In Steve’s e-mail, was a link to a video that talked about “entitlement” and gave the viewpoints of various college students and what they expected from potential employers or from the marketplace as a result of their educations. There were also comments from employers or business owners and what they expected from the people they hire to work for them. I found the video and the viewpoints expressed by both sides very interesting and revealing.

Capitalism and the free enterprise system is what keeps our economy moving. When businesses are successful, meaning they have more money left at the end of the month than what they spent to develop, purchase, and deliver the products and services they sell to their customers, as well as the operating expenses that it takes to run the business, they’re considered to be profitable. Profits are the name of the game in business.

Business Profits Are Not Only Desirable, They’re Necessary

When a business is profitable it can do things and provide benefits that business that are not profitable cannot do. For instance, profits can enable a business to hire top-level employees, pay its onboard employees higher wages, provide improved working environments and conditions, and offer better benefits. With profits a business can upgrade its equipment and production facilities, increase the number and/or the quality of the products or services it offers to its buyers, and enable the business to spend more on advertising and promotions so it can generate more clients and better quality clients.

When a business shows an increase in profits, or the money it has left after deducting all expenses and operating costs, the stockholders, shareholders, and owners of the business can be paid more for the investment or interest they have in the business enabling them to get a positive return on their investment and provide a better lifestyle for themselves and their families.

It’s a big risk for someone to give up a paycheck and perhaps position or seniority from a job and invest their life savings into a brand new business with the hope of bringing needed and desired value to a market, providing jobs, improving the economy, and enhancing their own personal lifestyle. When someone embarks on such a project they have every right to expect that if they do things right and what they have to offer is what the marketplace not only needs and wants, but is willing to pay for, that they should receive a fair price for their offering and a positive return on their investment.

Notice that I said if they “do things right. Among other things, that includes hiring the “right” people; people who rightfully believe they are “entitled” in the proper way. The “proper way” means that they “give an honest days work for an honest days pay.” In other words, they don’t believe they’re entitled to something (a job, a particular level of income, or certain working conditions) just because they have an education, have student loans to pay off, or that the workplace owes them a living. They believe they are entitled because they are able to provide value to the marketplace that is equal to, or greater than the amount of money their employer compensates them for the work they do.

Entitlement “Just Because…”  Can Kill A Business

The idea of entitlement “just because…” can make life miserable for a business owner and the employees and customers of the business, and can kill profits that could otherwise be used to provide more and better benefits and value for the employees of the business, it’s customers and clients, stockholders and investors, and for the person or persons (i.e., business owners) who have made the investment in the business in the first place.

TopLine consultants, such as Steve Clauson, help business owners find ways to improve the profits of their business owner clients by helping the businesses run more effectively and more efficiently by cutting costs and increasing revenues resulting in an increase in profits.

The Two Ways To Grow Business Profits

In reality, there are only two ways to grow the profits of a business: you can spend less, or you can make more. If the revenues of a business stay the same, but costs and expenses are reduced, the result is an increase in profits. And conversely, if the costs and expenses remain the same, but there is an increase in revenue, the result is also an increase in profits. Good consultants can oftentimes find ways to both decrease spending and increase revenues. And when that happens the profit increase can be exponential, business can be more fun for everyone, working conditions can improve, and the prospects of job continuation can improve.

So what about you? What kind of value are you providing the marketplace you serve? Are you being appreciated and compensated for what you contribute? If so, how can you enhance or improve it so your rewards are even greater? If not, what steps do you need to take to make it so, and when are you going to do something about it? There’s no future in just thinking about something… you have to take action. Your future is up to you. If there is anything I can help you with that will enable you to assess your situation and provide value that the marketplace wants, needs, and is looking for, please let me know. I’m more than willing to help in anyway I can.

As always, I am interested in your comments and thoughts.

Martin Howey, CEO
TopLine Business Solutions

We didn’t expect much; after all, it was Applebee’s. A nice place to go for lunch with good service, but not a restaurant known for exceptional service. Our waiter came to our table and said, “Hi, my name is Matty, what are your names?”, and then he wrote them down. That caught both Steve and me off guard, so after telling him who we were, I asked Matty why he requested our names; it was the first time either Steve or I had ever had a waiter ask for that information.

Matty went on to explain why he did that, and gave us some great insights into how he gets bigger tips than most other wait-persons, and how he gets people to come back and request him to be their server.

