Barry's BULL-e-TINS

Adapt or Die

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:24:00 GMT

It’s now almost four years since we closed our Toombul Music business. In its heyday, that business was iconic to music lovers across the nation, and I’m still asked why it closed. The answer is simple. The winds of change were blowing for the music industry and those winds became a cyclone - a cyclone called Internet. And that cyclone is now devastating much of traditional retailing, and here’s why.

No matter how successful our business had been in the past we realised that our business model had become redundant. The combination of an expensive physical location and high labour and inventory costs, became an unsustainable liability that made it difficult to compete with online retailing, and music piracy on the Internet. We had to adapt to newer and different business models.

Herein lies the reason why retailing in much of its current form, is over, and why those businesses unable to make the transition will die.

Here are a few examples. The Virgin Superstores, CompUSA, Circuit City, Tower Records and even the mighty Best Buy is reportedly on shaky grounds. And closer to home, HMV, Borders Books, WOW Sight and Sound, Clive Peters, Clive Anthony and Sleep City, are all casualties of changing retail times.

Retailing is all about living and breathing the customer’s viewpoint. Those that understand this will be a survivor because the consumer is free to choose where, when and how to shop, depending on the experience and convenience. Notice I’ve not mentioned price? That’s because price is a given. It’s an essential part of a buying decision but not necessarily THE most important.

Just observe how Amazon and Apple are continually adapting their business models to match consumer needs. Consequently they have become the Internets most important service providers and are a huge thorn in the side to tradition brick and mortar retailers. Their efficient inventory and distribution control, management of customer relationships, competitive pricing, pre and post sales support and customer-harvesting programs are all examples of key competitive advantages for all retailers that wants to stay in business.

But many retailers find it difficult to adapt to alternative retail channels and endure self-inflicting wounds by protecting market share over profit. David Jones is a current example of declining sales yet could have successfully adapted an online channel years ago, because of its long experience in retailing. While transitioning to the Internet may be revolutionary for retailers, it’s simply evolutionary for consumers as they easily adapt to alternative purchasing channels.

Adaptability is imperative as an industry restructures to combat changing consumer options. The Internet has returned the power to the consumer and expensive shopping malls could well become mere window displays for future online shopping.

The More Things Change The More Things Stay The Same

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 01:14:00 GMT

The old saying “The more things change the more they remain the same” is as true today as it ever was. When I think back 25 years when I was building our music business, the media at the time constantly reminded me that times of change were upon us. In fact my whole life’s journey has been constant adaptation to change. While I didn’t always like and embrace it, change was ever present in my top 10 lessons of business building. (Actually, it was number 6 on my ‘Hit List’ in my first book, A little Bull goes a long way’.) The same conditions of change existed for me 25 years ago, so nothing has really changed except the need to constantly review where you fit into the future of your industry and the minds of your customers.

It’s so easy to view the future through the rear-view mirror of past accomplishments, rather than determine what success looks like in the new digital world. And the biggest change in modern times is the way in which the Internet has become an essential conduit for consumers to research and access goods and services.

25 years ago, if you wanted local news you read the newspaper or watched the six o’clock news and read trade magazines and attended trade shows and conferences for business information. Radio and TV were our daily entertainment outlets, faxes were big news for business, mobile phones were a luxury item and ‘google’ was yet to become a verb.

So here’s the paradox for retailers. Do we need expensive showrooms to demonstrate merchandise, when customers can begin their buying journey by educating themselves on a tiny hand held device? All that expertise, knowledge and range is available from the Internet.

I’ve long held the view that the customer is the most important component of business building not the profit. The latter will follow if you get the former right. Success for me came by finding our niche and building a word of mouth reputation for being the best in our market category. Who better to help them find answers to their problems and to trust with purchasing decisions, than us? We definitely weren’t all things to all people because that’s not what niche marketing is about. If you ignore your uniqueness you quickly undermine what makes you different. But if you find your niche and develop a small force within your fields of expertise that you can own, you will become recognised as the expert in that niche. So when it came to music and home entertainment - we were the ‘experts.’

We made sure that our knowledge was worth sharing and our customers not only responded; they became the source of future referrals. As a specialty business, finding our niche and developing ongoing relationships with our clients wasn’t just instinctive behaviour, it was key to our survival.

So if you momentarily patronise my notion that nothing’s changed, except the way in which we connect with our customers and how they now access goods and services, then isn’t this worth considering?

