Canadian President
wished I'd had more time with his team.
Our CAPS Alberta
Meet in the Middle event was very successful. Even more so
when crazy 'Bob the auction guy' showed up. Thanks to the
generousity of our donors and the largeness of our members and the
kind assistance of Randy Ritz during the auction,
we raised $12,340 during the auction. This will go to help both CAPS
chapters fund their programs in 2011.
Irene and I attended an evening with Jack
Canfield who was in rare form. A great evening
and some thoughts worth revisiting from Jack. We were able
to spend a couple of hours with him at a VIP meet and greet
in the afternoon. Very gracious man and Irene enjoyed meeting
him in addition to listening as he shared a few ideas.
I also attended the
New Rules of Marketing seminar earlier in the
month. So much to learn, so much to do. Growth is great, but it
takes discipline and investment.
Fall is still a bit
slower than last year, but the spring 2011 is starting to fill up
nicely.
November:
several events to participate in...including two meetings
where my friends Paul Bridle from the UK and Shawne Duperon
from Michagan are speaking, with the most fun being part of the NSA
Chapter Leadership Council and helping to facilitate CAMP NSA in
Phoenix. I had the privilege of being the first Canadian to attend
CAMP NSA in 1999 (2nd year they had it in operation to equip and
train their incoming Chapter leaders.) I have the Las Vegas and the
Florida Speakers Chapters to guide and serve this year.
I have been a member of
the NSA-Arizona chapter for about 3 years and I will
be able to attend a meeting in person this month during
my visit. Cool!
Will also be meeting with
a prospective business partner who lives in Phoenix. One of the
options we might explore is taking his company's training into
Australia in the future.
Will be kitten sitting
while I work on a couple of new writing projects and fine tuning our
Sales Success Mentors 90 day power program and a parallel one for
leaders and managers.
Also working on the
Just for CAPS cabaret... Putting the FUN back in FUNdraising
event in support of the CAPS Foundation where I serve as a
trustee. This evening may very well be the highlight of the upcoming
CAPS convention in Montreal next month.
Moving
into a new year soon for our various speaker joint venture
promotional sites: Alberta Speakers 5th year, Toronto Speakers
3rd year, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Sask. speakers into
year 4. So I will be sending out invoices in the next
week.
Late breaking
news
Team
Hooey has two new members as of October
31st.
This is
Jazz (actually they called her Jazmin at the Humane
Society) and we will most likely keep that and call her
Jazz.
She is a
very active 3 month old short haired cross whose birthday
was November 1st.
This is.... (we
don't know yet) They called him Newman at the Humane Society and
frankly neither of us liked that name.
I'm calling him
Dusty for now. He will be 3 months old on November
19th and is a long haired cross. He is also a very active youngster
and between the two of them we will be very busy 'kitty' proofing
both homes.
Any ideas for
what we should call him?
.. .they are
very loving, extremely active, and challenging us to kitty proof the
house... but we have fallen in love with them already. We'll let you
know the final name decision in December's issue. Follow this link to Facebook for a few more pics
from their first day in their new home. I think they have decided
they like each other, they like us, and they like their new home.
That is great... now I have two new fuzzy friends to share love with
along with loving my wife.
Thanks for
reading
Bob 'Idea Man' Hooey would be pleased
to be a part of your success team and to work with you to help
make your conference, meeting, or training event a success. For
more information about customized keynotes, professional and
personal leadership training and coaching, or seminars/retreats,
please visit http://www.ideaman.net or call our Creative Office
at: (780) 736-0009
for
availability.
Ask about a customized
conference, coaching or training package to suit your specific
career, company, or organizational needs.
Guess summer and
fall are gone... this picture was taken on October 29th...
Ask about our innovative leadership and/or sales
leaders' motivational training programs.
*****
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Bob is off to Phoenix later this
month to help facilitate CAMP NSA. He was asked to join the
NSA Chapter Leadership Council during his attendance at the
NSA convention in Orlando this summer.
This is a payback trip for Bob.
He had the privilege of being the 1st Canadian Camper shortly
after NSA began this program to train their incoming Chapter
Presidents (1999).
About
Bob
Bob is a professional speaker, author,
leadership, sales, and business success
expert
He is proud to
be an active professional member of these amazing
groups of people dedicated to polishing their craft
and to better serving their clients and audiences.
Bob is the co-founder
and a past president of CAPS Vancouver, an honorary
founding member of CAPS Sask., an honorary member
of CAPS Halifax, as well as being an active member
of CAPS Edmonton. He served as CAPS National Director
(2000-2002).
He would be happy
to discuss how he can work with you to equip and
motivate your leaders, their teams, sales teams,
or volunteers to grow and to succeed.
Call him today at
1-780-736-0009 to explore leveraging his innovative Ideas At
Work with your organization.
Ideas At Work! 10 Creativity
Corner Egremont, Alberta T0A 0Z0, CANADA |
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