by Kirby Hasseman
“Familiarity breeds contempt.” You might have heard this saying. It’s a simple concept that says that what you see every day, you tend to get frustrated with. I see this, sometimes, in small town America. We see the same things each and every day, and we can get obsessed about the things that are “wrong.” We have this problem where Hasseman Marketing is located, in Coshocton County.
It’s natural. We have a tendency to see what bothers us. But as I have talked about before, you can train your mind what to look for. When we constantly obsess over the “bad” we fail to see the good. So I wanted to make a list of the things I am thankful for in my community. Here are 4 good things in Coshocton County.
Now Hiring
One of the critiques of Coshocton County for many years was the loss of jobs. It was true. We had lost quite a few manufacturing plants and jobs over the years. But here’s the thing, it’s not true now. It seems like every place I go, they have a sign out that says “now hiring.” If you go to the Ohio Means Jobs website for Coshocton County, there are lots of available positions. I am thankful and excited that there are lots of great opportunities in the community today.
ITM Investment
I am fired up about ITM moving to our Main Street in Coshocton. ITM is a company that has been in our community for many years and they have decided to purchase a building on Main Street…and bring 80 plus employees with them. This has the opportunity to be a really big deal for downtown.
Collaboration
One of the things I have most noticed is a new sense of working together. In many organizations, across many different areas, I hear the chatter of people working together to better get things done. Many of the territorial silos of the past seem to be dissolving. To me, that is extremely exciting.
New Energy
It’s hard to quantify this, but there seems to be a renewed energy in meetings. When you are looking for something good going on, there are plenty of people shouting out examples. You don’t have to look for them…positives seem to be jumping out everywhere. That energy is contagious. In addition to these positives, I see people investing in new businesses. I mentioned ITM above. But there are so many more! Sorrell’s on the Square, McKenna’s Farm Market, and The General Store in West Lafayette are just a few! It’s good to see these positives in the community. They are there. You just need to look for them. And regardless of your community, it helps when you spread the word as well!
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by Kirby Hasseman
My awesome wife (yes my wife is the best) bought me tickets to go see Garth Brooks in concert for Christmas. So I was lucky enough to be among the thousands of fans to see him in Pittsburgh recently. The show was truly outstanding. Whether you are a fan of his music or not, Garth puts on a show to remember. What an entertainer!
But it got me thinking, “What can I take away from this? What can I learn?” So here is what I came up with…5 Lessons to Learn from a Garth Brooks Concert!
The Power of the Wink: Gary Vaynerchuk actually talks about this concept. Garth understands that there is a huge amount of power in making each person in the stadium feel special. He runs around the stage so he spends time really singing and engaging with each section. He waves at individuals, slaps hands, and spends real moments that will create raging fans for life.
Lesson: Each customer matters…do you make them feel special?
Do More: The show was amazing. At the end of the event, I was tired! We had gone on a journey and stood and sang along. We had laughed and cried and screamed. And all I could think was, “He is going to do this again…tonight!” Garth scheduled two shows at 6:30pm and 10:30pm. Now that is ambitious.
Lesson: Want to grow your business? Do more than most people think is reasonable.
Bring The Energy: The reason I was so amazed that he was going to do this twice was, the level of energy he brought to the show was off the charts! He ran around and sang and screamed and (it seemed) had a great time. The audience responded to his passion by screaming louder (which I am sure fed his energy again).
Lesson: Your energy can really be contagious…is yours worth catching?
Play The Favorites: Garth actually talked about this during the show. He said when you come to see your favorite entertainer, it’s okay to hear the “new stuff.” But you bought the ticket to hear the old favorites. He’s right. The same is true for your customers. If you won them over with fantastic service, don’t change that model if you grow. Do what you do best!
Lesson: Don’t lose sight of what makes you special.
Let Your Team Shine: Around the middle of the show, Garth brought out his wife Trisha Yearwood to the stage. She is a talented entertainer in her own right and she did several great tunes from her career. In addition, both Trisha and Garth took the backseat as they welcomed one of their back-up singers to to front of the stage. She had written one of the songs Trisha was performing so they let her sing lead (and she was awesome). It was a cool moment for her and it made you like Garth and Trisha even more.