Become the expert and customers will find you to help solve their problems.

Share your expertise to build your business by creating an effective database that allows you to electronically connect with your clients by regular E-newsletters. Just like I’m doing now. Promote it on social networks, webinars, your website and become the information source that the trade magazines used to be. Shared knowledge and information is the gateway for new business and the optimiser for existing client loyalty.

To be the best in business today, you need to do what you do best and let everyone know. Like I said…nothing’s changed in 25 years!

Make You Famous

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 04:36:00 GMT

Following on from last months Bull-e-tin, ‘If You Don't Tell Them Your Famous’; I received an overwhelming response from business folk seeking assistance to improve their personal and business profile.

In appreciation for your contribution I have made a five-minute video of my top 10 tips to becoming ‘famous’. Please feel free to offer your comments or request for further information

Congratulations to the following initial 3 businesses I’ve chosen to work with. They will each participate in a 8 week program valued at $3,999.

They are…

1. Marie-Therese Rushwan - MTR The Artist Hairdressing - North Adelaide (SA)
2. Shirley Crawford - Scenic Lodge Equestrian Centre - near Toowoomba (QLD)
3. Graham Baker - The Diamond Mine Jewellers of Pelican Waters (QLD)

Thank you for everyone who applied to work with me. I will be sending you something special for taking the time to fill out our questionnaire.

Be the Best

Barry Bull

If you don’t tell them you’re famous –nobody else will

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 22:55:00 GMT

The word ‘famous’ is a powerful selling word - yet few understand its real meaning.

We live in an unforgiving and competitive world where anything that appears different has most likely been done before. What are you famous for? What differentiates you from your competition in a way that’s relevant and meaningful to your clients?

The challenge is to stand out in a competitive marketplace by matching your services with the needs of potential clients, better than the competition. This is why it’s important to concentrate on what you do best. If you ignore your uniqueness and try to please everyone, you quickly undermine what makes you different. The ‘all things to all people’ offer doesn’t work for specialty business. Attempting to compete with the big end of town that wants to own the whole town will put you ‘out of town.’ It’s better to identify a niche with the goal to build a brand that stands for the best in the market.

If you don’t have a brand then you are a commodity. If you are a commodity then price is your only master. Here what I mean about finding your niche.

A few years ago, during one of my business seminars, I asked the audience “what their business was famous for?” I got no reply. So I rephrased the question. “What was their best selling product?” Liam Richards who owns ‘Mick’s Meat Barn’ on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast put up his hand and replied, “our beef sausages!” I asked him why. He told me that “they are home made pre war sausages like my grandma used to make.” I suggested he market them as ‘our famous pre war sausages’ and enter them in a competition for a recognition award. Some time later Liam called to inform me that ‘Mick’s’ had won ‘Queensland’s best beef sausages Award’ at the Brisbane RNA Show, which generated considerable publicity. His sales of beef sausages doubled because they became ‘famous’ and he soon owned the beef sausages category in his market. And because of the ‘free’ publicity, won more awards and profile for his business.

To be the best, you need to do what you do better than anyone else, and then let everyone know. Find a niche and make yourself and your product ‘famous’.

Do you want help making your business famous? I am going to offer 4 lucky businesses the chance to work with me to make yourself famous.

If you are interested please enter your details here and I will be in touch shortly to discuss your eligibility.

If you're in Brisbane come and see me this week at the Queensland Camping and Caravan show (8th – 14thJune) Brisbane RNA Showground.

I'll be selling my ‘famous catalogue of terrific touring tunes’. The Music for Cruizin’ brand is building nicely with ten double albums in the series and dozens of easy listening radio stations around the country playing my albums. And you won’t have difficulty finding my Music for Cruizin’ stand at the show – just listen for the music. It’s what I’m ‘famous’ for!

Trust-a-BULL

Tue, 10 May 2011 02:37:00 GMT

I’m currently recording a series of one hour radio programs with my good buddy Graham Webb from Sunshine FM, to promote my Music for Cruizin’ catalogue of albums. With two brand new releases out this week, my Cruizin’ CD catalogue has now grown to ten double albums and contains a total of 438 of the very best pop songs that a generation of boomers on the road could ever want. Visit my online shop www.musicforcruizin.com

As I walked into the studio this morning, Graham was recording an emotional message for his breakfast radio show and it reinforced to me my last weeks Bull-e-tin to you. ‘Words are mere tools of our language and only influential when put into the right order’.

