The 10 P's of Business: PERCEPTION

"Perception: We judge ourselves by our intentions. Others judge us by our actions."

Perception is my FAVORITE P of all the P's of Business. Here lies the truth in life, whether you like it or not. Please read the following three true stories that have happened in my young life. They are all perfect examples of PERCEPTION...

Story #1

My very first job was when I was 14. I worked at a small Mexican Restaurant. One night while I was closing I was supposed to be cleaning the restaurant. I told the owner, Mario, that I was finished. He looked around and said - "what about this??? and look - you forgot that!" I said "Mario, but I did this, I did that, I did that, I did this!!!"

Mario then looked at me and told me something that I will never forget. "Hannah, it's not what you do, it's what you DON'T do."

Story #2

When I was 15 years old I wanted to work at BROADWAY (which is now Macys). At the time they only hired people who were 18 years or older. I knew this, but I thought I would take the chance anyway. I walked in with a green blazer, black skirt, black nylons, high heals, and my hair in a French bun (very Jay Jacobs circa 1992). When they asked what school I went to I told them "Ventura." They thought I meant Ventura College.

I walked in like I was supposed to work there and spoke like I was supposed to work there. The PERCEPTION was that I was 18 - the manager didn't pay attention to the job application. Two days later I got the job. Six months after that someone actually asked me about school and I told them that I went to Ventura HIGH school. But by that time I had already proved myself so no one worried about it.

Story #3

When I was 19 years old I moved to Phoenix for a very short time to help a friend start up a business. I made an appointment with a very successful building company in town and had spoken to them on the phone several times. Now it was time to meet the two owners for dinner. Oh crap! Here I was 19 years old and about to try to close a business deal, for hundreds of THOUSANDS of dollars, with two hard core real estate/construction owners.

I was scared out of my mind that I would not be taken seriously because I was so young. I remembered my experience with Story #2 and pulled the same kind of outfit together. Then I went over to the restaurant the night before and tipped the door man $20 and told him my name, where I was from, and what kind of business I was in. I did the same for the hostess. Then I rented a car and driver.

The next night I made sure my driver pulled up right after the two gentlemen who I was meeting. The door man greeted me "Hello Miss Murray. Wonderful to see you again." The Hostess greeted us "Hello Miss Murray. How is your family in California doing?" And so it went. This was one of the most expensive restaurants in Phoenix at the time so the business partners were impressed. They quickly got over my young appearance and we moved forward with the deal - which was closed the next week.

(You may call this deceptive - I call it Marketing).

The moral of the stories are ....

In story #1 - Mario taught me that it doesn't matter how good I do anything. People SEE what I am doing wrong FIRST and judge me first on that - PERCEPTION.

Story #2 and #3 - It is not about what I KNEW how to do - it's about what people THOUGHT I WAS CAPABLE OF. PERCEPTION.

I know so many people who are amazing at their jobs. They are the first to go in and the last to leave. They are the first to raise their hands to volunteer and they are the only ones who don't complain. Yet, they are at the bottom of the totem pole. I believe that these people, in particular, do not understand the GAME of Perception.

• You must carry yourself a certain way.


• You must demand respect silently.


• "Facts" are actually based on OPINIONS.


• You MUST be your own PR Agent (because no one else will)


• and you must throw all fears out the window

Some people get very angry with me when I talk about perception. "That isn't how people should do business. And if they do judge me this way they are not worth doing business WITH!" Yes, that's nice. However, I don't live in the "Should" world.

As long as you follow the rules listed above people will notice you. And as long as you have the STUFF to back up the perception that you are building for yourself - you will be very successful in business and in life.

**Perception Pyramid referenced from darmano.typepad.com

10 P's of Success - Performance

As you know - there are a whole lot of talkers out there. But when all is said and done it's the DOERS that make it happen. I know that you've seen them before - the guy in the next office who always talks about how great he is, how many people he knows, and always has a way to let you know that he knows more than you. Who cares...

The truly successful people - the people that stand out in the crowd - are those that actually get it done. It doesn't matter what that guy does or doesn't do. What matters is what YOU do. That guy lives in his own world and it doesn't matter how successful you are, he will always find a way to put you down to make himself better. In the end its important that you are continually becoming better at what YOU do.

I find that there are times when I get a little lazy and start forgetting the steps that it takes to make things happen. For instance, when I was in sales I would get into moods where I didn't want to make the cold calls that I needed to make and then wonder why my sales were dropping.

