by Kirby Hasseman
It’s time to bridge the Appreciation Gap. It’s time to tell our best customers, employees, board members (and others) how much we appreciate their time, effort and money that they give us! In short, it’s time to say “thank you.” This is the time of year to find those ideas…and we are here to help! That’s why we wrote this blog about 7 Spectacular gift ideas for the year end. These are sweet. On the other hand, not everyone has the same budget! So we want to give you options! With that in mind, here are some really cool branded merchandise items that are under $25! UL Persona Power Bank: Though you might be thinking that not everyone on your list is perfect for a tech gift, nearly everyone has a phone! And if you have a phone, you know the frustration of having it get low on battery. Here is how you swoop in to help! This cool looking power bank will charge their phone quickly and efficiently…and look cool in the process! iRock Elite Bluetooth Speaker: You can help your team keep the holidays festive with this bluetooth speaker! It’s small and cool looking with a good sound. In addition, it has a built in microphone so you can even take calls while using it. It’s perfect for that “business in the front, party in the back” kind of day! Pivot Stand Worklight: For the people on your list that love to “get work done,” this one is super functional. With a design that allows the light to be set up a different angles, this throws out a lot of light so you see it tight spaces. Urban Peak Quest 12 Can Cooler: If you want to give the people on your list something super functional AND fun, then this might be for you. The thicker inside liner is designed for longer lasting lift and more wear and tear (think better quality). Do you know anyone on your list that might need a cold beverage during the holidays? We do too. So that’s just a quick list of cool items under $25! Want more ideas? You can email your Hasseman Marketing rep! Don’t have one? No problem. Click here to find more “marketing joy.” Or click here and we can get you hooked up with someone right away. Finally, make sure you never miss an update. Sign up for our VIP newsletter right below!
by Kirby Hasseman
It’s hard to believe it’s nearly here! For over a decade, all of us at Hasseman Marketing have put on a show designed to entertain and amaze our customers and prospects. The idea is to create a place where some of our best suppliers can meet with our customers so they can get great ideas for their year end gifts…and plan for next year! As a matter of fact, here are is a blog we wrote with 4 reasons you should attend this year! And guess what? The event is this week! After months of talking about it and planning for it…it’s hard to believe! The theme this year is The Great Outdoors and the event is this Thursday October 11th from Noon to 5pm at the Lake Park Pavilion. Need directions? You can find info here. But what do you bring? We have a post about that too. Here are a few things to bring to the show to make sure it’s a success. Whether you are a customer or you are “just interested” in checking us out, this is a great event for you to attend. As we always say, we are throwing a party, so we want everyone to come! See you this Thursday! Make sure you never miss an update! You can follow us on Facebook. But one of the best ways is to sign up for our VIP newsletter. You can do that below!
by Kirby Hasseman
Everyone wants results. We want to see our dreams come true. We want to have 6 pack abs. We want fortune and fame. We want. But for the most part, we don’t “do.” We dream. We don’t execute. We are all guilty of it. We really want to have amazing results. But it’s so easy to look for the shortcut. It’s one of the ways content marketing, or sales, or building a business, etc. are like fitness (I talk about that here). We all want the quick fix. I was reminded of that as I looked at my sales activity over the last few weeks. I have actually gotten into the habit of looking at my recorded sales activity BEFORE I look at my results. Why? Because I know it’s predictive. If I do the work (and here’s they word) consistently, I will have better and more consistent results. We all can have one flash week where we make a big splash. Those weeks are awesome and they feel good. But they are hard to replicate and even harder to predict. If you want to create consistent results–in sales or in anything–you have to put in the consistent work. Results follow effort. So take some time as you read this to decide the pro-active actions you can take each day to lead to sales (or whatever result you want). This list will be made up of things that you can do, that YOU have control over. You don’t need someone else. You can do them…and they (eventually) lead to sales. These are called Lead Measures (this is from 4 Disciplines of Execution). Then create a place where you can track these activities. It’s a place where you can create some accountability for yourself. If you don’t do the work, you will know. Now take the few extra moments to track the activity. Don’t make excuses here. As Nike says, “Just do it.” After you do this, start to look at how your “lead measures” correlate with your goals. If you have chosen your lead measures correctly, they will. Then you can have more control and accountability over the process. It’s up to you. Make sure you never miss an update! It’s time to sign up for our VIP newsletter below. We send out one email a week to recap all of the content we create each week.