Graham has been a broadcaster all his life and is a wonderful communicator, and as I am a speaker, we have much in common. He is coaching me to ‘smile’ as I speak to an unseen audience, about the music I love. He reminds me that it’s how we use words, and how we say them, is the real the art of communication, and is at the heart of all human emotion and trust.

For example, our words can hurt, inspire, encourage and depress, but the best words are those that help us to discover personal happiness. With the assistance from Mantovani and his orchestra listen to what made me smile by clicking play.

Feel free to leave a comment if you like.

Service-a-BULL

Thu, 05 May 2011 05:19:00 GMT

Words are mere tools of our language and only influential when put into the right order. So the purpose of my monthly Bull-e-tins is to provide small moments of insight and inspiration to my business colleagues, by assembling words that ‘grab the moment’. And most of my inspiration comes from moments that grab me….. like this one.

My day begins with a one-kilometre early morning swim in the ocean at Mooloolaba, topped off with a social coffee with my beach buddies. There are 18 coffee shops/restaurants in the retail strip opposite the beach, so there’s plenty of choice and competition. It’s interesting to observe why some do better than others.

While the three ‘P’s’ - Price, Presentation and Product are fundamental to the offer; the big distinction is how some operators deal with competition and perceive the difference between threat and opportunity.

I was about to order my morning caffeine fix when a friend joined me at the table with a take -away beverage from another coffee shop. Not exactly the right thing, but it happens. Eventually the manager remarked to my friend, “we do sell coffee here you know!” My friend was uncomfortable and apologised, but was also offended by the sarcasm, so we both left.

Down the road a new coffee shop had recently opened and the place was chockers. I decided to join the action and taste a new blend while my friend continued to sip his take-away.

The young proprietor served my coffee and then swapped the competitors coffee my friend had for a free cup of his own with the remark, “please enjoy a real coffee!’

By the short time it took to drink two cups of coffee I witnessed two entirely different attitudes toward customer service. One viewed a competitor’s product as a threat; the other saw an opportunity to gain a new customer. He ‘grabbed the moment’ and it was obvious why his new business was firing!

What have you done in the face of a perceived “threat” to turn it into an “opportunity” ?

Share your story in the comments section below.

Be the BEST!

Barry Bull

Action-a-BULL - Green is for GO!

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 02:55:00 GMT

A friend of mine called this morning complaining he was stuck in traffic at the red lights. With nothing better to do he reminded me of a story I’d told him years ago about Green means go! When you see a green light you should go for it!

Opportunities come and go but to take advantage of them depends on how fast we act. There are green lights in our business every day but if we hesitate, the light can quickly change to red and the chance to move on is missed.

Our daily journey to and from work is a perfect example of opportunities and roadblocks and how frustrating it can be in heavy traffic with constant red lights. Even more frustrating when the driver in front of you is slow to react once the light turns green, and you miss the chance to proceed because the light turns back to red.

The same occurs in business. By missing a green light, you can hand an opportunity to your competition, or be road blocked by someone else’s inaction. So let the traffic lights on the way to work each morning remind you of the opportunities and roadblocks that exist in your daily routine. When you see a green light, you’ve got to take the bull by the horns and go for it!. Don’t hold back or be distracted by procrastination. Green means go!

And there will be plenty of green lights at my ‘Taking the bull by the horns’ business seminar tonight at Headland Golf Club, Buderim. During this three hour seminar I will share with you the business techniques that have led to my success and prepare you for the Internet evolution taking place right now.

To register go to www.barrybull.com/book-seminar or call 0419 331 125.449. $49 inc supper.

Change-a-BULL

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 22:25:00 GMT

You can’t evolve if you can’t change. But most people are fearful of change, which is why change is not an instinctive human emotion. But what if we altered the emphasis from the word change to a new word: adapt, so every time we think about the uncomfortable notion of change, we think ADAPT.

For example: “I am forever adapting my business systems to make them more efficient.” “My business is always evolving as I continually adapt to match the drivers of change in my industry.” See how adapt now brings a new meaning to change.

When mega booksellers Borders and Angus and Robinson collapsed last month, the media announced their failure was a result of not adapting to the effect that the Internet was causing traditional book retailers. For a bookseller, these were words that Red Group Retail, (the owners of Borders and A&R) hoped would never be written.