Well, after placing our order, Steve and I got thinking about what we could do for Matty. So when he came back, we gave him some additional ideas about how customers think and what he could do to offer even more or better service to increase his tips and repeat customers.

We referred him to Robert Cialdini’s great book, “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” for even more ideas.

It’s interesting how many ideas are floating around that are ready to be captured and implemented in almost any kind of business, but go unnoticed and unsused because so often we aren’t aware of them.

Steve and I asked Matty if it would be okay if we did a quick, very impromptu video interview of him so he could show it to others that he knows, or that he could put on a website or burn to a DVD to let others know what he does. In addition, we wanted to be able to show our readers how easy it is to capture quick video clips of exceptional service so you can use them on your websites as examples, or in your marketing efforts.

So take a look. Then see what you can do to use this idea in your own business. And of course, please let me know what you are doing so we can share it with others.

Martin Howey, CEO
TopLine Business Solutions

Rather than write a long, detailed blog post or article about it, I sat down at my desk, turned the camera on, and recorded a few comments. You can see the video here.

As always, I’m very interested in what you have to say, so please feel free to comment or let me know.

If you are interested in learning more about the special sponsorship program for our next TopLine training, you can schedule a one-on-one phone call with me by clicking here.

Martin Howey, CEO
TopLine Business Solutions

Yesterday was one of those special times. Steve Clauson, one of our top consultants, flew  into Phoenix at noon. I picked him up at the airport and we went to lunch and caught up on what’s been going on in his life and practice. Then we went down the street to the hotel where we hold our consultant’s trainings, got a conference room and talked about his business.

With all the pleasantries out of the way at lunch, Steve was ready to go. He pulled out his notebook and we took each of his concerns and questions and worked through them one by one until we had some workable ideas fleshed out, a time table for implementation, and an action plan on how to put them into play as quickly as possible.

It was a great session, and I got Steve back to the airport at 4:00pm. It was amazing what we got accomplished in those four short hours. This is not an unusual ocurance for Steve. He makes the two-hour flight from Sacramento at least 3 times a year to spend a half-day with me and get new, fresh ideas, make some tweaks to what he’s currently doing, and find ways to tap into new markets.

For years, Steve’s main market has been working with various kinds of contractors. In one of our previous meetings, Steve wanted some ideas on how he could get more clients in the “professional” market… doctors, dentists, chiropractors, CPAs, etc. So we worked through some strategies to help him do that. Again, in just four hours – start to finish, including lunch – we created an entire new market for him… which is turning out to be very profitable (many professionals, while they are very good at what they do, don’t know much about the actual running of a successful business).

Before Steve left, I set up my camera and did an off-the-cuff interview with him… no notes, no scripting, no prior preparation. I just sprung some questions on him and he responded. And he did a pretty good job. Then back at my office this morning, I loaded the video on my computer, made a couple of edits, added some music and captions, and created a marketing piece for him that he can put on his website or on a DVD and hand out to prospective clients.

Is it perfect? No, of course, not. It wasn’t meant to be. Slick, polished, and perfect is not what you’re trying to convey. It’s much better to have it look, sound, and be “real” rather than to perfect. Steve wasn’t wearing a coat and tie… just a Tommy Bahama shirt and jeans. No make-up, no fixing of the hair… just Steve as Steve was at that moment.

The point is… it doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be good, and out there. Knowing what you know won’t help anyone unless they take advantage of it. And they can’t take advantage of it unless they know about it. And there’s no way anyone will ever know about anything if you don’t tell them about it. Now Steve has something he can use.

So what about you? What are you doing to let people know what you do? What you have to offer? Or how what you have can help them? As I mentioned at the beginning, I really enjoy meeting with our top consultants in our one-on-one’s and helping them generate more success… more revenue… more spendable income… and have more time to enjoy it with their families or doing other things they’re involved in.

Part of our next training will be spent on how to do interviews such as what you see we did for Steve. It’s easy, it’s quick, and it can help you generate interest and a positive response from people who need and can benefit from your help.

As always, I’m very interested in what you’re up to, your comments about what I’ve written, and what you need help with. So please let me hear from you.

Martin Howey, CEO
TopLine Business Solutions

Getting an actual, physical letter in someone’s hands may take more time, a little more effort, and will be more expensive than email, but if your message arrives and gets opened, the time, effort, and expense may be well worth it. Once your letter is dropped in the mailbox there’s not much you can do to see that it actually gets delivered. But keeping your envelope from getting trashed before it gets opened is another story… you do have some control over that.

