***TOP RATED POST***
Let’s call her Betty the Barometer.
Now this story dates way back to when my hair was still black and I looked more like Mark Spitz than Jay Leno. (not to say I can compare to either of them, but you get my drift).
I was assigned as the Grocery Department manager in a new store.
Towards the end of the second week, I was walking through the store in a terrible mood because the night stocking crew did not complete their assignments and my department was not meeting customer requirements... I probably looked like a chicken with my head cut off because I circled the inside parameter of the store several times barking out orders to my employees and completely ignoring the customers.
Betty, a very petite and soft-spoken meat wrapper with 23 years in the business, had been observing me in my state of frenzy while she was stocking the meat case with fresh cut meat... As I passed by her for the third time, she called out to me.
“Gambone! …come here for second.”
I quickly stopped in my tracks and started walking towards her with a huff and a puff.
“What Betty, can’t you see I’m busy.”
“You know Gambone, that’s your problem, you are too busy. You look like you are ready to explode. What happened to that smiling face I am used to seeing?...and hey, you didn’t even say hi to me this morning!
Well, I don’t know what’s going on in your head but you can’t let your employees and customers see that you are pissed off…we need you to lift us up, not let us down.”
I looked at Betty and said, “Wow Betty, thank you …I never would have thought I'd hear that from you….but you are right…thank you again.”
From that day forward, when I got in a bad mood, I would always check with Betty to see if my “mood” was actually coming to the surface.
We all need a Betty in our lives.
Ask yourself…Who is my “business barometer?”
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***This is just a sample!... if you would like a full slice of "Pecans of Wisdom", be sure to indulge yourself in my book, "Pecan Pie" buy it NOW! on Amazon.com
“Copyright (9-28-2011) by Robert V. Gambone Sr.”
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Beware of The Grazers!
In the supermarket business, we call people who eat all the samples and rarely purchase anything, Grazers.
Guess what?!.... Grazers are everywhere! And to the small businessperson they can eat you alive!
How do you recognize a Grazer? Here are 3 Red Lights!
1.Grazers attend your free seminars, sometimes two or three times but they never commit.
They are very friendly, give you great feedback, and then suddenly they are gone!
2. Grazers love to schedule first meetings with you. They make the meeting all about you; sometimes surprise you by bringing a business partner. Grazers ask you a lot a questions about yourself and particularly all about your business, but when you try to have a follow up meeting to find out more about their business, they make it almost impossible to meet again, or they cancel right before the second meeting.
3. And then there are the EGrazers. They remind me of the people who would eat the sample and then want to fill out an “incident report” claiming they choked or got sick. EGrazers eat up all of your information you have posted on the internet and then use it for their own profit.
What can we do to prevent Grazing? Nothing!, but you can slow it down.
1. Charge a fee for seminar (adds value) and reimburse the fee with purchase.
2. Have an agenda for your meeting or at least know when to stop talking about you and then start asking about them. Say something like, “hey, enough about me for now, let’s talk about you.”
3. Make sure your information on the web is protected, copyright, trademark, etc… best to talk to an expert on this matter.
Al Sandonato, a mentor of mine once said… “Gambone, Grazers will eat everything and never buy anything.”
I would love to continue this discussion. Please email me at bobgambone@bobgambone.com.
***This is just a sample!... if you would like a full slice of "Pecans of Wisdom", be sure to indulge yourself in my book, "Pecan Pie" by it NOW! on Amazon.com
“Copyright (9-18-2011) by Robert V. Gambone Sr.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Guess what?!.... Grazers are everywhere! And to the small businessperson they can eat you alive!
How do you recognize a Grazer? Here are 3 Red Lights!
1.Grazers attend your free seminars, sometimes two or three times but they never commit.
They are very friendly, give you great feedback, and then suddenly they are gone!
2. Grazers love to schedule first meetings with you. They make the meeting all about you; sometimes surprise you by bringing a business partner. Grazers ask you a lot a questions about yourself and particularly all about your business, but when you try to have a follow up meeting to find out more about their business, they make it almost impossible to meet again, or they cancel right before the second meeting.