In 2008, we closed our business Toombul Music for similar reasons. Shortly after this, I delivered a keynote address at the Red Group National Retail conference and warned them that the Internet was about to do to books what it did to music. The industry opinion was that ‘people would always want to collect physical books’. ‘That’s exactly how I felt about music’, was my response, ‘We evolved our business by adapting to new industry trends.’

Evolution is the ultimate time machine that encapsulates the success or failure of all enterprises. The adaptation process is how we evolve. It’s the transition from old to new, good to great, extinction to survival. Just as Charles Darwin’s discovered that each species of life became stronger from the survival instincts of its predecessor, ‘the survival of the fittest’, the same principles of adaptation apply to the survival of twenty-first century business.

Here’s what I mean. In nature, vulnerability exists in the young and the old. Both extremes of their lifecycle depend on the support of others of their species to survive. If you think about business in the same context, 80% of new businesses fail in the first three years because of lack of experience and capital. Conversely, businesses that have been successful over a long period of time eventually reach their ‘used by’ date, because they continue to do what they’ve always done.

In both cases, they need support to survive because they are not keeping up with the forces that are driving change in their industries. Or in Darwin’s words, it’s a case of ‘the survival of the fittest’, and adapting to ever-changing environments.

The reality of life is that everything is continually evolving around us whether we choose to participate or not. If you don’t adapt you will be replaced by a competitor who does. Who would have thought 20 years ago, that McDonald’s would be selling salads, Apple would be the worlds biggest music retailer, Australia would have a female PM, and I’d be here to remind you!

………………………………………………

“A business only assumes a life of it’s own with proactive leadership. ‘Taking the bull by the horns’ is my call to action.”

Taking the bull by the Horns business seminar

Do you want to learn the secrets that most small business owners will never know about how to really stand out from your competition?

I will be sharing my simple, proven, step-by-step strategies to business success at my forthcoming seminar: Taking the Bull by the Horns being held on the Sunshine Coast April 5^th. You will learn how to evolve your business and how to take the bull by the horns and engage the biggest driver of change in the world today –The Internet. But you’ll need to book now. Click here for details…..

Adapt-a-BULL

Thu, 05 May 2011 04:33:00 GMT

In the words of Charles Darwin, “It is not the strongest of the species, nor the most intelligent that survives- it is the one most adaptable to change.” If you apply his theory of evolution to today’s business conditions then the message is clear - adapt or die.

Retailers, particularly the coalition of big brick and mortar chains, are claiming a competitive disadvantage with on line Internet retailers who benefit from GST exemption on items under $1000. While they say it’s not a level playing field, they are crying foul to a non-existence umpire because the game has changed. It took the consumer to level the playing field and this is hardly surprising because it’s always been this way. No matter what business you’re in, the customer is always right and if you don’t give them what they want, and how they want it, then someone else will.

The challenge for any business as the operating environment shifts is to adapt to new consumer preferences or be left behind.

Ask yourself this simple question. What are the forces that are driving change in your industry? Regardless of the business, I suggest there are only two answers -the GFC and the Internet. And the paradox is that both leverage off each other. Cash strapped consumers are discovering significant benefits by purchasing on line.

What have you done to combat declining market share and is your on line offer competitive? The winners in the future will be those businesses who successfully combine a strong physical and on line presence to their customers. Unfortunately few retailers have achieved this.

If traditional retail is to survive in a world where every product with a model number is available with the click of a keyboard, then they must adapt to embrace new and changing consumer preferences. And their real competitive advantage is not GST exemption because this will never happen. It’s offering top quality in store service from well trained informed staff with strong after sales service.

But it’s not just retailers who are competing with Internet traders.

I visited a website to locate a local printer and discovered I could get a quote for any size job for any quantity with free Australia wide delivery. And if that wasn’t enough, within five minutes I received a call from an international printing broker advising they can submit my job to hundreds of printers to get the lowest price.

The Internet claims another industry!

Achieve-a-BULL - Achieving Full Potential

Thu, 05 May 2011 05:23:00 GMT

In my last Bull-e-tin I asked…

“If you could have 30 minutes of my time, what is the most important business issue you would like help solving?”

The following is one of many replies I received.

“How do you turn on the switch in people that lets them discover their passion and achieve their true potential?”

This is a question I’m often asked because one of the biggest concerns facing employers today is people working and achieving below their potential. The key is to find out what truly motivates them. Here’s a tactic that’s worth sharing.