by Kirby Hasseman
Though I love to travel and I love educational events (read more about that Skucamp love-fest here), I love coming home too. My buddy Sam Kabert and I talked about this topic this week. When I am on the road, I get out of my norms and my routines. While you may laugh at that, I have created them on purpose. They help keep me on track, both mentally and physically. So while an event or a road trip helps to shake me up and gets me out of my comfort zone, I am often excited to get back…and get back to my routine. I talk about the power of routines (both good and bad) here on the DMJ Podcast. Get into a routine with us! We have a new post every day here at Hasseman Marketing.
by Kirby Hasseman
My oldest daughter Skylar just got a puppy. Since she lives with me, I just got a puppy. It’s great. (I talk about it here a bit). Anyone that has ever gotten a puppy knows I am lying. It’s not great. The Lord made puppies cute for a reason. They need to be cute to survive. But here’s the thing…getting a puppy is a long term play. Dogs are amazing. They can fill your heart with love and your life with memories. You just have to be willing to live through the tough start. It reminds me of starting a sales career (or a business for that matter). So here are the ways getting a puppy is like starting a new career in sales. It Starts Fun But: The first day you get a puppy it’s all excitement. As we discussed above, it’s so cute. Everything seems so fun…but trouble is just around the corner. Every thing about owning a puppy is harder than it seems on Day 1. The same is true for sales. It starts off exciting and fast but it gets a lot harder (and less cute) quickly. Getting Up Early: Part of the reason it gets less cute quickly is because of a lack of sleep. Just like a baby, the puppy has no sleeping routine yet. When you start in sales (or in business), you start getting up early quickly. The early bird gets the worm, remember? Patience Is a Virtue: You know what’s hard when things are not going as planned? Patience. But that is exactly what you need in both situations. You need patience because puppies take a while to train. And…you need patience to train new customers too! These new customers will become the lifeblood of your new business. But it takes time. Completely New Habits: If you have old routines, a puppy does not care. (Again…I talk about that here). And you can’t create new success in sales with your same old habits. You have to create new routines. You have to break out of your comfort zone. It’s not up for negotiation. Cleaning Up Messes: It goes without saying that when you have a new puppy, there will be some cleaning up messes. The same is true in sales. You have no relationship. You really have no trust with your prospects (or more to the point, they have no trust in you). So every problem is a big problem. You have to clean up the mess before it stains the relationship forever. There Are No Shortcuts: We all want to get the natural training process to speed up. Whether you want to train a puppy or build a business, we want to skip that part. But it doesn’t work that way. You have to pay the price. You have to spend the time. The bad news with starting a business or a sales career and training a puppy is, it’s tough. There are early mornings and late nights. There are times of frustration. The good news is, you know that if you put in the time and work, it will work. And both puppies and a sales career can help create a fulfilling life! Here’s to success in both!
by Kirby Hasseman
As a rule, I enjoy travel. I like to go new places. I like the adventure. I like new things. And, in truth, it usually makes me appreciate home. But in midst of the chaos of travel, it’s easy to get lost in it. On a recent trip, I was doing just that. It was the first leg of the trip and I had started the morning really early. When I left my house, it was just before 5am. I took the hour and a half trip to the airport in the darkness in stride. Now I was on a flight…tired. Then I looked out the window on the descent into Nashville. Though everyone around me was engrossed on their phones, looking at magazines, or lost in sleep, I had just a moment to remind me about the beauty that is all around us. The mountain tops were reaching to the sky through the low clouds creating an amazing image that was worthy of breaking me from my traveling trance. It reminded me how blessed I am to get to travel and see the world. It reminded me how blessed I am to choose what I do. It reminded me that in doing this, I get to see people I respect. It’s a wonderful world in which we live. Sometimes we just need to take a moment to appreciate the beauty that is all around us.
