A Simple Thank You Goes A Long Way

Powerful Tool

Imagine an innovative, personalized tool which can be used for enriching the relationships in your life; personal relationships and any business relationship that you have with your existing clients and the clients you would LIKE to have! It’s the perfect tool to stay in touch with family, old/new friends, conduct creative prospecting, follow-up with existing and past clients, thanking someone for a referral all with a personal touch.

All relationships need cultivating and from a business perspective, ninety percent of business owners are missing the biggest opportunities available to them!

In business, the easiest and least expensive customers are referrals and repeat business. It’s the friends, family and associates of their current customers that enable them to have business come back to them PRESOLD! These are the easiest and least expensive customers to attract, but most people don’t stop to think about this. So they spend most of their time and resources cold-calling to attract new customers.

Click HERE to learn more about Referral Marketing.

If you are a business owner or an independent sales or service professional, you already know that people do business with people they know, like and trust (it's the relationship that counts). They also do and refer business to people they remember. Even if you are well-liked and respected, if you are not remembered, it does not matter. Imagine what if you sent one card every other month to your top 60 clients (a birthday card, thank you card, a thinking of you card, a holiday card, etc). How many more customers might that generate for you per year? Do the math! Do your customers remember you?

At a presentation to a group of realtors, the group was asked, “How many of you currently send cards to thank your customers?” Only 2 out of 40 raised their hands. The next question was asked: “What is a customer worth over their lifetime?” The answer: $4000…a very small amount. This means that:

1. Most of the realtors did not consider a person a source of revenue after the first sale.
2. They don’t do any kind of follow-up that could lead to referrals or repeat business.

People such as realtors, small business owners, loan officers, consultants, and sales professionals can use this incredibly simple system to double or triple their business in one year simply by making their customers feel special, cared for and appreciated. Send out one unexpected card a day and watch your business transform in a year!

Not to mention, if you have employees or you manage others, one of the most effective ways to encourage excellence and hold on to your best employees is to share appreciation when someone does a good job. (Studies show that not feeling appreciated is one of the top reasons given by valued employees who quit their jobs.) Build that relationship with your employee and they will feel appreciated!

Tom Hopkins is the #1 Sales Training “Expert” in the World and sending cards is one of his most powerful sales tools. Here are just a few examples of ways you can use greeting cards to build relationships with your clients, prospects and referral partners:

•Thank you for talking with me on the telephone
•Thank you for meeting with me
•Thank you for your business
•Thank you for your kind referral
•Thank you for taking your time to consider letting me serve you (after first refusal)
•Thank you for taking your time to analyze my services (after they buy from someone else)
•Thank you for the excellent service you have provided for me
•Thank you for using our service/product (sent at one year anniversary)

Not sure what to say in your notes? Make it personal, caring and “real”! Have you ever thought of putting a photo on the card saying "thank you, name here"?

This is the perfect mechanism for businesses to:
•Show Appreciation
•Build relationships, customer loyalty and retention
•Create top-of-mind awareness
•Differentiate businesses from their competitors
•Make customers or employees feel appreciated and acknowledged
•Increase warm market referrals

This service offers a simple and professional way for people and businesses to thank and follow up with their everyone; from friends/family to customers, vendors and associates. A customer who feels appreciated will continue to do business with you. They will also refer others to you, imagine the value associated with that referral. You can customize your business greeting cards with your own logo, photos, or designs. With this, a business can choose between creating their own custom cards, or have the flexibility of using any of the 13,000+ cards already available online.

“We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.” - Winston Churchill

You can even include a gifts & gift cards with your greeting cards - a great way to express special appreciation for a referral, a good deed, or a job well done. You can create template cards that will automatically send out thank you cards, birthday cards, holiday cards, promotional postcards, and more. This enables you to create single or multi-card drip campaign which does a “mail merge” of the recipient’s name to personalize the card. We’ll show you how to set up a template for your business in just minutes. You can even personalize each individual card anytime before its scheduled date to go out.

How does this work?