During my Toombul Music years I enjoyed a daily routine of one on one coffee shop meetings with my people. Each day I would take a different staff member for coffee, out of the shop, to discuss their progress, find out what motivates them, what they expect from the job, and to discuss personal development issues to assist their performance.

I discovered this was not only a highly effective way to train people, but also to encourage interaction so I could best develop their individual potential and talent. However you need to create the right environment for these reviews and I always found everyone enjoys a caffine fix at 9am! Sure it’s time consuming, but it’s worth it when you consider our people are not only our biggest cost, but also our most valuable asset.

We need to find out what drives them and provide encouragement and incentive to achieve this goal. Surprisingly, it’s not always money. What’s in this for them if they give you the same commitment that you give to your business? What incentive is there to give years of service? Yes there’s security and money –but what else down the track? If you start thinking how they think, you will learn how to improve their performance by providing opportunity to achieve their ambitions. But remember, everyone is different, hence the importance of one on one discussion.

So contrary to what you may think, the answer to the problem is with the employer–not the employee. We need to be smarter in matching our employee’s needs with ours. It’s worth reminding that your passion is not necessarily theirs, but if you search for their real talent, they will find their passion.

It concerns me that traditional education methods fail to identify hidden talent in youth. That’s because we are taught at an early age the basic essentials of mathematics, science, language etc and the education system is generally very focused on certain type of ability. But true talent can go unnoticed and this marginalises many talented people.

Every opportunity I get, I encourage young people to choose a career doing something that they really like. Everyone is born with different talents and abilities but some never get the chance to discover what it is they really want to do. Consequently, many people go through their lives doing work they don’t necessarily like and can’t wait for the weekends. Conversely, many successful and famous people have got to where they are by following their passion and talent.

Paul McCartney and George Harrison attended the same school in Liverpool in the 50’s. They went through the whole of their education and nobody spotted their musical talent. Their teachers had half the Beatles in their class and they missed it. It isn’t that people are born celebrities. They achieve success because of pursuing a talent for things they love doing. Talent and passion is a winning combination.

So how do you turn on the switch in people that lets them discover their passion and achieve their true potential in your business? Let me know what you have done or if you have another important business issue you would like help solving drop me a line at barry@barrybull.com and I will personally respond with my thoughts.

It’s no secret that my passion is music and here’s a special Xmas gift suggestion.

In the first two years of release, my Music for Cruizin’ compilation CD’s has grown to a catalogue of eight double albums. Each contains 44 terrific touring tunes from the classic ‘pop’ music catalogues of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, purposely compiled for the traveling boomers.

Great Xmas Gift at Just $25 for each Double CD set.

Buy ALL eight albums ONLY PAY FOR SEVEN.

Click here to see track listings and to order

Very best wishes for a prosperous and fulfilling Christmas season and health and happiness in 2011.

Barry Bull

A Little Bull Enterprises 2010

PS. Please feel free to leave comments below...

Being Out There

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 03:31:00 GMT

As a music man its always been my job to find the appropriate song for all occasions. So here's a great song to introduce a motivating thought as we move into the new fiscal year.

It's Barbra Streisand's first mega hit and it goes like this. "People who need people are the luckiest people in the world"

That's right! Turn up the volume and put yourself "out there" with other like-minded people, because we all need each other. If you reach out to enough people, a door of opportunity will open that will expose new leads and fresh ideas. Some call this "networking'. It's definitely all of this- but much more. It's like a pebble thrown in water. A tiny splash creates endless ripples of energy across a vast pool of human connections.
I believe there is something more powerful that underpins everything we do, and exists beyond the borders of our normal senses. Invisible threads of synchronicity are continually stitching together unforeseen circumstances of connectivity, and just because we can't see them, touch them, or hear them, doesn't mean they don't exist. But if you are "out there', they will find you. That's when the instinctive urge of human connectivity, weaves its web of serendipity. Once this occurs, it's hard not to be inspired.

Here's what happened to me recently and while I don't believe in coincidence, it's an example of what happens if you put yourself and your product/services "out there' and listen to other people.

Sony Music had just scheduled my two new Music for Cruizin' CD titles for a June release. Simultaneous to this, the annual Qld Camping and Caravan Show was being held at the Brisbane RNA show ground, during the Queens birthday long weekend. This is the largest recreational show of its kind in Australia attracting 80,000 visitors and is an obvious market for my Music for Cruizin' catalogue, now comprising eight double albums that specifically targets the "boomers' on the road. And I had 80,000 of the buggers with their headlights on high beam, cruizin' to the show. It was too good an opportunity to miss!