3. And then there are the EGrazers. They remind me of the people who would eat the sample and then want to fill out an “incident report” claiming they choked or got sick. EGrazers eat up all of your information you have posted on the internet and then use it for their own profit.
What can we do to prevent Grazing? Nothing!, but you can slow it down.
1. Charge a fee for seminar (adds value) and reimburse the fee with purchase.
2. Have an agenda for your meeting or at least know when to stop talking about you and then start asking about them. Say something like, “hey, enough about me for now, let’s talk about you.”
3. Make sure your information on the web is protected, copyright, trademark, etc… best to talk to an expert on this matter.
Al Sandonato, a mentor of mine once said… “Gambone, Grazers will eat everything and never buy anything.”
I would love to continue this discussion. Please email me at bobgambone@bobgambone.com.
***This is just a sample!... if you would like a full slice of "Pecans of Wisdom", be sure to indulge yourself in my book, "Pecan Pie" by it NOW! on Amazon.com
“Copyright (9-18-2011) by Robert V. Gambone Sr.”
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Friday, September 2, 2011
"Got It, Thank you."
Did you ever send an email to someone and then anxiously pondered if they received it?
…of course you did, I have many times.
Today with all the spam, junk and security filters, the reality is our emails (sometimes very important) can be shuffled into the never-to-be-read email abyss!
I know, some of you are saying: well I usually get a “your email was read” return.
Reality check please, those scripts are not very reliable for many reasons (which I will not get into).
Here are 4 simple words to help secure the communication and put the sender at ease:
“Got it, thank you.”….that’s right …simply email them back “Got it, thank you.”
Consider this example:
Imagine sending a potential client a proposal and instead of wondering anxiously if they received it, you get an email back from them that said “Got it, thank you.”… WOW!, you can now exhale.
“Got it, thank you.” is not meant to be an end-all solution and of course you will have to adapt it to your style.
So if you do “get it” ...then simply say, “Got it, thank you."
Pecan Pie: 32 Business Success Strategies Passionately Baked To Order!
"A must read!" Ivan Misner New York Times Bestselling author
BY IT NOW on AMAZON.COM click on link below
Click here to purchase Bob's book
“Copyright (9-2-2011) by Robert V. Gambone Sr.”
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Culture of Recruiting- BNI Podcast Episode 220
Click on this link...Thank you!
http://www.bnipodcast.com/
Synopsis
Deanna Tucci-Schmitt, Executive Director of BNI Western Pennsylvania, and Bob Gambone, author of Pecan Pie: 32 Business Success Strategies Passionately Baked to Order, join Dr. Misner this week to talk about BNI’s culture of recruiting.
Businesses have recruiters, whose job is actively finding the right person for the right position. BNI has had a tradition of inviting new members, without qualifying them in advance. If all BNI members develop the mindset of recruiters, everyone will get more and better referrals.
Remember, culture eats strategy for breakfast. Keep your chapter’s culture in mind when recruiting new members.
http://www.bnipodcast.com/
Synopsis
Deanna Tucci-Schmitt, Executive Director of BNI Western Pennsylvania, and Bob Gambone, author of Pecan Pie: 32 Business Success Strategies Passionately Baked to Order, join Dr. Misner this week to talk about BNI’s culture of recruiting.
Businesses have recruiters, whose job is actively finding the right person for the right position. BNI has had a tradition of inviting new members, without qualifying them in advance. If all BNI members develop the mindset of recruiters, everyone will get more and better referrals.
Remember, culture eats strategy for breakfast. Keep your chapter’s culture in mind when recruiting new members.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Everyone Falls, Not Everyone Fails
You know the cliche'... "What's old, is new again."
In a recent Success Magazine CD I heard something that was told to me years ago by John Susan.
John was a mentor of mine for many years.
...After struggling through a terrible year in one particular store, I was demoted and put on probation.
