Even just for a day…

Be Positively Visible

When I was still teaching, some students asked me how they could get themselves to the top. And like the other teachers there, I gave them what I thought then as the most logical answer: work hard, gain more experience, and enroll in post graduate courses. I wish they would ask the same question today so I could give them another answer.

In one of our conversations, my mentor Vic Santiago shared with me how he promoted himself into the position of Vice-president in less than two years. I will share with you his secret.

Some weeks ago, I met a 21-year old beautiful lady. Her name is Carmel David. My initial impression is that she is intelligent, hardworking, passionate, and aiming for the top.

The Law of Positive Visibility.

You don’t exist if you are not visible. You have to be noticed to be promoted.

In my STand UP! Speak Out! workshop I usually hear some participants answered this question:

What is special about your work?

This way….

“My job is very special for the company. So, I worked very hard. I worked longer than the others. I committed myself to my work. But sometimes, I wondered why it seemed that my bosses didn’t notice my work. Some of my co-employees have already been promoted, but I am still here….”

Well, that’s what they usually say in the early part of the seminars. Before the end of the seminar, they would realize the power of being positively visible. That’s why they stand up! And speak out! (literally and figuratively)

We know the answer. We must be noticed. We must be visible. But many of us don’t want to self-promote. I don’t promote my talents and skills to people. That would be unacceptable to Filipinos. That’s the bigger problem,I think. However, no one will do it for me, and maybe, no one will do it for you–especially when everyone works as hard as you do and and everyone hopes to be your boss.

So promote yourself to the top–be visible. Try to do the following:

1. Find a problem your talents and skills can solve. It can be the processes in the company. Maybe you can help the processes become more efficient by streamlining a procedure from 15 steps to 5 steps. Or maybe you can suggest ways to help reduce operational expenses.

2. Make sure your solutions really work. You don’t have to suggests or voice out every solution you can think of. Choose those solutions that you can explain, and you can do just in case the company decides that you must lead in the implementation of your proposal. Sometimes, if the solution is something that must be done by a group, consider those people who can implement best your solutions. Take the risks.

3. Present your solution to your boss, and if possible help the boss of your boss be aware of your suggestions, solutions, or recommendations. Many times, they will reject your suggestions. Don’t worry, that is still a plus in your scorecard. The simple act of giving suggestions tells your boss and his/her bosses that you are a leader and that you want to help. Remember that rejections do not mean failure. You did not fail. The solution was not there in the beginning. You win. You are positively visible.

4. During informal conversation, find a way to subtly tell your boss about your talents and skills. It won’t hurt your boss if he/she knows that you have skills and talents in some areas. One day the company will be looking for a spokesperson– it is best that they know that you belong to a wonderful club of toastmasters. Show them that you have unused skills and talents. And wait. One day, they will call you.

5. Do your work supremely well. This is the most important advice I can give you if you are to make yourself positively visible. Pay the price for being visible. Do your job 200 percent and nothing less. If you want a bigger office, a higher position, you have to be bigger and higher than where you are at now.

Again, if you want to be promoted, be visible.

In the coming days, I will share with you how some people make their promotions inevitable.

God bless us all.

Jef Menguin

Jef Menguin facilitates people skills seminars and teambuilding and leadership workshops in Metro Manila, Philippines. Visit his website at http://jefmenguin.com to learn more about his seminars.

Inspirational videos

I found another video for Johnny the bagger. This one is more clear. I thought you will like it. http://www.stservicemovie.com/

From there you may like to proceed to http://www.simpletruths.com/ where you while find a lot of inspirational movies. I have just watched one this morning. The title was TO A CHILD, LOVE IS SPELLED T-I-M-E.

Visit and see one. It won’t take much from your precious time.

How much is your seminar?

“How much do you charge for your seminars?”

In the past, it was difficult for me to answer the question. I found that some clients found my price too expensive, while others found it very cheap that they didn’t take it seriously. There were those who thought that since a typical university professor receives only as much as 1000 pesos a day, charging them 15,000 for “facilitation” was simply immoral.

Then twice this morning, I was asked,”How much do you charge for your seminars?”

This reminded me of one group which has been requesting from me some proposals which we kept on revising for more than a year. We talked very often that I came up with a customized program for them. A couple of weeks ago, I learned that they gave the project to one group which gave them a slightly lower price.

This also reminded me of a practice of some who request for program outlines. Then show the outlines to other vendors to ask them if they could offer it for a lower price. Then somebody comes, offering the seminar for half the price of my proposal. Some call this unethical. I call this ignorance.

In both situations, I just smiled. I know they were not my ideal clients.

My ideal clients understand the value of training. For them training is not simply an event, or an occasion their employees must attend. It is an opportunity to grow, to progress, and to be the best in the field.

My ideal clients are ready to spend 1M pesos because they know that doing so might give them the 50M ROI . In other words, my ideal clients are not those who see training as expenses but a wise investment.

MY ideal clients conduct training needs analysis. I’ve talked to many who did not have training needs analyses before the seminars, and did not intend to conduct one because they didn’t want additional expenses.