A few years ago I was a keynote speaker at the Caravan Trade and Industries Association Annual Conference where I met the CEO, Ron Chapman. Ironically, the association also organises the QLD Camping and Caravan Show. Ron's a beaut bloke who much prefers to have a "coldie' around a campfire than a coffee in his office. He immediately saw the obvious synergy in my involvement in the forthcoming show, when I called him about my latest Cruizin' albums.

He informed me that Brisbane radio 4BH would be broadcasting "live' from the show over the long weekend promoting the event, and 4BH listeners are the perfect demographic for my Cruizin' product. So with support from Sony, a "Music for Cruizin' weekend' was locked in on 4BH with hourly competitions to win my albums. And by providing daily door prizes at the gate, the Cruizin' catalogue was featured in 40,000 show programs.

This was exposure in overdrive and as a consequence of this, Ron allocated a small booth to display my product and capture immediate sales that the promotion generated. Then out of the blue he said, "You're a speaker, I remember your talk a few years back. Why don't you do a live presentation in our seminar rooms and have your product available?" What a hoot! I was back in familiar territory. I was a retailer once again and created a new presentation, I aptly called - Still Cruizin' after all these years!

We sold hundreds of Cruizin' CD's over the weekend and made inroads into a new industry that would drive future opportunities. At a time when some business folk are talking 'doom and gloom', you need to be "out there"!

This week my two new releases, Joyride and Those were the days are 'Album of the week' on Brisbane Radio 4BC, Sydney 2GB (Alan Jones) 2UE Perth 6IX/6PR /ABC 720 and featured on ABC local radio, Radio national and News Radio across Australia. That's what I mean by 'being out there'!

'Another sensational set of songs mate!!'
Ian Holland
Group Programme Director
MRN, 2GB,2CH,MTR1377 Sydney

For a free Music for Cruizin' brochure listing all the albums and songs, email barry@barrybull.com or order on line at www.barrybull.com .....

Little Bull Enterprises 2010

Make a Splash

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 04:19:00 GMT

Today's tough business conditions can easily make you feel like you're swimming against the tide. Worse still, if you try to compete with the big guys on price or resources, then you're swimming with the sharks. But the paradox is, that you cannot be content to swim ‘between the flags' either, like everyone else.

So I need to put on my Speedo's and goggles to explain what I mean, as I share a recreational goal that's been a tad challenging.

Most mornings at 6.30am you'll find me swimming the beach at Mooloolaba on Queensland's beautiful Sunshine Coast. There's something about an early morning swim in the ocean that I find especially stimulating and while the unpredictability of the wind, tide and currents can be challenging, it's such an exhilarating way to start the day. And what's equally stimulating is the reliance on your fitness, and having the experience to remain calm to deal with the conditions and stay focused on the finishing line. It's that same ‘out on a limb' experience I feel when I walk onto the conference stage.

But like all worthwhile experiences, they are incomplete without people to share them with. I swim with a committed group of people called the ‘Mooloolaba Beach Bums', who all share a love of fitness and the enjoyment of completing a one-kilometer swim across the bay, regardless of the season.

When I first started swimming with the group I was terrified. I'd never been so out my depth before, and although I love the water, I wasn't a strong swimmer. So after being thrashed a few times by the big surf, (and particularly after my caravan accident), I began to think that this could be number two on my ‘bucket list'!

But I find it harder than most to accept defeat, and with a little help from my friends my confidence slowly returned, although fear was ever present. Fear however, is a condition of the mind. If the mind can stimulate unfounded fear, it also has the capacity for you believe that anything is possible. So with a switch of mindset, I eventually became one of the ‘beach bum' regulars.

I also discovered that swimming in the ocean is a lot different than following the black line at the bottom of the local pool. Changing tide and wind conditions make every day a different challenge, and because my head is down and low in the water, it can be difficult to see my colleagues when it's a running tide with a ‘choppy' swell. (Or for the purpose of this analogy, watch ‘the competition.')

I knew I had to get real serious about my technique if I was going to keep up. I noticed that my colleagues had their own way of dealing with these conditions, and the old adage ‘different strokes for different folks', is right on the money. Those that can't adapt to changing conditions eventually drop off - or drown!

