Problem Solving

WHAT IS WISDOM ANYWAY?

Wisdom is such a misunderstood word. When most people think of the words “wisdom” or “wise”, they immediately associate them with “smart” or “intelligent”. Wisdom does not rely on intelligence. The true nature of wisdom lies in two understandings:

 

1)      Understand what you’re truly good at and be true to it.

2)      Understand what you don’t understand.

 

What does this new revelation mean to me? Well, I was an entertainer most of my life; ever since I was a kid. I even performed on a cruise ship for nine months before deciding to pursue my career in marketing–a career that is more rewarding than I ever could have imagined. I learned, however, that the performer is still inside me and needs to get out once in awhile. That’s when I began to understand the wisdom of being true to my God-given talents.

 

I decided to create a Road Show that incorporates the Prophit Marketing System into an entertaining presentation. This way, audiences are able to learn while being entertained. I hope you can make the upcoming book premiere where I will be putting on my Road Show for all of you. This free public performance is the result of my revelation to use wisdom to find one’s purpose.

 

When we look at the second lesson: Understand what you don’t understand, this is equally, if not more powerful than the former lesson. Have you ever met a person who “knows everything” and is simply unable to see things from another person’s point of view? Boy, it’s frustrating. My twelve year-old son is challenging me lately. Must be that age. He states things with conviction that he has no clue about. I’m sure I did it too at his age.

 

A colleague of mine expressed this second lesson beautifully and I borrow it often to express this point. He says, “Whenever I’m with a client I have this little invisible card in my pocket that reads: “I may be wrong here.” I go into every client relationship with humility, wisdom, and the understanding that this person knows their business better than I do and I need to really listen so we can get this strategy right.

 

Wisdom is knowing your strengths, living by them, and understanding things you don’t understand. It’s also about moving forward with the understanding that this life is a journey and the day you stop getting better is the day you… well, you get the picture!

–Joe Kiedinger–

 

ACTION PLAN: Mark November 12^th on your calendar! See you at the book premiere!

 

 

ARE YOU A DIFFERENCE MAKER?

 

Two years ago, and again this past spring, I wrote about a looming recession the likes of the early 80’s. Believe me it wasn’t my great macro-economic mind that forecasted it. I attended a conference where a firm with a 60-year history of successful economic predictions presented their forecast. I paid attention. Back then, I shared with you the areas that these experts indicated would remain recession-proof: education, food-related industries like grocery, health care, and senior living to name a few.

 

I told the Prophiteers back then, “There is a really good chance in the next 18 months we will hit a recession. And Prophit Marketing will NOT be participating in it.” Our strategy focused on finding categories within these recession-proof areas that would help propel us through difficult financial times. One advantage we already had was a strong grocery flagship client, Festival Foods. We began focusing on non-competing grocery and food products and it paid off. We also have partnered with other categories that have found a protective niche within this poor economic climate.

 

I am honored to be able to work with these great leaders of industry who have taught me as much, if not more than, I have taught them. It’s made us mutually better and viable. I would like to hear your story of how you are winning in a down market. What did you do differently? How is your industry already resilient to economic downturns?

 

I’ve realized that we are all susceptible to financial hardship. I have also realized that the folks who are the most innovative and creative survive. By creative, I don’t mean they created a TV or radio script or some silly campaign. I mean the ones who stand out in their industry. The ones customers remember and say, “Cool, that’s never happened to me like that before.”

 

Pay attention to your customers and respond to their “throw away” comments when they sigh about something not being right. Ask more questions and understand what they are looking for. Example, an employee who delivered room service at a Four Seasons Hotel was sick of customers complaining about their toast being cold when it arrived in their room. This employee decided to bring their own toaster to work. Whenever a customer ordered toast in the morning this associate would bring bread up to the room, plug in the toaster and tell the customer, “Your toast will be ready in about 45 seconds.” The top management heard of this and bought toasters for every room in their hotels.

 

Anyone can be a difference maker. So what are you doing? I want to know. Perhaps our other readers do too!

 

–Joe Kiedinger–

 

ACTION PLAN: Decide to be a difference maker for the business you work for. Your job satisfaction will go through the roof and so will your customer loyalty.