Companies for a long time have been using “teaser copy” on the outside of their envelopes to try and intice you to look inside. You’ve seen these many times… messages such as, “How To Pay $0 In Taxes… See Inside!”; “Exclusive Offer for Serious Tennis Players Only!”; or “Get Two Months of Psychology Today… FREE!”

So how effective is teaser copy? Does it work? Does it actually increase the open-rate of your envelopes? Of course, the answer is, “It depends.” It depends on a number of things… who your audience is, how relevant your message or teaser copy is to them, what other things are going on in their life or business that may make them either more or less receptive at the moment they get your letter, etc. So what kind of copy do you use that will entice or motivate your audience to open your envelope so you can get your message noticed, read, and acted on? The answer is simple… the more personal, the more relevant, and the more timely your message is to your audience, the more likely they will be to pay attention to your copy and open your envelope.

Watch this short video and see how easy it is to use technology to create a personal-looking message that will enhance the chances of getting your envelop opened. Then please let me know your thoughts. More importantly, please tell me how you’ve used this and what kinds of results you’ve gotten.

A week or so ago, I received a hard copy book in the mail from Harvey MacKay’s office. It was Harvey’s new book, “The Harvey MacKay MBA Of Selling In The Real World,” along with a personal note from Harvey asking if I would be interesting in supporting him by recommending his book to people I know possibly in an article or interview. Well, having read all of Harvey’s previous books, having interviewed him in the past, having appeared on the same speaking platform with him, and knowing the value his books, articles and quotes have provided us over the years, I had no hesitation. But in EVERY case – Harvey being no exception – I have to read what I’m going to recommend or endorse.

In Harvey’s letter, he said that Cathy, his business manager, would be in touch with me in the coming weeks. So knowing Cathy from previous interviews and having an idea of what she would be asking me, I dug in and began to read Harvey’s book. A few days later when I spoke to Cathy, I told her that I couldn’t read Harvey’s book… at least not the way it was laid out… from beginning to end. There are 82 chapters in the 335 pages… most of which are 2 to 3 pages long, and each chapter contains a unique idea, quotes or concept that can be easily implemented. The chapters were so interesting that I found myself flipping forward and backward through the book, reading whatever chapter title caught my interest.

I also told Cathy that I thought the book had as much to do about life as it does about selling, and that anyone can use the principles in just about any aspect of their life or business. So, Cathy got me hooked up with Harvey and we scheduled a time for me to, once again, go to his beautiful home and ask him some questions about his book so I could put together this article.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Harvey about his previous book, ”Use Your Head To Get Your Foot In The Door: Job Search Secrets No One Else Will Tell you,” so I knew it would be a great time being with him once again.  When I walked in the door, Harvey told me that it had been 20 months since I was last in his home and asked me several questions about what we discussed during our last visit. This blew me away. What I saw in action – first hand – was Harvey using his own system for what he calls humanizing the experience so that it endears your customers to you. The system I’m referring to, he calls “The MacKay 66″… something everyone who has any contact with other people should be familiar with and use. You can find it in Harvey’s best selling book “Swim With The Sharks”.

So back to Harvey’s new book. As I mentioned, this book is difficult to read front to finish. The chapter titles jump out and grab you, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll find yourself skipping around to the chapters and articles that catch your interest at the time. Take a look at the video interview I did with Harvey, then get this book. It’s one of the best I’ve read, and I have no hesitation in referring or endorsing it. And if you’ve followed me for any length of time, you’ll know that I don’t make a penny for any endorsement I give for any product, service, or person. I simply (and only) endorse things that I firmly believe in and use myself.

Now… a couple of very nice bonuses from Harvey. First, in the back of the book is Harvey’s unheard of (for a book) Money-Back Guarantee.

And, if you order Harvey’s book he’ll send you, free of charge, a hard copy of his goldmine book, The Harvey Mackay Network Builder. It’s filled with an article from Harvard Business Review and other excellent ideas, and is not available in stores.

Please let me know if you buy this book and what your thought are regarding it and the value you receive from it. As always, I’m very interested in your success!