At first I churned the water like an eggbeater, using so much energy thrashing by arms and legs about, that I struggled with the distance. Then one morning I noticed that the fastest swimmers in the group took the fewest strokes and seemed to effortlessly glide through the water. Faced with a sink or swim scenario, the obvious thing to do was to get some assistance, so one of my teammates gave me a book on ‘technique'. To be honest, it's not easy to read page 35 to find out what comes next, when you're out beyond the third breaker with a north easterly in your gob! But with perseverance, I discovered that my body rhythm was more important than what I did with my arms and legs, and once I developed a comfortable technique, I found I was swimming faster and further with less effort.

There's an obvious similarity between the principles we use to achieve recreational and business goals, because the strategies for success used in one area of your life can be applied to other endeavours. Here's how it works.

Risk is a calculated necessity for business growth, but if you're going to go out of your depth, then precautions are required. Firstly, you need to keep your head above water by ensuring that your business is financially fit and is adaptable to changing commercial conditions, while keeping a watchful eye on the competition. Companies that don't understand this will eventually sink.

It's so easy to burn energy in the wrong places. This not only is a waste of resources, and capital, but results in a poor return on investment. The development of skills and techniques (continually analising what's working and what's not) will not only drive a more efficient and differentiating performance, but will maintain your competitive edge and get you to where you're going, faster and with much less effort and cost. Interestingly, technique is not an asset that carries a staggering price tag. You just have to continually work at it.

A long time ago I chose not to ‘swim between the flags' of life. This decision provided individuality, freedom, personal satisfaction and mostly, the confidence to take the bull by the horns and ‘make a splash.' However there was always a lifeguard on duty.... common sense!

So after my morning 'splash' I join my mates for a rewarding cappuccino. It's just common sense when you think about it - 'the best things in life really are free!'

Persistence always defeats resistance

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 04:22:00 GMT

My passion has always been music and my early influences Elvis, JOK, and Cliff Richard were my inspiration to become a musician. All three dominated the Oz top 40 charts in the 50's and 60's. As Elvis and JOK are no longer with us, my long-term ambition was to meet Cliff Richard.

I have told the tale countless times at my conference presentations, how I finally got Cliff to do a promotion with me at ToombuI Music. That occasion, however, not only became a career highlight, but also provided me with a powerful message that became a personal metaphor. That's when I discovered that No is always negotiable. It's about never giving up.

Ninety percent of people give up when they're ten percent from achieving their goals. The word that stops them –is NO!

Why is it, that NO is the most stoppable word in the English language? Why is it, that people take this word so literally when its meaning is so transparent? It's because people are creatures of habit, and some habits go back a long way. As an infant, one of the first words we understood the meaning to, was NO. It was hardwired into our brain from early childhood and has been baggage ever since. I urge you to get rid of this enduring notion NOW, because NO is not the final negative- it's always negotiable. But don't just take my word for it!

I receive regular correspondence from business folk everywhere, who tell me how No is negotiable works for them. Here's a recent email from Sharon Mitchell, whose Jazz Apple Café in Canberra is going gangbusters!

“After 20 year of cake decorating at home I finally got brave enough to open Canberra's first Cupcake shop. I have never worked in a retail environment before, let alone owned one. Anyway, my cupcakes started taking off!

I mentioned to my husband that I was noticing gaps in my knowledge in the retail area, and he recommended I read your book. He has heard you speak a couple of times over the years (we visited your shop in QLD a few years back) and he recently heard you speak again at a financial planners conference in Sydney.

So I read your book cover to cover and before I was half way through, I used one of your ideas when Ray Martin came to town to promote his new autobiography. I followed your suggestion of using celebrity whenever possible, and so I sent a dozen of our beautiful cupcakes up to a book signing that Ray was doing. Two hours later Ray was in my Cupcake Emporium to thank us, talk to my customers and to tell us that they were the best cupcakes ever! I called my hubbie and told him that your stuff really does work!!

So along the same lines, I used your “no is negotiable” theme when trying to find some more bakery space to grow into (the business is growing so fast I'm now selling upwards of 2500 Cupcakes per week). I kept getting, no, no, no from all the real estate agents that I was talking to about acquiring extra space. Anyway - I just kept up a gentle persistence - every day (sometimes with cupcake deliveries as incentive) and today I finally got a YES! It is the exact space I wanted for the exact rental I was prepared to pay. I could not believe they finally said YES!

I just wanted to say thanks, because without the wisdom of your book I would not have known that NO IS NEGOTIABLE. The cupcake consumers of Canberra will be very grateful too!”

Look who I caught up with recently!