July
9, 2004
In
this issue:
I. Be
the hero of your own story - not the victim
II. Marketing's
#1 Rule is the Golden Rule
II. From behind the barn door…
I. Be
the hero of your own story - not the victim
Are you the hero of your story or the
victim? Surely you know someone who is one and someone who is the other.
Which one are you? Are you the one who "bad" things always
happen to, whose life is filled with all the things that "never
go right"? Or are you the "lucky" one, the one whose
path is continuously laid with opportunities? Or perhaps you're somewhere
in between. But wouldn't it be great if you could be one of those people
where everything seems to come easily, even if life isn't exactly perfect?
I had a good friend in college who told me once: "Alicia, you get
everything you want." At the time I thought he was completely wrong,
mainly because I could name a whole host of things that I wanted that
I wasn't getting. But what he said made a strong impact on me, and it
still does. I think about it now, and think about my life, and I have
to admit, he was right. It may have taken much longer than I would have
liked, but I do have everything I want. And it may have taken 34 years,
but I actually believe I deserve it now (but that's for another newsletter...
:)).
Here's an exercise to try (from Martha Beck's Finding Your Own North
Star - highly recommend it):
Write a brief timeline of the major events in your life. Read it over
and see whether you've written a happy story or a sad one. Now rewrite
it, selecting events and recounting them in ways that show you as a
helpless victim (this is just to get it out of your system). Then try
still another personal history, this one designed to make your reader
laugh. Finally, tell your life story as an adventure saga in which you
are the resourceful hero.
Learning to look at yourself this way is an incredibly effective step
toward psychological freedom, personal power, and mastery of your circumstances
(ed's note: wow, that sounds great, doesn't it?)
Most people think they'll believe in their own potential for success
when they see it; the truth is, you'll see it the very instant you decide
to believe it.
Think about it, try it, and let me
know how you make out...
II. Marketing's
#1 Rule - The Golden Rule
You know the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them
do unto you. Well, the same holds true for dealing successfully with
your clients and customers. You must treat each client or customer as
you would want to be treated - if you want to get and keep them for
the long term. If you don't like to be overcharged, underserved, put
on hold, ignored for even a day, told what you wanted isn't available,
reneg on the original deal, not thanked (big one!), certainly you don't
think your clients or customers do?
Always put yourself in the shoes of your client or customer. Sometimes
this takes practice, especially when you feel defensive if your client
or customer has a problem, but it is an absolute must if you want your
business to succeed. Ask yourself, "What would I want if I were
the client or customer?" Your answer is what you should work to
provide, and you will find that you will not regret having done so.
This is particularly important when you have an unhappy client or customer.
When you are that person, you want to be heard, validated, understood,
and treated with respect and concern, even if the solution doesn't work
out in your favor, but is still a fair resolution. You'll walk away
from the situation feeling ok about the company, which is crucial to
that company's future success. That's what you need to provide to your
client or customer, time and time again.
It should be easy to remember this because this Golden Rule will lead
you to gold... :)
III.
From behind the barn door…
My apologies for not being able to send a newsletter last week. My computer
AND my laptop seem to be fighting the same gremlin, and although James
seems to have tamed them both, they keep popping up and reeking havoc
now and again. I do think we're ok for now at least.
We spent a lovely holiday weekend at the lake. It was sunny for three
days, and we thoroughly enjoyed hanging out by the water (it was still
a bit chilly to actually go swimming) and catching up on some reading.
Our friends took us out in their boat to see the fireworks display on
the 4th, which was so much fun.
Looks like James is going to make that strategic move within his workplace,
and we're both very excited about it. We both had questions about what
the change would mean for us, and James made sure he received satisfactory
(and then some!) answers and talked with me about them before accepting
the position. And because he did that, now we both can be enthusiastic
about this new adventure. We're a good team... :)
I wish I was clever enough to write about the trials of giving a cat
a pill, but if you are a cat owner, you know exactly what I mean. Salem
has been licking his fur off his tummy, so the vet gave us pills to
give him twice a day. Let's just say that when James and I try to do
it together, it takes forever and is not at all pleasant. But when James
does it by himself, when I'm not in the room, somehow he manages to
do it at least quickly if not easily. I don't know how - nor do I want
to know - but at least Salem's getting his meds, they do seem to be
working, and he's no worse for wear. I just think someone should have
invented an easier way by now! :)
Enjoy these glorious days of summer, wherever you are!
Cheers
~
Alicia
Alicia
Forest is a Personal & Business Coach serving entrepreneurs and small
business owners in their desire to create a successful business, by
their definition of success. Her coaching programs are delivered by
means of quarterly teleworkshops, monthly teleconference calls, email
and telephone.
You are welcome to pass "Inner Compass ~ Weekly Directional" along to
your colleagues and friends, as long as it is intact. Your recommendation
is how we grow. The author of "Inner Compass ~ Weekly Directional"
is Alicia Forest. Contact her at alicia@innercompasscoaching.com
or at 845-216-8838.
For administrative matters and for information on our coaching programs
and other products and services, contact us at support@innercompasscoaching.com
or at 845-216-8838.
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