And my ideal clients understand that I am not a lecturer. And that I am not only a speaker. I am a trainor. And I prepare for one day seminars 20 times the number of hours I need to deliver them. Saying that, I just remember what Brian Tracy said about this. It goes…

They pay a speaker 10, 20, 50 times what they pay a teacher. There is an enormous difference between carrying a tune when you run the lawn mover and Pavarotti. The difference is immense in terms of preparation and practice.

Most people seem to think I just decided to make a talk last week, and here I am. I tell everyone that asks me about getting into this business, to ” read Speak and Grow Rich and Secrets of Successful Speakers. I have read them from cover to cover and I recommend to run, don’t walk for those two books. If you need more advice after you read those two books, call me.” It takes almost as much time to become a brain surgeon as it does to become a successful professional speaker. Once they discover that from your book, I never from most of them again!

– Brian Tracy (from Secrets of Superstar Speakers by Lilly Walters, p 216)

And there are some things people don’t know about me. One is that I spend plenty of time reading books and magazines, researching journals, and interviewing people on subjects I am very passionate about (like customer service and public speaking). And I like talking about them. Another thing is that I value them so much that I personally believe that each seminar really worth more than 100 thousand pesos. I believe that the result of the seminar will give the company more than that value. And because I really love talking, given the right audience, I can even deliver my seminars for almost free! Come to think about it, those who asked for my price did not want it for free…

Seminars should increase life. And the real price is what you get from them.

 

Johnny the Bagger

• I just finished watching a video entitled Johnny the Bagger from KarmaTube. The video inspired me to be more creative with giving services beyond customers expectations. Johnny is a person with Down Syndrome who changed the culture of a grocery store by inspiring their customers with his “Thought of the Day” which he patiently wrote in cards and give to the groceries customers. The number of customers grew because of the sincere attitude of this young man to serve.

Personally, I know the value of this “Thought of Day” messages. Everyday, I send messages to friends, old and new, messages to inspire them. Every time we meet, they usually thank me before anything else for the “words of wisdom” I share with them. Lately, I even noticed that in some toastmasters clubs meetings, I was asked to give few words of wisdom before we adjourn the meeting. Last Thursday during my visit at the Farm at San Benito, Perla requested me to give “few words of wisdom” to the people gathered to celebrate the wonderful experience and feedback from the guests they had during the holy week. On that day, I saw Dr Jean, and again she also thanked for the words of wisdom I shared with her. I smiled when I heard the phrase words of wisdoms. It seemed to me that the Universe agree that the quotations which inspire me everyday, and which I also share with my friends, are the words of wisdom for them.

There were also times that friends texted me to say their thanks. They told me that the “words of wisdom” guided them through the crises they experienced the whole day. I am also thankful to them for every good deeds we do, no matter how small, make us better persons. I also realized that some friends even started sending their “words of wisdom” every now and then.

Going back to Johnny the Bagger, I suggest you watch the video yourself. You can find it here. I also looked for a video at google video. I found a preview here. No person has so little that he or she cannot share it with anyone. Each of us is given the opportunity to make other people feel good which, I have long realized, is the best way to make us also feel good about ourselves.

——————–

Related blog entries:

Keep the Customers Happy Everyday

Johnny the Bagger

How to Deal with Upset Customers

Creating Loyal Customers

Dealing With Your Customers

Beware with Deadly Service Attitudes

Using the RATER model in Customer Service

Power of Personal Values

Functions of Vision

Anatomy of a Vision

Create A Customer-Centered Vision

Walk the Talk in customer Service

How to Make Your Customers Happy

Customer Service Resources

Jef Menguin facilitates people skills seminars and teambuilding and leadership workshops in Metro Manila, Philippines. Visit his website at http://jefmenguin.com to learn more about his seminars.

Seth Godin’s

I like the blog of Seth today about the The Dabbawalla’s secret in customer service. I think knowing your customer is paramount in any business. I have been a victim of bad customer service many times. There are those who think that they don’t need excellent customer service because they are simply selling products are bound to fail. Walt Disney said it simply,” Our business is to make the customers happy”.

I still remember that during my college days, a canteen owner outside our school made his place famous because of what he says to every customer. Consistently, after serving his customers (and even to the non-customers who were waiting for people or for their next classes) he would say “Salamat po!” (thank you!). When the name of the person is known to him, then he would say, “Salamat Jef!”. That I thought was an admirable customer service.

Maybe you have also noticed that I stopped writing for some days. I’ve been reading Seth Godin’s ebook, and I found some of his ideas brilliant that I decided not to post my ready articles here. One that made an impression on me is that you, my readers , look for quality blogs. I was about to  upload my write ups here, when I my internal editor shouted that they are not worth your time. Don’t worry, I am not trying to write perfect pieces. Just like what I said in my earlier entries, I want to make more mistakes. But then, I like to share with you my great mistakes if there are such things.

I suggest that you also read Seth’s Permission Marketing and Knockknock ebooks There are two more books that I am reading. I will give them to you next time.

—-

If you have some concerns, feel free to email me at jefmenguin@yahoo.com.