John shared with me these inspiring words:
"Bob, in business there is a difference between falling and failing...just like the stock market, all businesses fall. Its takes passionate leadership to prevent the failure."
A few weeks later he sent me a note with this quote...
"Nobody trips over mountains. It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble. Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find you have crossed the mountain." ~Author Unknown
John died of pancreatic cancer in his mid 50's. In my book Pecan Pie, I credit John for my leadership growth.
Memory Eternal - John Susan
In a recent Success Magazine CD I heard something that was told to me years ago by John Susan.
John was a mentor of mine for many years.
...After struggling through a terrible year in one particular store, I was demoted and put on probation.
John shared with me these inspiring words:
"Bob, in business there is a difference between falling and failing...just like the stock market, all businesses fall. Its takes passionate leadership to prevent the failure."
A few weeks later he sent me a note with this quote...
"Nobody trips over mountains. It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble. Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find you have crossed the mountain." ~Author Unknown
John died of pancreatic cancer in his mid 50's. In my book Pecan Pie, I credit John for my leadership growth.
Memory Eternal - John Susan
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Put On Your Customer Hat
Back in early 1980’s I was a participate in a corporate think-tank. Our goal was to identify the one employee position that truly represented customer service. The strategy was to focus on this position for training tactics.
The members of the think-tank were polled and the number one choice was the store manager, followed by the assistance store manager, cashiers, meat manager, and so on. Only one person said the most important person for customer service was the lot guy. I was that person.
After the rest of the think-tank team stopped laughing at me, the facilitator said,
“Ok Bob, get serious now, what position is your choice?”
I stood firm and said… “Yes, in all seriousness the lot guy (person) is the most important employee representing our customer service brand."
Why?
The lot person is the first employee customers see when they arrive at our store and the last person they see when leaving. We only have once chance for a first and lasting impression.
I was overruled….the group voted the store manager.
UPDATE!
3 years later, we paid big bucks to have a consulting firm tell us:
“The people on the front lines, like the lot-people, are the most important employees when it comes to customer service.”
Really?!............ I never did get credit for that one.
Take a look at your business as you would a customer, put on your Customer Hat.
***10 First Impressions you may be overlooking***
YOUR…
1. Business Cards
2. Web site, LinkedIn, Facebook.
3. Dress Code and your employees dress code.
4. Parking lot, store front, entranceway.
5. Voice mail message.
6. Vehicle.
7. Smile, breath, overall appearance.
8. Email .
9. Handshake.
10. Attention-focus-eye contact.
“You never get a second chance to make a first and ever-LASTing impression.”
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“Copyright (8-05 -2011) by Robert V Gambone Sr.”
The members of the think-tank were polled and the number one choice was the store manager, followed by the assistance store manager, cashiers, meat manager, and so on. Only one person said the most important person for customer service was the lot guy. I was that person.
After the rest of the think-tank team stopped laughing at me, the facilitator said,
“Ok Bob, get serious now, what position is your choice?”
I stood firm and said… “Yes, in all seriousness the lot guy (person) is the most important employee representing our customer service brand."
Why?
The lot person is the first employee customers see when they arrive at our store and the last person they see when leaving. We only have once chance for a first and lasting impression.
I was overruled….the group voted the store manager.
UPDATE!
3 years later, we paid big bucks to have a consulting firm tell us:
“The people on the front lines, like the lot-people, are the most important employees when it comes to customer service.”
Really?!............ I never did get credit for that one.
Take a look at your business as you would a customer, put on your Customer Hat.
***10 First Impressions you may be overlooking***
YOUR…
1. Business Cards
2. Web site, LinkedIn, Facebook.
3. Dress Code and your employees dress code.
4. Parking lot, store front, entranceway.
5. Voice mail message.
6. Vehicle.
7. Smile, breath, overall appearance.
8. Email .
9. Handshake.
10. Attention-focus-eye contact.
“You never get a second chance to make a first and ever-LASTing impression.”