Here’s an example… Let’s say you sell insurance. You decide that when someone buys a policy from you, you will send a pre-created 4-piece campaign of cards to your new customer. You will send a Thank You Card, a Birthday Card, a Holiday card, and an Anniversary of Policy postcard. Once you’ve set it up, the system will automatically mail it for you on the designated date. You would probably set up the Thank You card to be mailed immediately, the Birthday card to be mailed 7 days prior to the customer’s birthday (a date you’ve entered into the customer record), the Holiday Card to be mailed December 1, and the Anniversary postcard to be mailed on the customer’s Anniversary of Policy date (another date you’ve entered into the customer record). Once you click SEND for this 4-piece campaign, the system handles the rest.

So, how does all this work? Here’s a quick overview of what you get with your own Greeting Card System:
•Online Contact Manager where you can store names, addresses, phone numbers, birthdates, anniversaries and other key information about everyone you know. If you are already using a contact management program such as ACT!, Outlook, or an Excel spreadsheet, you can import your contacts into the contact manager so you won’t need to re-type the information. You can use a software add-in to Microsoft Outlook 2007 ® enables you to connect to this service.
•Online Calendar and Reminder System that will never let you forget birthdays or anniversaries. (You can import this information from another database, too!)
•Online Greeting Card Catalog with 13,000+ greeting cards to choose from. You select and write your message; the service will print, stuff, stamp and send in the mail for you.
•Custom Cards for business or personal use: You can design a card with your company logo and artwork. You can also design a family holiday card or personal cards.

Ready to being enriching your relationships and manage them on autopilot? Click below so I can get you started immediately. You’ll be up and running in minutes, enjoying the benefits of one of the most powerful and convenient communication tool you’ve ever seen.

Don’t delay! Get started today and make an extraordinary difference in your business and personal relationships. Just click below and the system will set up a free sample account that will allow you to send two cards with a picture and your personal note to whomever you choose!

Experience how easy it is to send a greeting card! Click HERE for a FREE Trial account today!

If you have any difficulties, please contact us and we will set you up with your own trial account so you can test drive the system and see how it works. After trying it yourself, I’m sure you will agree that this is one of the most amazing productivity and relationship-building tools you’ve ever seen. It automates your follow-up with prospects in a highly personal way.

It's Your Attitude That Counts

Studies have proven that attitude is one of the traits that separate average salespeople from their highly-successful colleagues. I have to believe that it’s true in life in general, not just sales. Think about the happiest, most successful people you know. How do you usually find them? Are they depressed, negative or even apathetic? I doubt it. They’re probably upbeat, smiling and positive about life.

Why not take the same positive interested attitude you have toward your hobbies and transfer your passion to you ability to sell yourself, your ideas, or the end results of your hobby?

Instead of turning your selling job into a hobby, why not take the hobby you love so much and figure out how to market it or yourself? I’m not saying this change will make you a millionaire, but money isn’t the only measure of success. If you could support yourself comfortably on the earnings from your hobby, I would deem you as having a successful life.

Think about it! You already have the built-in enthusiasm, excitement and knowledge of your hobby. Now all you need to do is show others why they need to feel the same way. If you do a little research, you’ll find that many successful businesspeople started out by selling their hobbies. Determine what you love to do, and then figure out a way to get paid for it. What could be better?

Show Someone Some Gratitude Today

Showing Gratitude

• When was the last time YOU took the time to tell someone you loved them, or how much you care about and appreciate them? (and it wasn't Valentines Day)
• When was the last time YOU expressed sincere appreciation for a client that gave you referrals or even purchased something from you?
• When was the last time YOU expressed gratitude for those that helped YOU get to where YOU are today?
• When was the last time YOU recognized someone for their extra efforts on a given project, the referrals they gave you or simply for their support?

Interesting when we take a few moments to think about these questions, most of us will find that we’ve taken these things for granted (especially over a period of time)...Well now is the time, yes NOW, when you are thinking about it (you are "prompted" to do something about it), to send someone a heartfelt message expressing how much you appreciate them and are grateful for the things they’ve done for YOU.

With that note you may want to relate to them on a personal level and reflect on a shared moment.

Below are some ideas.
1. My favorite time together was:
2. Our best vacation together:
3. The lessons I learned from you:
4. The funniest thing that we did together:
5. What I admire about you:
6. I am proud of you because:

Celebrate LIFE; express your appreciation and gratitude to someone while they can still appreciate it...DON'T WAIT DO IT NOW, believe me you'll forget to do it if you don't do it when you are "prompted"!