Martin Howey, CEO
TopLine Business Solutions

Aee fter returning home after several days in the San Francisco area spending time with a consultant who is putting together an awesome program that I know will help a number of people in some very significant ways (more about this in another post), the first thing I opened in the large stack of mail on my desk was a package from Nina Hershberger, another consultant who attended our training several years ago.

Nina has been a wonderful friend for a long time, and is one of the brightest marketers I know… always coming up with new ideas, but more importantly, putting the ideas into action. (I’ll share more about what she does and how it works for her in future writings.)

One of the things that immediately jumped out at me in Nina’s package was a copy of her new book, “30 Minute Marketing: 101 Ways To Wow Clients, Customers, And Patients In Less Than 30 Minutes.”

I thumbed through the book’s pages and found a treasure trove of ideas that any business can use to increase their lead flow, improve their conversion rates, and keep their customers and clients happy, buying more, and referring their friends, colleagues, and associates to them.

Each tip is short, to the point, and readily implementable with very little time, effort or money involved.

As I filed through the pages and got to the front of the book, I saw the note that Nina wrote to me giving me credit for helping her get the idea to get her book written. (Very nice, Nina… thank you!)

This is Nina’s own, original book… not a rewrite of the book that our consultants get in their TopLine training. I immediately called Nina to thank her and learn more about how she came up with the idea for the book, how she put it together, and how she got it printed. 

To Nina’s credit, she did the whole thing on her own, inspired somewhat by our conversations and what she learned from working with me, but in actuality, I had nothing to do with the creation of the book.

That’s what I mean by Nina taking action and getting things done. No extensive research, no trying to figure it out, no reinventing the wheel, no excuses; Nina just gets an idea and goes to work on that ONE idea (not a dozen ideas at the same time), gets it done, and moves on to the next idea. She’s a real inspiration to me and to the consultants who know her and work with her.

You can learn more about Nina and some the services she offers by visiting her website at www.MegaBucksMarketing.com. (This is not an affiliate link, and I do not receive any compensation or payment from anything Nina does or sells. I am merely providing this information so you can get ideas from what other consultants are doing, and if you are interested in learning more, how to get in touch with them.)

So what about you? How are you doing? Do you have your book done yet? If you’ve been through the TopLine training, you have gotten a book that has been ghostwritten for you.

All you have to do is make a few changes to it, rewrite part of it or add your own examples to it if you like, and get it printed. It’s so easy, and is one of the best positioning tools you can have to establish your credibility with your prospects and clients.

If you need help with your book (or with any of your other marketing or client development processes), please let me know. I’ll personally work with you to help you get things on a path that will produce quick results for you and enable you to start bringing in newfound revenue and profits for your clients, and personal income for you.

Martin Howey, CEO
TopLine Business Solutions

The other day I was watching, with interest, a video by a colleague who teaches people how to get more clients for their business. They had attended a seminar where the Dali Lama was one of the presenters.

This marketer, whom I both respect and admire, quoted the Dali Lama as saying, “The western woman will save the world.” Then the marketer said that she thought that the Dali Lama was “off” in his comment, and said that she thought he should have said, “The western entrepreneurial woman will save the world”… that it was women in business who would turn things around.

Understanding that that marketer’s main market… the people she sells to… are mostly women entrepreneurs, it makes sense that she might think that way. There’s a good argument for positioning yourself to be in alignment with a “higher” or established authority. I have no problem with that.

What I do have a problem with, however, is what so many people do… and what this marketer did… insert her personal opinion into what that “authority” said and then make it appear that her new statement is the “gospel truth.” Personally, when it comes to marketing and business advice, I believe that personal opinion should be kept to oneself, and not mistaken with fact. And there is no evidence or factual basis that it’s “entrepreneurial women,” or as the Dali Lama said “women” in general, who will “save the world.”

I have absolutely nothing against women being in business. Many of them contribute much value to business and society in general. In fact, TopLine Business Solutions has several women consultants who do very well… and I’m very proud of them. That’s not the point.

Another, contradictory point can be made to what the marketer said and that would support the Dali Lama’s statement, perhaps even more accurately. And that is, that women (moms) have a greater influence on young children than dads do. In the “traditional” family, moms spend more time with their children (getting them up, fed, and off to school in the mornings; being there when they come home, helping with homework, etc.) while the (again, “traditional”) dad goes off to work during the day.