Lesson: Don’t be afraid to let your team members take the spotlight sometimes! It makes you look good.
What a show! If you get the chance to see it, I recommend it. And if you do (or if you have already seen him) let me know what lessons I missed! Remember…Sail Your Vessel!
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by Kirby Hasseman
Yesterday began December with a really cool day of giving. First, my wife and daughter finished up an extremely successful Clothing Drive. The video is here for more details. Then, after the final bit of clothing was dispersed, we headed out of town for a shopping trip for a list of kids in need. It was a long day, but it was hard not to be full of joy as you considered how many people would be affected. But the best part of it was the conversation. Certainly we felt good about “giving” during this holiday season. But our discussion very naturally went to those people that completely give of their time all year round. These are the people that open up their home, every single day, all around the country, to give kids a safe, loving and warm environment. The real superheroes are Foster Parents. During this holiday season, we all feel a tug on our hearts to help each other. These folks do it all year long. Unfortunately, foster parents are more in demand than ever before. If you are feel called to find out more information, here is a link to the program in Coshocton County. Not in Coshocton County? Here information from the National Adoption Center. So during this holiday season, let’s all take an extra moment to help those in need. In addition, let’s take several moments to thank those who do it all the time! You are the superheroes. You are appreciated. Make sure you never miss an update. Sign up for our VIP newsletter here.
by Kirby Hasseman
One of my favorite quotes is, “The greatest distance in the world is the distance between “I know” and “I do.”
It’s a quote I use all of the time. Why? Because most of the problems or challenges in our lives have simple answers.
They are simple…not easy.
We know that if we want to lose weight we need to eat less and work out more. Simple. We know if we want to write a book we need to write one page a day. We know if we want to make more sales, we need to make more sales calls. Yep…still simple We “know” the answer to all of these. We just don’t “do” them.
On the other hand, most long-term changes in our lives don’t come from sweeping, huge, wholesale changes. Often, they come from making small changes that we are able to maintain. I see people all of the time make huge dietary changes in their life. They might even successfully lose a bunch of weight in a short period of time. It’s exciting and it’s impressive. It takes a huge amount of energy and discipline. Then they stop. The choices become too big. They become too hard. So make one “slip up” and they slide back into old habits. They gain the weight back and are incredibly frustrated with themselves that they could not keep up the “diet.”
That’s why I often advocate for small changes. You don’t have to start training for a marathon. Start by taking a daily walk. Create a routine that you can maintain and maybe (God forbid) enjoy! You can create a foundation of success that you are excited to build upon.
The same is true in sales and business. So often we think we need to make sweeping changes to improve. They are great…but can you maintain them? What if you just: Made one more sales call per day? Answered the phone one ring faster? Sent out one thank you per week? Wrote one helpful blog post?
Create small changes in your business and they can make a big difference down the road. Then you can decrease the distance between “I know” and “I do” just a little bit each day.
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by Kirby Hasseman
“I love it when a plan comes together.” This is not just the line Hannibal used to say at the end of the 80’s adventure show, The A-Team. It’s also how I feel today. After months of planning, promotion, and hard work, the clothing drive that my daughter Jade Hasseman helps to organize will happen. Last year, Jade saw a need at her school and decided to start a clothing drive for kids who needed warm clothes. It went incredibly well and this year they decided to do it again. (You can read more about it here). So today, (because it was too much for pick up trucks) a Box Truck full of new and gently used clothing will be heading to Coshocton High School for kids in need. They will be able to take whatever they need…for free. In addition, many generous people donated money so they could provide deodorant, shampoo, soap too. Oh, and it’s worth a shout out to Coshocton Dentistry who is donated Toothbrushes and toothpaste as well! The generosity of the Coshocton County community has been amazing. I am super proud of Jade (and my wife Amy) for helping to make this happen. But Jade would tell you it’s a huge team effort. There are tons of people that have donated, helped to sort and fold the clothing, and (hopefully) lots of people to help load up today. Any effort like this cannot happen without a large group of people that roll up their sleeves. It all started with a simple question. What can I do to help? Make sure you never miss an update! Today is a great day to sign up for our VIP newsletter here.