Send someone a Card Today (do it while your thinking about it); Simply Click HERE to send 2 FREE Cards and to watch a couple of short videos about the system and how it works or CONTACT ME and I will show you how it works!

5 Pillars: Purpose, Potential, Pain, Passion and Power

5 Constant Pillars of Success

• You are a person of PURPOSE
o There is only one you…you are special
o Each one of us has our own set up of fingerprints
o You were born with a Purpose, find it and pursue it

• You have tremendous POTENTIAL
o Unlock it
o Maximize it

• Life is going to hand you PAIN/Adversity
o How are you going to handle it
o Are you going to give up or push through it
o All successful people experience pain, adversity, heartache and etc.

• Pursue your PASSION...
o Make it a passion…all successful people pursue their passion
o Are you pursuing your passion?
o Are you passionate about what you are doing? If not, why not?

• Release the POWER on the inside of you
o It is in you to be great, to be the best and to be successful

Your Dream Begins Today by Les Brown

What will your life be like when you’ve achieved your most deeply held dreams? Let’s take a look at how you can start living your dreams this very day.

Do you have a dream, a vision of the life you wish to live?
How specific is that dream?
How clear is that vision?
How do you intend to reach it?
What obstacles stand in your way?
Are your fears holding you back or are you using them to move you forward?

Your fears can actually lead you to success. Fear is an intense emotion. But that doesn’t mean it has to control you, or even stop you. Fear can prepare you and push you forward just as strongly as it can hold you back. Fear heightens your awareness and increases your physical strength. Fear brings your mind to sharp focus. With all that going for you, does it make sense to just run and hide? Of course not. Fear gets you in shape to take action!

Are you waiting for things to get better before moving ahead? If you’re serious about success, you need to start taking action today. If you’re waiting for things to be perfect, you’ll wait forever and nothing will ever get done.

The way to achieve is to bloom where you’re planted, to do what you can, where you are, with what you have. It’s easy to think up excuses for not taking action. “If only I had more hours in the day. If only I had a better job. If only I could meet the right person.” But excuses won’t bring you anything of value. You’ve got to change your “if only” into an “I will.” “I will make better use of my time. I will work on improving my career. I will create and nurture my relationships.”

Take a chance. Have faith in yourself. Your circumstances will improve when you make the effort to improve them. Start where you are right now. You have everything it takes to reach for whatever you desire. Stop wishing. Use your time, your energy, your thoughts and efforts to make it happen! You’ll be glad you did!

This Week's Jumpstart - Denis Waitley

Begin each day with this question: “What am I going to do today that will make the best use of my time and energy, and lead me a step closer to reaching my goals?”

During the day, each time you are faced with a decision, ask yourself: “Does this action substantially help me toward achieving my goals?”

Before you leave your workplace or before you go to sleep at night, make a list of your most urgent priorities for the following day in order of their importance. You might consider dividing your activities into A, B, and C lists:

A is for action immediately
B is before the end of the day
C is can wait until tomorrow

Become aware of interruptions and distractions that block your success. Constant telephone calls are the most common. Spending too much time on reading and answering personal e-mails is another problem. Chatting with co-workers eats up more time. Messy files, disorganized scheduling and cluttered desks are roadblocks. Take an objective look at your routines and habits. And then take action!

Take A Moment - Might As Well Dance

Here's a great read that came to me in an email that I felt would be great to pass on to others, so take a couple of minutes and enjoy!

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance. So pause just for 5 minutes and enjoy this story........and pass on the LOVE today, tomorrow, and always.

I arrived at the address where someone had requested a taxi. I honked but no one came out. I honked again, nothing. So I walked to the door and knocked. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets…There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.

Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, and then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated'.

'Oh, you're such a good boy', she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, and then asked, 'Could you drive through downtown?'

'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly.

'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice'.

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued. 'The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. What route would you like me to take?' I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired. Let's go now'

We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

'How much do I owe you?' she asked, reaching into her purse.

'Nothing,' I said

'You have to make a living,' she answered.

'There are other passengers,' I responded.

And then almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.

'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said. 'Thank you.'