Of course, we all know that what we refer to as the “traditional” family is not necessarily the norm any longer, but the fact is, that moms… both stay at home moms, and working moms… have a great influence on their children, and if those children are taught correct principles (about life, relationships, community involvement, etc.) either through specific teachings or example, the Dali Lama is right… “women”… not just entrepreneurial women can have a major impact on the world.

I believe, and this is my personal opinion (I’m violating my own principle here), that it is wrong to hijack what a perceived authority said, then insert one’s personal opinion into their statement to make it fit your needs. If there was incontrovertible evidence or proof that it was, indeed, “entrepreneurial” women who would “save the world,” that’s one thing. But to change what someone said to benefit your position is, (again, in my opinion) not the right thing to do.

Let me again state that I have nothing against working women (or moms). Many of them bring much value to the marketplace and to society. And many of them do a good job of raising their children while being involved in the working world. But I also know several working women (marketers included) who have full-time (or nearly full-time) nannys who pretty much take care of the kids so mom can go off to work and “save the world.”

Raising and positively influencing children so they can be well-adjusted and valuable, contributing members of society is not an easy thing to do… it’s serious business. Just look around and see how many maladjusted young people are walking around looking for a handout or a place to plug their umbilical cords into to receive what they think they’re “entitled” too. The Occupy Wall Street movement is just one example.

Giving business advice should be based on fact… not on someone’s personal opinion. If we as consultants do anything less than provide time-tested, in-the-trenches proven strategies and systems to our clients, we are doing them a disservice no matter what our intent is. To maintain your credibility, you have to deal in truths, which oftentimes, differs from opinions.

The TopLine program has been tested over nearly 46 years on hundreds of people in more than three dozen countries. It’s stood the test of time. It produces measurable, quantifiable, and predictable results, and can generate some very significant incomes for those who use the program as outlined.

If there is anything I can do to help you move forward in your business and achieve even better results than you’re now getting, please let me know. I’m very interested in your success!

Martin Howey, CEO
TopLine Business Solutions

In the Los Angeles airport a couple of days ago waiting to return home from a weekend seminar I attended, I observed people and wondered about their lives, what they did, where they were going, and what they spent their time on and what their possible concerns, problems, or worries might be. Everyone has a story to tell. Some are more interesting than others; some are downright sad. But for each person, their story is their own and has meaning.

Several years ago, Earl Nightingale wrote an article titled, “The Fog of Worry (Only 8% of Worries are Worth It).” It resonated with me when I first read it, and it does even more today, some 40 years later. Here’s what Earl wrote:

According to the Bureau of Standards, “A dense fog covering seven city blocks, to a depth of 100 feet, is composed of something less than one glass of water.” So, if all the fog covering seven city blocks, 100 feet deep, were collected and held in a single drinking glass, it would not even fill it. And this could be compared to our worries.

If we can see into the future and if we could see our problems in their true light, they wouldn’t tend to blind us to the world, to living itself, but instead could be relegated to their true size and place. And if all the things most people worry about were reduced to their true size, you could probably put them all into a drinking glass, too.

It’s a well-established fact that as we get older, we worry less. With the passing of the years and the problems each of them yields, we learn that most of our worries are not really worth bothering ourselves about too much and that we can manage to solve the important ones.

But to younger people, they often find their lives obscured by the fog of worry. Yet, here’s an authoritative estimate of what most people worry about.

1. Things that never happen: 40 percent. That is, 40 percent of the things you worry about will never occur anyway.
2. Things over and past that can’t be changed by all the worry in the world: 30 percent.
3. Needless worries about our health: 12 percent.
4. Petty, miscellaneous worries: 10 percent.
5. Real, legitimate worries: 8 percent. Only 8 percent of your worries are worth concerning yourself about. Ninety-two percent are pure fog with no substance at all.

As the article mentions, and as I’ve experienced in my personal life, as I’ve gotten older I worry a lot less than I used to. I’ve learned that there are things that are “controllable” and things that are not. There’s not a lot (if anything) we can do about the economy, the weather, gas prices, what Congress or the president does, or what our neighbors do. For the most part, those things are beyone our personal abilities to control; they’re what we might call the “uncontrollables.”

What we do have control over, however, are things like our diet, our exercise, our attitude, the way we treat others, the value we provide the marketplace, and our faith; those are the “controllables.”

