You Are Worth Every Last Penny You Are Paid

A friend once told me not to underestimate the value of what I do to serve others professionally. Do I believe the value added to a client or a client's business is me? Do the client and employees of the client believe my standing alongside them adds value?

The people served will not believe you add value unless you believe it yourself first. When giving away something free, whether your time, a writing like a blog, or your dedication to serve, you are communicating you have have no value. Naturally the people who receive your free offering do not perceive a value either. You certainly do not communicate your worth by giving away yourself for free so how are they going to know unless you charge for your time, expertise, and wisdom.

The people you serve will not understand your value added until they have "skin in the game." Your responsibility is to discover what you give away then charge for all current free offerings. Only then will others embrace the value you add to them and their enterprise. Only then will transformation of their enterprise be substainable.

What your customers want is sustained change for the bottom line of their business. As a leader your responsibility is to communicate clearly your customer must pay for you to effectuate change that is lasting.

To discover the change your customer needs the most, you must begin with the customer paying you to listen and ask good questions. What is the customer's outcome? What are the implications for the customer when the customer reaches the outcome? What does the client see as the value added when the outcome is achieved?

How is the customer going to get there? Who is going to help the customer get there? The best form of selling is allowing the customer to reach the conclusion themselves that you are the solution. When the customer pays you (preferably up front), the customer immediately adds value because the customer effectuated change: the customer gave you money from his business to have you on his team.

BUSYNESS AND DORMANCY

Infinite possibilities exist between two extremes. For a business owner to balance the enterprise’s time of abundance with periodically removing himself from the busyness is essential.

The business owner must prepare for all possibilities between the extremes. The business owner must ready himself and plan for extremes of busyness comparatively to needed dormancy. Neither planned busyness nor planned dormancy is less important than the other.

The business owner must make sure the enterprise’s systems for handling abundant times are in writing. These times are best described as busyness when the business owner does not know how everything is going to get done within the current systems in place.

The business owner not working in the administration of the enterprise is necessary for the business owner to customize constantly the systems. The more the systems administrate without the business owner’s involvement the better the business owner can work on the enterprise and manage human resources.

The manager must know the strengths of all employees so every employee is fit into the systems best suited for them. During more dormant times compared to extreme busyness the business owner, as the manager, has time to evaluate employees’ strengths and to come up with new methods of measuring the employees’ progress through the next busy time.

The business owner as the leader must communicate clearly how the enterprise competes against itself to make better systems while employees are challenged to change for their own betterment within the systems the employees work. Employees must know how the enterprise measures them through the constant refining of the systems.

ADVISOR

Integrity in customer relations is about clearly communicating what the business owner knows as fact distinguished from theory. This is true whether selling a product or system, providing services, and it is particularly true when issuing advice.

An advisor who himself has done what he advises is better equipped to separate fact from theory. When focusing on facts, the advisor more likely can guide toward desired results because the advisor can rely on his experience to assert the likelihood of an outcome.

A thoroughly honest advisor who comes up with a theory admits his theory is a metaphor. His theory has only a likeness to reality. An advisor with integrity knows the term theory means conjecture.

If a business owner wants to become an expert in his field, he must verify facts. Experts live in the reality of facts, not conjecture. Make sure the advisor you are relying upon to provide you expert advice has done the more difficult work of searching out facts.

FISHING

I enjoy fishing. This past Saturday I caught a walleye at Sylvan Lake near Rome City, Indiana. Any year when I catch a walleye this early in the year is a great fishing year.

The confidence of a fisherman is very significant. If a fisherman is confident he will stay alert. While alert the fisherman will set the hook upon the fish striking the bait. A good fisherman knows to set the hook firmly.

This time of year the water is chilly. Minnows are the best bait. The bigger the minnow the bigger the fish caught. The bigger the fish caught the longer the fisherman has to wait to catch the big fish.