-------------------------------------------------
“Copyright (8-05 -2011) by Robert V Gambone Sr.”
Sunday, July 24, 2011
In Memory of Paul
I lost a good friend this week, his name was Paul Knight.
Paul was a very eclectic individual. We worked together on night crew (third shift) from 1974 to 1976. Paul was never one to give people a good first impression. His appearance was often less than professional and he was so soft spoken that he was hard to understand at times.
Many considered Paul a little weird and unmanageable, but I took the time to get to know him and truly recognize his God given talents.
“Find the number one in everyone,” a leadership quote from my book Pecan Pie¹, was a catalyst for me in identifying the right role for Paul. Because he had a special talent for memorizing numbers he was a brilliant inventory control person, however only I and a few other team members of our store knew of Paul's unique skill.
On July 2, 1975 that brilliance, that gift, became known to everyone in the store and eventually throughout the entire supermarket chain. You see on that day, the assistant store manager had accidentally erased the cassette tape (and the back-up) that contained the inventory codes for all the product that needed ordered from our warehouse for the holiday weekend. The shelves would be empty. Panic set in.
I was ending my shift when I heard of this calamity; I approached the store manager and said,
“Call Paul, he can probably help.”
“Paul? What can he do!?” he replied with a negative surprise.
“Trust Me,” I said looking firmly into his eyes, “He will know what to do.”
We had less than one hour to “place an order” with the warehouse, we needed four hours.
The manager called Paul at home.
Paul called the warehouse.
Paul had memorized all the order codes, the on hand inventory and all the product movement.
In less than 30 minutes, he verbally placed an order for approximately 300 items.
Yes, you had to be there to believe it.
Paul gained a new respect with his colleagues that day and was promoted to Company Inventory Control Manager.
Paul was a hero…and on that July 4th weekend of 1975 Paul was truly a “Knight” in shining amour.
¹ Please refer to The Diamond Rule² (page 29) and Pecans of Wisdom (page 120) in my book:
Pecan Pie, 32 Business Success Strategies Passionately Baked to Order.
Available on Amazon.com
http://lnkd.in/TNNzBM
Paul was a very eclectic individual. We worked together on night crew (third shift) from 1974 to 1976. Paul was never one to give people a good first impression. His appearance was often less than professional and he was so soft spoken that he was hard to understand at times.
Many considered Paul a little weird and unmanageable, but I took the time to get to know him and truly recognize his God given talents.
“Find the number one in everyone,” a leadership quote from my book Pecan Pie¹, was a catalyst for me in identifying the right role for Paul. Because he had a special talent for memorizing numbers he was a brilliant inventory control person, however only I and a few other team members of our store knew of Paul's unique skill.
On July 2, 1975 that brilliance, that gift, became known to everyone in the store and eventually throughout the entire supermarket chain. You see on that day, the assistant store manager had accidentally erased the cassette tape (and the back-up) that contained the inventory codes for all the product that needed ordered from our warehouse for the holiday weekend. The shelves would be empty. Panic set in.
I was ending my shift when I heard of this calamity; I approached the store manager and said,
“Call Paul, he can probably help.”
“Paul? What can he do!?” he replied with a negative surprise.
“Trust Me,” I said looking firmly into his eyes, “He will know what to do.”
We had less than one hour to “place an order” with the warehouse, we needed four hours.
The manager called Paul at home.
Paul called the warehouse.
Paul had memorized all the order codes, the on hand inventory and all the product movement.
In less than 30 minutes, he verbally placed an order for approximately 300 items.
Yes, you had to be there to believe it.
Paul gained a new respect with his colleagues that day and was promoted to Company Inventory Control Manager.
Paul was a hero…and on that July 4th weekend of 1975 Paul was truly a “Knight” in shining amour.
¹ Please refer to The Diamond Rule² (page 29) and Pecans of Wisdom (page 120) in my book:
Pecan Pie, 32 Business Success Strategies Passionately Baked to Order.
Available on Amazon.com
http://lnkd.in/TNNzBM
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