Far too many people spend way too much time worrying about the uncontrollables… the things they can’t change. But what about those things we do have control over?  Is their any benefit to worrying about them? According to point five in Earl’s list, only 8 percent of our worries are real and legitimate and worth being concerned about. But personally, I’m not convinced that worrying about the controllables is a profitable or wise use of our time or our energy. There are things we can do to get and maintain control… and a little planning can make it much easier and less stressful.

Some time ago, I attended a workshop that walked the attendees through a planning process that helped us identify what is most important to us so we could get more focused on how to spend our time and energy. I thought you might like to see the process yourself.

Step 1: What are three physical or material things that are REALLY important to you?

    1. ______________________________________________

    2. ______________________________________________

    3. ______________________________________________

Step 2: What three experiences would you want to feel if you possessed those three things?

    1. ______________________________________________

    2. ______________________________________________

    3. ______________________________________________

Step 3: Using the three experiences from above, construct what you would consider to be an “ideal” day. Use the following as guidelines:

    If I lived _________________________________________

    ….with a home (or family) like _________________________

    ….with a schedule like _______________________________

    ….and a business like ________________________________

    ….then I would (describe your ideal day) _________________

        ________________________________________________

        ________________________________________________

This exercise is very simple, but working through it helps you get clear on what is and what isn’t important to you, and enables you to think about what an ideal day would be like for you. String seven ideal days together and you have an ideal week. Put four of those together and you have an ideal month. Continue doing that and (ideally) you’d end up with an ideal life. Of course, there will always be interruptions or disruptions… things that aren’t in your plan. But having a vision, a plan and a focus can make dealing with the unexpected much easier when they do arise.

So what about you? How are you doing? What do you worry about? Are you happy with the results you’re getting from your consulting practice? If you haven’t transitioned into full time consulting yet, why not? Are you doing well with your current job? What about the future? Are you secure with it? Is your company providing you with a guarantee of a position? What about your retirement, or your children’s educations… are you secure with how you’re doing there?

Right now, in this very economy with so many businesses hurting, our consultants are doing better than ever before. If there is anything I can do to help you move closer to your goals, please let me know. As always, I’m very interested in your succes!

Martin Howey, CEO
TopLine Business Solutions

I was on the phone the other day with John Davis, a friend and associate from Dallas, Texas. John runs a couple of very successful companies and is one of the brightest people I know when it comes to marketing and business development.

In our discussion we talked about the economy and how it was impacting businesses in nearly every industry across the board. John got me laughing when he said how he got his entire staff together in a meeting and actually took a vote on whether or not they would participate in the recession. Not surprisingly, they all voted not to participate.

Last year John’s business was up 14 percent over the previous year, and this year he’s up 20 percent over that. Why? Because John and his staff have decided to continue to act as if there is no recession. They’re pushing ahead with full steam, marketing as they’ve always done, and continuing to get results.

But the results they’re getting are not the same as they’ve always gotten… they’re better. And here’s why.

Let’s say there are 4 companies in a certain area that are competing for the same customers to buy their products or services. And let’s say that three of those companies read the papers and heard that the economy is in a recession. So they cut back on their advertising and promotions. They discontinue sending mailings and offers to their customers and clients. And they act like they’re “supposed to” act when times get slow.

But the fourth company pays no attention to the recession. They just keep on doing what they’ve done previously. Will they get the same results as there were getting? Probably not. In fact, they will most likely get even better results than they were getting even in the recessionary times.

How can this be? Because they’re the only ones advertising, marketing, promoting and keeping in touch with their customers, clients, and those who could become their customers and clients.

When everyone else minimizes their presence and in effect pull out of the market, those who remain command a much more visible presence and increase their chances of being seen by those who are in the market for what the company sells. In a very real sense, they get a bigger bang for their advertising and marketing dollar. And as a result, they’ll likely capture a bigger share of the market.

Now a note of clarification. A recession can be real… very real. And I don’t want to minimize that. Recessionary times can cause havoc on businesses, on the economy and on people’s lives. I understand that and I acknowledge that.

My point is, how a business manages their attitudes and activities in down times can have a major impact on the success of that business. In a recession, business may be down for all businesses. But the business that acts to the best of their ability and as if there is no recession stands to gain more (in terms of customer retention, new customer acquisition, public presence, etc.) than those who throw in the towel and give in.

I lead a Mastermind Group of 12 top marketing and business development consultants that meet every two weeks to discuss some of the top challenges businesses are having, how to best solve those challenges, and how to market our services to others who can benefit from them.

