small business Archives - Page 14 of 19

Stop Lying About “Going to Work”

There’s a guy at my gym whom I call Burl. Not because he’s burly, like you’d expect a gym regular to be, but because he looks like Burl Ives. (For you younger readers, Burl Ives was a rotund, congenial-looking man, whom you may know as the voice of Frosty the Snowman. He was not known for his rock-hard abs.) Burl is there every morning, sitting on an exercise bike, watching TV. Not actually exercising, mind you. I’ve never seen him ...

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21
MAY
2010

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Creativity, Producing Results, Work Ethic

attitude, Beatles, Beatles expert, Bill Stainton, business integrity, goal setting, goals, keynote speaker, leadership, leadership training, Paul McCartney, procrastination, productivity, professional speaker, running a business, running your business, small business, small business success, work ethic

Does Your Business Have a “Hook”?

Posted by: Bill Stainton

You’ve got a nice little business with all the things that a nice little business requires: a great product or service, a company web site, maybe even an expensive sales and marketing campaign. The only problem is, you’re not getting the customers. You’ve built it, but they’re not coming. What’s the problem?

You have no hook.

One of the primary reasons for the Beatles’ enduring success is that, above almost anything else, those boys could write a hook! Some little musical idea ...

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7
MAY
2010

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Customer Service, Producing Results, Work Ethic

Beatles, Beatles expert, Bill Stainton, competition, creative ideas, creativity, innovation, innovative thinking, keynote speaker, leadership, marketing, professional speaker, running a business, running your business, sales, small business, small business success

Stop Lurching Through Your Business!

Posted by: Bill Stainton

As a professional speaker, I get to visit with many different businesses in a cross-section of industries. I’m noticing some trends that I find encouraging—trends that I’ve confirmed with several of my speaker colleagues. Now, I’m not going to sit here and try to convince you that we’re completely out of the economic doldrums. You’re too smart to fall for that (except for you—the guy in the yellow flowered shirt—you’ll believe anything I tell you). But in broad terms, ...

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19
APR
2010

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Leadership, Producing Results, The Beatles, Work Ethic

attitude, Beatles, Beatles expert, Bill Stainton, change, competition, creative ideas, creativity, innovation, innovative thinking, keynote speaker, leadership, leadership training, leading through change, professional speaker, running a business, running your business, small business, small business success

Do Your Customers Feel Like They Belong?

Posted by: Bill Stainton

I went to hear a Beatles tribute band last night. That, in itself is not remarkable. I see a lot of Beatles tribute bands. But here’s what struck me. I got to the venue a half hour early, and there was already a line. But this wasn’t a line waiting to get in; this was a line hoping to get in. See, the venue was already filled to capacity, and they weren’t letting anybody else enter. (Fortunately, by virtue of ...

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15
FEB
2010

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Producing Results, The Beatles

Beatles, Beatles expert, Bill Stainton, customer loyalty, customer service, keynote speaker, leadership, running a business, running your business, small business, small business success

Are Your Customers Finding You Dispensable?

Posted by: Bill Stainton

I just got off the phone with a colleague who was complaining (whining, really) about the fact that nobody seemed to have any money to hire him. It’s the economy, of course. A few years ago, people had money, and he was being hired. Now, it’s dried up. Damn this economy!

To a certain extent, he’s right—things were easier a few years ago. But he was wrong when he said that nobody has any money. Because here’s the truth:

There’s always money ...

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31
JAN
2010

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Change, Customer Service, Sales, The Beatles

attitude, Beatles, Beatles expert, Bill Stainton, competition, customer service, exceeding expectations, keynote speaker, leadership, productivity, professional speaker, running a business, running your business, sales, small business, small business success

Can You Answer This Basic Question?

Posted by: Bill Stainton

“What do you do for a living?”

That’s a question that far too many people dread, because they don’t have a good, compelling answer. They say something like, “I’m a lawyer,” or, “I’m a financial planner,” or, “I’m the drummer for the Beatles,” and then wonder why everybody quickly walks away. (Okay, they’re probably not going to walk away from that last one, but you get my point. And by the way—Ringo, if you’re reading this, give me a call. I ...

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17
DEC
2009

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Communication, Leadership, Producing Results, Videos

Beatles, Beatles expert, Bill Stainton, branding, defining statement, elevator speech, keynote speaker, running a business, running your business, small business, small business success

Do You Know What Your “Real” Business Is?

Posted by: Bill Stainton

A couple of nights ago I made sauteed chicken breasts for dinner, with a white wine pan sauce to make it a little more interesting. Briefly, here’s how you make a pan sauce (and yes, I promise this is going somewhere): you add a quarter cup of wine and a quarter cup of chicken broth to the pan, perhaps with a bit of mustard, and then boil it until the half-cup of liquid is reduced down to a total of ...

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15
DEC
2009

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Communication, Creativity, Customer Service, Leadership

Beatles, Beatles expert, Bill Stainton, branding, competition, creative ideas, customer service, innovation, innovative thinking, keynote speaker, leadership, leadership training, professional speaker, running a business, running your business, small business, small business success

The #1 Skill Warren Buffett Says You Need

Posted by: Bill Stainton

I just finished watching a town meeting with Bill Gates and Warren Buffett that was taped at Columbia Business School last month. The entire meeting was immensely illuminating, but I was fascinated by one thing Warren Buffett said. Before I get to that, let me say that both Mr. Buffett and Mr. Gates were exceedingly optimistic about the future of our country and our economy. [You, at your cynical best: “Yeah, I’d be optimistic too if I were worth $50 ...

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11
DEC
2009

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Communication, Leadership, The Beatles, Videos

Beatles, Bill Stainton, communication skills, competition, keynote speaker, leadership, leadership training, professional speaker, small business, small business success, Warren Buffett

A Great Excuse, Ruined

Posted by: Bill Stainton

You know how, when you have a cold, you just don’t feel like doing anything? There’s the coughing, the sniffling, the sore throat—and they all combine to create a mood of general lethargy. Well, welcome to my world! That’s where I’ve been for the past week. And you know what I found out? Having a cold makes a great excuse! “No, I can’t go to that party…I have a cold.” “Sorry, can’t talk on the phone now…I have a cold.” ...

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24
AUG
2009

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Creativity, Producing Results, The Beatles, Work Ethic

attitude, Beatles, Bill Stainton, competition, keynote speaker, productivity, professional speaker, running a business, running your business, small business, small business success, work ethic

Are You Playing to Your Strengths?

Posted by: Bill Stainton

Why do we spend so much time focusing on the things we don’t do well? Honestly, we beat ourselves up all the time. It seems that no matter how many things we’re good at, we choose to dwell on the weaknesses:

Alan (despondently): I just can’t hang pictures. Look at these. They’re all crooked. I’m going to kill myself.

Kari: Are you crazy? You’ve won a Nobel Peace Prize, cured swine flu, and you’re currently starring in the ...

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10
AUG
2009

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Creativity, Leadership, Teams, The Beatles

attitude, Beatles, Bill Stainton, keynote speaker, leadership, leadership training, play to your strengths, playing to your strengths, professional speaker, running a business, running your business, small business, small business success, team building, teambuilding, teamwork