You have heard the old saying, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” Well I would like to take another look at that saying. I think that “A free lunch is overpriced.”
I have been in the business world for more than 40 years, and if you could see me you can tell that I have had lunch approximately 10,920 times during my working career. During the first 3 years of my working life I ate lunch in the store almost exclusively so that takes us down to 9,620 lunches. So, let’s say that 5% of the time (a little less than 3 times per year for the following 37 years) someone bought me lunch. That would mean that, in my working career, I got a “free” lunch nearly 500 times. Let me give you a few more facts about me. I am not particularly good looking, I am very opinionated, and while I think I am funny all of the time, others might not agree with me. In short, I am not as much fun at lunch as say, Jerry Seinfeld. Heck, I am not as much fun as Jerry Jones. If you think about this, the people taking me to lunch for free were not taking me for free after all. They were actually putting food in me for other reasons. As I think we can rule out a conspiracy with my cardiologist and the folks at Life Fitness to clog my arteries, then the only thing left is they wanted me to work for them. There was something in it for them and they figured that paying me with food was a less expensive and more expedient way than actually paying me. They looked at me and came to the quick conclusion that a Big Mac, Jumbo Jack, or What-A-Burger with fries was a small price to pay for them to get access to either me or my friends. Instead of “will work for food” they held up a sign that said “we want you to work for fries.” And you know what? I did it…sometimes. They wanted to just “chat” about a location, a new technology, a new data source, better health care programs, faster communications, unique marketing ideas, or sponsorship of race cars. Heck, in today’s world, drug reps bring lunch to doctors offices nearly every day just so they can have access to the doctors and their staff. So for their free lunch they are pushing the latest new drug that will make you thinner, have more hair, breathe easier, eliminate pain, think more clearly, and all with just minor incontinences like headaches, bloating, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. What could be a better deal than that? There are actually some real costs to a free lunch. One of the biggest costs is inertia. We all know what inertia is -the lack of energy to get something moving. Like if you have teenage children and YOU want THEM to clean their room and THEY want to sleep in on Saturday morning. They have inertia and you NEED something to motivate them. My dad would just tickle us until we got ourselves in gear. That was his catalyst to our inertia. Nowadays when someone asks me to do something for them for a free lunch I tend to have inertia. That is, I mean to get to it, but other stuff seems to get in the way. Stuff like sleep, work, free lunch, grandkids, did I mention free lunch. So, while I sometimes get around to getting the free stuff done (just like I get around to my wife's list for me) I don’t ever do it with the same vigor that I do “work.” Work has always been important to me. If someone is going to pay me to do a job, I want to do a good enough job that they will pay me to do it the next time it needs to get done. So, if this is all true, (and it is) why would someone expect me to be involved in their sales process where they can make tens of thousands of dollars for a “free” lunch? How can they expect me to give them access to one of my most valuable assets (my Rolodex or contact list -for those of you under 40) and not pay me for my time and effort? Either they don’t value my asset (they do or they would not ask to use it), they don’t value me (they do, they take me to lunch after all), or the custom is just wrong. Taking me to lunch just got more expensive. In my household I am no longer the cheap date I used to be. I won’t settle for a burrito from Chipotle or Orange Chicken from Panda. I want to be driven to do a better job for my friends. If they want access to my Rolodex, I am happy to help them, but I want to be driven to do a good job for them. I want to be driven to learn enough about their business so I can get them an appointment with my friends. I want to make their success my first priority, to represent them instead of just delivering a favor. And that is the reason that Axcelora was created. A process that is so stunningly simple there is no reason not to engage with Axcelora. Instead of asking one friend that might be able to help, you can now engage a company that has many Partners anxious to help you shorten the sales cycle by making introductions for you because they are not working for a free lunch. They are working for you and the success of your company. We are a group of executives that wants to help you win your next business deal, but we won’t do it for a free lunch any more. We want to, and must be driven to get the job done. Engage with Axcelora and see the results you have been looking for. For more information about Axcelora click here
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Saw a picture of a two-legged stool on the internet the other day. Apparently it was designed to make us challenge the norm. And, incidentally, like the ball chairs, you can sit on it if you really concentrate. Just what everyone needs to do -- is focus on trying to sit while you are sitting. Isn’t that the opposite of the function of a chair? Isn’t it supposed to make it easier for you to focus on something else, like writing this essay?