I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life. I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk.

What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.

We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID OR WHAT YOU SAID, BUT THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.

Now, you won't get any big surprise in 10 days if you send this to ten people. But, you might help make the world a little kinder and more compassionate by sending it on.

Thank you and God Bless!

Setting Goals - Charting Your Course to Success

Simple Ways to Supercharge Your Goals and Make Them Work - Chris Widener

Here are some simple ways to set goals so that we achieve them! After all, what good is a goal if it isn’t something you achieve? Follow these simple steps to make sure that you see change in your life this year.

Narrow your focus. That’s right, start small. Pick two or three areas, tops, that you want to work on. Too many people say to themselves, “I want to do this, and this, and this, and this...” and they end up doing nothing! Most of what you do throughout your day can be done without a lot of mental or emotional exertion, but change isn’t one of them. So focus on a couple. This way you can win some victories in those areas. Here are some areas to think about: Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, Spiritual, Financial and Relational. What areas need some work? Now, what one thing should be the first item on the change list? The others will come later, but for now, you should focus on two or three.

Keep the long term in mind, but set your sights on achieving your goals in the short term. Do you want to lose 75 pounds? Good. Long term you will. But for now, think short term. Don’t think about losing 75 pound by summer; think about losing 5 pounds by next month. This does two things. First, it makes it urgent. Instead of blowing it and saying, “Oh well, I still have 17 months to lose the 75 pounds” (because eventually that becomes 2 months to lose 75 pounds) your goal is only a few weeks out. This is better in terms of reaching your goal. Secondly, as you reach these shorter-term goals, it gives you regular victories instead of regular progress. Progress feels good, but achieving a goal is awesome!

Reward yourself when you achieve the goal. When you lose the 5 pounds, go get yourself a “Grande whole-milk mocha”. But just one! Then get back to your goal for the next month, and the next. This puts a little fun back into the process of self-control and self-discipline. You will look forward to the reward, and when the going gets tough, you will say, “two more weeks, two more pounds, then...”

That’s it. I truly believe that it can be that simple for you…This adds some ideas to the above article.

1. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Instead of saying, “I am going to quit my three-pack a day habit cold turkey,” say “I am going to drop to a pack and a half a day.” You can always make new resolutions when you have achieved the first ones. Give yourself small victories a little at a time.

2. Be specific in your timeline. Don’t just say, “I am going to lose 20 pounds.” Say, “I am going to lose 20 pounds by April 1st.” This way, when you’re tempted in the ice cream aisle, you can say, “Nope, only 10 more pounds to go in a month and a half, and I am not going to blow it.”

3. Post your goals where you will see them every day. This will keep it at the forefront of your mind. Instead of forgetting that you are trying to lose weight and ordering a big, thick porterhouse, you will have been reminded earlier that day that you need to go with something a little more on the lighter side. It will help your will beat your desire.

4. Find an encouraging person, who you respect, to keep you accountable. This person should ask you, at an interval established by the both of you, how it is going. They must be the encouraging type, though. If you are blowing it, they can say, “Well, that’s okay, get back to it tomorrow.” If you are doing well, they can say, “Awesome job. I’ll talk to you next week.” You will look forward to their weekly encouragement.

5. Find a partner. That’s right, someone who is trying to accomplish the same thing (or something different if need be). Just make sure that they really want to change, or they will end up just bellyaching about how hard it is and you will both fall into the abyss.

6. Write down a list of all of the benefits that will come if you accomplish this. If it is losing weight, it might be something like this: Feel better, better self-esteem, longer life, clothes are more comfortable, no more time spent sewing on popped buttons, wife says you look 22 again, etc. If it is quitting smoking, it may look like this: Better breath, no more brown fingers, no more wrinkles on my face, no more red eyes, no more smelly clothes, longer life, wife doesn't make me spend two hours a day on the back porch, etc. This will help you see what you will get from accomplishing your goal.

7. Plan a reward if you accomplish your goal. It can be anything from small to large. If you drop the 20 pounds, go out for dinner and dessert. Then get back to losing the next 20. If it is quitting smoking, go on a mini-vacation. Whatever you do, reward yourself. Or let a spouse or a friend pick the reward. Then splurge and enjoy!