The subject of recessions came up on last night’s call. It was interesting to hear the comments from the consultants as they talked about the economy, the President’s comments about the jobless rate, company layoff’s, and the like.

After listening for awhile, I reminded them that I live in Phoenix, Arizona, and a couple of years ago we hosted the Super Bowl. I mentioned that our newspaper had several articles about the happenings that surrounded this event, and that while the recession may be a reality for some it’s not even a thought for others. Here are a few examples.

Super Bowl Parties

Hosted by: Pamela Anderson and Phoenix Suns player Shawn Marion
Price: $1,000 – $5,500

Hosted by: ESPN’s Chris Berman and Jay Leno
Price: $1,250 – $10,000

Hosted by: Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens
Price: $550 – $850

Hosted by: P. Diddy, Nick Lachey, NASCAR champ Jimmie Johnson, with guests; Michael Jordan, Peyton Manning, Charles Barkley, Steve Nash, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Justin Timberlake, Ashlee Simpson, Carmen Electra, and Brooke Burke
Price: $200 – $1,000

Those were just 4 out of the 35 parties that were listed. The headliners or hosts of those parties read like a Who’s Who in the entertainment, sports, and celebrity world, and several were priced higher than those I mentioned. I’m sure there were more parties that didn’t find their way into the article.

Travel

Phoenix’s Sky Harbor International Airport was reported to be jammed, and more than 1,000 charter flights and executive jets, along with the regularly scheduled full flights were expected to make it an absolute madhouse.

There were 73,000 seats in the stadium, but “tens of thousands more were to come to the Valley to help stage the extravaganza and the dozens of happenings and parties preceding the main event,” the paper said, “and thousands more ticketless fans will come just to be part of the excitement.”

Tickets

How much did it cost to attend? “In a typical year, the price of Super Bowl tickets will fall as it gets closer to game, say ticket brokers. But a spokesman for StubHub, the largest online ticket reseller had tickets going for $4,190 on average on Tuesday.”

According to Google, ”A luxury suite of your own at Super Bowl XLII in Glendale, Ariz., went $224,825.”

How Does This Relate To You?

What does all this Super Bowl stuff of a few years ago have to do with you, and why would I spend considerable time on it?

Simply this. Times are in the same basic economic shape as they were when the Super Bowl was here. Still rough. Still undecided. And still problematic. But while some people were (and are) talking (and living) “recession”, others were (and are) living their lives as though times were never so plenty. Some people are spending money like crazy and others are cutting back.

I attended a two-day seminar last weekend. There were 360 people in attendance from as far away as Australia, the U.K., Switzerland, and Canada. The price to attend was $2,497, and a $15,000 upsell was offered. Revenues from the upsell only (not counting the admission fee) amounted to $840,000… and we’re in a “recession”!

Businesses in every profession, industry and niche are cutting back, putting a hold on advertising, marketing, promotional, and business growth efforts, and even laying off key employees.

And others are moving ahead with full speed, not only on their business growth and expansion plans, but the owners living life on their own terms and spending tons of money on non business-related things like plane tickets, expensive parties, concerts and game tickets… none of which contribute in any way to the growth or preservation of their business. Yes, some will write off their expenses, and others may even take a client or potential client along as a business expense. But for the most part, a lot of the money they spend is out of pocket and not directly related to the person’s business.

Now more than ever, business owners need what our TopLine Consultants have to offer. With nearly 1,200 consultants in 36 countries around the world, we are bringing solutions to the every day problems business owners are facing in these tough times.

By helping businesses be more successful and more profitable, we are preserving jobs and in many cases creating new jobs. We’re bringing messages of hope to business owners by showing them that like John Davis and his crew, they really don’t have to participate in the recession… at least not like others are.

Yes, these slow times may and in many cases, will affect certain businesses. But to the extent they are affected is largely dependent on how the owners and employees deal with it. Job creation and job preservation… two key and very fundamental byproducts of what TopLine Business Solutions Consultants are involved with.

Now is the time to be using your hard-earned business experience to help other business owners realize and capitalize on the untapped and overlooked potential of their businesses, and help them grow their bottom line profits in these “recessionary” times, and get paid huge sums of money for nothing more than providing them with ideas, concepts and strategies, many of which they’ve never thought of.

If there’s anything I can do to help you achieve this… or any of your financial goals, please let me know. I’m very interested in your success!

Martin Howey, CEO
TopLine Business Success