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.
by Kirby Hasseman
I remember listening to an interview with the late-great Wayne Dyer that really changed my thought process. He was talking to the interviewer about the tremendous power of thoughts. He said, “The thing is, what you really, really, really want in life, you tend to get. But what you really, really, really DON’T want in life, you also tend to get! Your thoughts are very powerful. In both what you want and what you DON’T want, you put your thoughts and attention on.” Then he finished with this. “Once you realize that what you think about shows up in your life, you get REALLY careful about what you think about!’ I was reminded of this at a meeting recently. A group of good, smart people were sitting around discussing the creation of something new. Throughout the discussion, the conversation kept drifting back to the challenges that might be faced, the things that might not work, the obstacles that lay in the way. Those are important to understand and account for, for sure. But one thing we did not discuss…where we wanted to go. I was listening to the book Millionaire Success Habits by Dean Graziosi and it reminded me of this lesson. He talked about a group going on a whitewater rafting trip. The water was pretty rough and the guide was continually giving the group coaching and reminders. He told them that when he saw trouble ahead, he would never point to the trouble. He said if I point to the branch that we might run into (and tip us over), human nature will drive us right at it! Instead, he pointed to the spot in the river that the group needed to go. Focus on where you WANT to go. Stop focusing some much on the things that will get in the way. Now, for those of you “realists” in the audience, this does not mean the branch does not exist. The “potholes” in life are still there. But most people spend all of their time focused on the branches in their own life. Then they wonder why they spend every day running into them. What do you want to create? Spend your time, energy and talent focusing on that. Make sure you never miss an update! Each day we create new content with the goal of providing value to you. You can get one email per week with all of the content. Just sign up here to join our VIP list.
by Kirby Hasseman
One of the reasons I love Delivering Marketing Joy is, I not only get to ask some of the smartest people in business a few questions each week, but they get to ask me one. We structure it this way so it’s more of a discussion.
(You can find the latest Delivering Marketing Joy on our blog page here)
I love this because these thoughtful leaders often ask me questions that I have not answered before. Or, more likely, they ask them in different ways that make me think differently.
This happened to today.
The show we recorded will not air for a few weeks, but the question is incredibly timely, so I wanted to share it here. I was asked: “What are 3 things to think about when getting a corporate branded gift to make sure it is on the mark?” Though I get asked about corporate gifts a lot, this was a different way of looking at it. So I wanted to share my answer. Oh…and of course you need to think about how much you want to spend…and how many you want to give. But so many people don’t go any deeper than that! So here is a little different thought process.
Many of us have heard the term “Who? What? Where?” These are the questions you need to answer when telling a story. They are also the things you want your clients to remember…right? But when creating a corporate gift you want to answer “Who? Where? What?” Same questions, but in a specifically different order.
Who: When creating the perfect gift, you want to think hard about WHO you are giving it to? What do they look like? What are they interested in? Are they predominately female, young, old, techy, office, etc. Who are they really?
Where: Next I like to consider WHERE I would like them to enjoy the gift. Do I want to occupy space on their desk? Are they in the office (and do they need to share)? Do I want them to use these in their home? Where do I want them to enjoy the gift?
What: Only after I get the first two figured out do I roll to WHAT I want to give them. Once I know the WHO and the WHERE, this can come together quickly. If they are a young tech-friendly crowd and I want them to use them in the office, maybe I like the idea of bluetooth headphones. You get the idea. Go through this process and you might find just the perfect gift that they might NOT get for themselves.
P.S. If you want a few cool last minute ideas, you can head to our promo site to shop online. Make sure you never miss an update! Sign up for our VIP newsletter. Each week we send one email with all of the content for the week so you can catch up!
