Looking to the Light

Relationships and Partnerships

Tomorrow I have a training meeting with my team and I'm going to have one of my account reps speak to our team about what he expects from an advertiser and how an advertiser becomes a priority account for him including his likes/dislikes and how he would approach someone like himself if he were an advertiser. I thnk this will be really helpful and will give my team insight into how to approach a partner to build a strong and lasting partnership.

Noah is a great partner and I'm glad that I get the opportunity to work with him. He is smart and is really helpful.

Good Service or Great Business

I went out to lunch today with two guys I work with, Patrick Lucky and Jeff Layton. I wanted to take them out to lunch because they are both still in training in their new roles and want them to feel valued and appreciated. We were trying to pick a place to eat and Jeff suggested a sandwich joint named Henry's, that he use to eat at on a regular basis a year or so ago. He talked about the great food and the great service. Jeff mentioned that the owner would often remember your name and what you regularly order.

We came in and the owner immediately recognized Jeff and asked about his old co-worker and if they were still at the same company. Jeff ordered, then me and Patrick. The whole time John (the owner) was talking to us and was just a real nice guy. We talked to him a bit, he suggested the best sandwiches to eat, and made sure to remember our names. It looked as though he kept every ticket order that he'd ever taken. I saw boxes and boxes of order tickets and wondered if he might be able to pull out Jeff's old order tickets.

At the end of it all we had a great italian sub and some amazing service. i'd go back to John's sandwich joint any day if for no other reason then he ran a good business based not on making sandwiches but on great customer service.

Look to the Light

It's important to understand the best way to motivate and inspire those you encounter on a daily basis. I am constantly looking for ways to motivate others; my fiance, my co-workers, those I manage, etc. Often I reflect back on a book I read, How to Win Friends and Influence People, and want to share with you 12 Ways of Winning People to Your Way of Thinking.

1. The Only Way to Get the Best of an Argument is to Avoid it
2. Show Respect for the Other Man's Opinion
3. If You Are Wrong, Admit it Quickly and Emphatically
4. Begin in a Friendly Way
5. Get the Other Person Saying "Yes, Yes" Immediately
6. Let the Other Man Do a Great Deal of the Talking
7. Let the Other Man Feel That the Idea is His
8. Try Honestly to See Things From the Other Person's Point of View
9. Be Sympathetic With the Other Person's Ideas and Desires
10. Appeal to the Nobler Motives
11. Dramatize Your Ideas
12. Throw Down a Challenge

If I can discover how to successfully incorporate these ideas into my life I'll be a better manager, husband, and person. Imagine what type of impact this would have on others if you could get them to agree with you quickly. Maybe this will work on my future mother-in-law.

If you'd like to learn more about mine and Jordan's plans to get married you can visit our weddings site.