Well, all that got me to thinking about why three-legged ideas work better than two-legged ideas. Let’s start with sports. Football teams are more successful if they work on all three phases of the game -- offense, defense, and special teams. If baseball teams only work on pitching and defense, they tend to not score enough runs to win (and the fans don’t come to the games). If, however, they also add offense to the game they become the '27 Yankees, The Big Red Machine, or the current day Giants (yes Red Sox fans, I know you have won as many World Series as the Giants, they just won last year). In politics I think we currently have the same issue. When the three political branches of government (House, Senate, President) work together (Post 9/11 for instance) we have a government that works smoothly. However, as we have seen for the past four years, when only two of the three political branches of government work together we have grid lock. So we can agree that three is better than two in many instances. So that brings me to my thought of the day, building your net worth. If you are working on the two most common areas of building your net worth, saving and pay, you will do OK -- just like football teams will do OK with just offense and defense with their two-legged stools. However, if you want to maximize your net worth you will also look to monetize all of your assets. If you have a vacation house, wouldn’t you be better off if you could rent it during the time you and your family were not using it? Airbnb is leading the way in developing this impactful tool with room rental. Assets that are sitting idle are all of a sudden being put to use, being monetized. People are renting out their cars and personal tools. You don’t have to loan them to your neighbors with the hope of getting them back some day, you can actually list them for rental on line. And, that is exactly what Axcelora (www.axcelora.com) is doing today in the B2B world. They are helping their members monetize the biggest assets they have… the relationships they have built throughout the business world over the course of a career. If renting out a room in your house (or your entire house) is now a multibillion dollar business, why shouldn’t leveraging your Rolodex be the same thing? If you can make the relationships you have built become the third leg of your stool, you have taken the next step to financial freedom. So, the biggest challenge of a two-legged stool is to find the third leg. In today’s world people and companies are looking to maximize all of their assets to get a leg up. Are you? For more information about Axcelora click here. RadioShack has just announced that they are closing as many as half of their stores. The chances are high that much of the office structure in Fort Worth will be moving somewhere else (depending on who ends up owning the company) and many people will be out of a job. That leads me to the question I always ask…”What can I do to help” Here are 4 reasons you should help your friend find a job.
1. This is your friend and friends support each other. So, it is the right thing to do to help your friend find a job. Helping is one of the primary reason you should have friends. It is what our social structure is built on. You are there to support each other, to give comfort, and to listen. And, if you don’t help them find a job eventually they will end up living in your extra bedroom (and then you won’t have an extra bedroom) and who wants Alan (Two and a half men) living in their house for the next 10 years or so. A little humor in a not so funny subject. 2. Finding your friend a job in your current company will help advance your career. By finding your friend a job at your current company she will be appreciative and work hard to make you look good. Management will recognize that you are looking after the good of the company (doing good while doing well) and may consider you for advancement. 3. Finding your friend a job at another company will help increase your personal network reach. If one of your suppliers is looking for a good person, recommend your friend. When they successfully begin their new job it will shine a light on you. The supplier may come back to you when they have another job opening - leading, perhaps, to a step up for you. 4. Reaching out to your contact list is something you should do on a regular basis. It will keep you aware of what is going on around you. You will be the first to know when one of your contacts gets promoted, moves to a new company, or retires. You will become “Top of Mind” from a brand perspective. And, what could be a better reason to reach out to your contact list than to help a friend find a job? You can also suggest that your friends look at Axcelora to see if this is a good fit for them and their Rolodex. Helping your friends in their job search is much more than just doing the right thing. By doing good, you are doing well. If you know anyone at RadioShack, reach out to them today and offer to help them find the next great place to live their work life. It won’t take much effort your part and the rewards are great. Ok, you have just left your job. It could be for many different reasons. You just got tired of working there, you did not like your boss, your job was eliminated, the company closed down – it really doesn’t matter, the fact is that you are not going to work anymore. So, what should you be doing when you wake up in the morning?