After the walleye I caught a crappie using a minnow. The day before I caught a trout using a minnow. Two days before I caught a bass using a minnow.

Three days in a row the weather was warm. The wind was slight. I got sunburned while wearing shorts and a tee shirt.

I cannot beat warm weather, fishing, and catching. This year is a great fishing year.

TRUTH

At college I took a class entitled Modern Literature. The theme of the class was “Fiction mirrors reality.”

When practicing law, I hear many true stories. I use the phrase “Who needs fiction when you have reality.”

Recently I heard a quote from Mark Twain. He said, “Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities. Truth isn’t.”

Last Sunday the speaker encouraged his listeners to dig for the truth. He explained resources of news are not enough to know the whole story.

Learning how to learn is so important. The skills I have developed for learning how to learn have proven invaluable.

Such skills strengthened me to read the One Year Bible many times. I was able to study God’s Word and learn His truth.

Such skills make me look into the background of all resources I use. I investigate the behavior and witness of resources’ authors.

I encourage others to choose carefully what they decide to put into their heads. You are what you think.

GENUINE CHARACTER

I hold in high personal regard people who are authentic. Authentic people are sincere, communicate directly, and are honest. Authentic people have genuine character.

The history for the term authentic also carries with it “one who does things himself.” Another word is self-sufficient: having the necessary resources to get along without help.

The more and more an entrepreneur maintains a consistent genuine character, the more likely the entrepreneur’s enterprise will have necessary resources. The necessary resources resulting from a genuine character are customers with whom the entrepreneur wants to work, an outstanding reputation, and trustworthy referral sources.

An entrepreneur with genuine character may boldly embrace sales. For an entrepreneur with genuine character sales is not a gimmick, puffing, or a canned presentation. Sales for an entrepreneur with genuine character can be performed with a conversation about what the entrepreneur is passionate about.

Before conducting sales an authentic entrepreneur already figured out what others need and how to best serve. With sincere and direct conversation about the enterprise’s purpose, the entrepreneur grows relationships then nourishes the relationships with timely follow through and by keeping his promises.

An entrepreneur striving for consistent genuine character makes an honest effort to understand fully his strengths and the opportunities of the enterprise. The entrepreneur can then confidently use his sales strengths and grab the opportunities available.

COACHING

A coach serves as a leader. A leader must communicate clearly. A coach must establish a code of honor all teammates abide by. I use the 345 Reward System.

The 3 in 345 is three rules. Each team member holds their tongue (is quiet) when a coach is talking. Each team member always hustles. Each team member is never negative. These three rules work great during practice. The team members know the authority outlined practice for continuous hustle and the team members should not complain.

The 4 in 345 is four requirements. Team members communicate to one another. Each team member is to concentrate constantly. Team members work hard. All team members compete. These four rules work great during time outs. When the game is going well, the team quickly reaffirms the team’s good play by committing to remain steady at the requirement the team is performing best. When the game is not going so well, the team can point to one requirement the team is doing worst at then commit they will immediately get better at the unsatisfactory requirement.

The 5 in 345 is five character building statements. The first is “Not Today” meaning there is no acceptable level of failure. The statement is a call to perform with excellence, not simply to make a mediocre effort.

The second is “It Doesn’t Matter.” No matter what the challenge there is no place for self pity. Team members do not use excuses or blame others.

The third is “Finish It.” Most sporting activities have half times. There is no success at half time. Whether referencing a set play or a shot for a goal, each team member must finish strong.

The fourth is “There is No Growth Without Failure.” No one grows through constant success. Team members cannot give up no matter how bad the circumstances.

The fifth is “There is no Strength Without Pain.” Most everyone has heard the phrase no pain, no gain. The bottom line: if you want to perform, you must work hard.

With these character statements coaches and teammates encourage each other. The greatest reward is when each team member fulfills his role and the team performs successfully. A coach should reward team members verbally with encouragement every opportunity the coach has.