Unless you are independently wealthy (and if you are, why are you reading this) you are eventually going to have to find work. Now, that may be after you take some time off to hike the Sierras, travel Europe, get closer to your family, write the great novel (hope it gets published) or take a baking class, but you will eventually have to find something to do that will pay the bills. Whether you are working to find a job now or preparing to find a job later there are certain things you have to do. 1-Organize Your Contacts. The best people to help you find a job are your contacts that have a job. You have many things in common or they would not be in your contact list. In the past several months I have spoken to many people about their contact list. Most people think their contact lists are up to date...and then reality sets in. Many of their contacts have changed jobs. Either they have new responsibilities with the same company they were working for, or they have changed companies. To get your contact list up to date, use LinkedIn and reach out to people that you know. Send them a note and make it personal. This is the most important and fulfilling thing you can do while you are waiting. You will be surprised how focused this exercise will make you. 2- Define exactly what you are looking for Be precise. “Work in the hospitality business” is not specific. “Work toward a career in hospitality where I can interact with consumers on a daily basis” is pretty specific but still gives you flexibility to look at many different opportunities. Once you have defined your ideal job, go back to the contact list that you have so carefully developed and see who has access to that field of work. It might be a two step program. That is, you may have to send a note to some of your contacts to see who knows someone in your field. 3-Define the 100 contacts that you have that are really contacts. This should be the people that will actually respond to you, not the people on LinkedIn that are just building lists. Monday through Friday of every week send three of them something interesting you have found in THEIR field. It should have nothing to do with you, and everything to do with them. In 8 weeks you will have been in contact with your top 100 list telling them something interesting or exciting about themselves and move yourself higher up their list of recall. This will pay dividends as you wait for a job. 4- Get involved in something you are passionate about that allows you to give back. This can be anything from a religious organization, your child's school, the environment, those less fortunate than you, cleaning a park or working in a community garden. This exercise will ensure you don’t start feeling sorry for yourself. It will clear your mind and will keep you in motion. Remember, a body in motion tends to stay in motion. (Sir Isaac Newton) 5-Think about things you can do that will not diminish your value while allowing you to monetize yourself until you find the right job. Consider consulting projects, temporary executive jobs or even starting a business coaching practice. These are all legitimate opportunities. Additionally, you can participate in Axcelora’s Partner program. All 5 of these ideas are activities that will help you become better prepared for that job while you are waiting. Click here to learn more about Axcelora's Partner Program So you have spent 20, 30, 40 years of your life in business. One of the things you should do on a regular basis is evaluate the assets you have accumulated during that time. You have gained knowledge and skill in your profession. As your skills have increased your company recognized and monetized those skills through greater compensation.
Another asset that has increased over your business life is the size of your Rolodex. You may have moved jobs, some of your colleagues may have moved, you have made business friends at conferences and meetings. All these activities and many more have helped you increase the size of your Contact List. But, until recently, there has not been a formal way to monetize that asset. Until today. Recently launched, Axcelora is a group of retail and restaurant professionals that have pooled their collective contact lists to form a data base of decision makers. Spanning all aspects of retail from IT, Finance, HR and Operations to Merchandising, Marketing, and Real Estate/Construction, this data base has been called exceptional. And, perhaps, the most exceptional part of Axcelora is that all of our connections are personal. While you are most likely seeing this post on LinkedIn, our program is nothing like LinkedIn at all. Our program is about one to one introductions to people that we know, that personal touch that makes the difference. And all parts of this process are vetted. No phone banks that are making calls that are just annoying on the other end. Axcelora starts the journey on a positive note that helps the success level of our ecosystem. Axcelora is looking to grow the number of retail and restaurant professionals that are seeking to monetize their own Rolodex. To find out more about this opportunity contact Rich Hollander at: Rich.Hollander@axcelora.com |
AuthorRich Hollander is a retail expert with over 40 years in the industry. Archives
September 2021
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