Now that I'm an Executive at my place of business I find that sometimes I get distracted by whats going on in the office and I am not focused on my work or what I need to do to take my company to the next level. When it really comes down to it I am responsible for helping the company move forward. What I do affects the direction of the company. So, I need to PERFORM. I need to make it happen.

The moral of the story is - check in with yourself every once in a while. Are you doing what you're supposed to be doing? (don't lie)

Challenge yourself to be better!

The 10 P's of Business: PERSISTENCE

I was watching my daughter play soccer today and I admired all the little 7 year olds on the field. No matter how many times they missed the ball or accidentally kicked it into the other team's goalie - they kept on it. They didn't give up. I am so envious of how much they DIDN'T care about doing it wrong. They tried and tried, over and over again, until they made their goal.

If only we as adults can take a lesson from these kids - who cares if we make mistakes? It doesn't matter if we lose. It doesn't matter if we are told "no." They we try again. We do it better. We learn our lesson. We find a way to get a "yes."

There are so many adages about PERSISTENCE: "If at first you don't succeed - try, try again." Eventually you will get it right.

Persistence is a mindset:

• You must first get over the worry of being blamed. Because you will be.


• You must be brave enough to make mistakes - because there will be lots of them.


• You must understand that there are those who will be jealous of your strength and persistence - because they are not strong, and they are not persistent. (and by the way - they are the ones who are blaming you).


• You will fall on your face many times - but in the end you will be the one who others look up to

Do it over and over again - always finding a way to be better - and success will come knocking.

It is people like this that attract employers and big salaries. True - an employer does not want someone who will be constantly making mistakes. But much worse than this is someone with no drive, no ambition, or who never takes initiative because he doesn't want to be blamed.

By the way - a little hint: Ask LOTS of questions. Find someone who is very good in your field of work and pick their brain. Everyone likes to teach others what they know. Find your mentor and get as much information and advice that you can. It will help you avoid some of the mistakes.

Good Luck!

The 10 P's of Business - PASSION

It's Sunday night. For some it's the last chance to squeeze the last drops of fun out of the weekend. For others, the feeling of dread is overcoming them. The dread of getting up another day to go to a job that they dislike or find boring. But for a select few - it is just another evening that they're spending with their family. They are not plagued with worry, loathing, dread, or anything else. Some might even be making a list of what they're going to work on come morning.

These select few people love their work. They love what they do. They do not have a "JOB" but instead, have a pursuit. A goal. A mission. They're on to something and they're excited about what they are "building." Whatever that goal is they are passionate about it.

The most successful people are passionate about life. They cannot wait to get to the next level. Whether it's in their personal life or career - those who have passion work harder, more often, and are the most successful people I know. But to them it's not work - it is FUN! Yes, I have been accused of "losing my mind" because I could not wait to get back to work. But I love my work because it's exciting, and fun, and I cannot wait to see what I can do next!

If you too think that I'm crazy then you are in the wrong business. It's time for you to start figuring out what drives that passion in you. You've heard it before: Find something you are passionate about and find a way to get into a career that encompasses that thing.

Think about it - if you hate your job then you go to work everyday and clock in and clock out. You do what is required of you and you leave. But.... if you are PASSIONATE about what you do then you are finding ways to improve, do better, and be better. That is the key to success in business and your personal life.

PASSION equals happiness. Happiness equals SUCCESS.

The 10 P's of Business

There are certain rules that you have to live by to succeed in the business world. These rules are what I call the 10 P's of Business. They are (in no particular order):

1. Passion
2. Persistence
3. Performance
4. Perception
5. Presence
6. Presentation
7. Planning
8. Preperation
9. Politics
10. Positive

Over the next few weeks I will explain what these mean, how they affect the way you do business, and how the P's of business affect you.

Subscribe to this blog to ensure that you get the full explanation....

Back to Basics Part 2 - Sales

Ok, now that you are taking control and going back to basics in your personal life - it is time to get your sales career back in order. The following is made especially for my sales people friends - but it applies to all of us.

I was in outside sales for more than nine years selling radio. I was good at what I did and I had a great time. But whenever my sales would drop it would ALWAYS be because of the same thing: I was getting lazy. So my sales friends: It is time to get back to the basics. Yes, this is obvious. Yes, this is simple. But what has happened is that we have gotten comfy in our sales careers and our "reliable" clients.

Things have gotten a little tough as of late and budgets have been slashed - so... we have to work a little harder. A few of my friends have called me to get a little inspirational MOJO - and this is what I am telling them. So for all my fellow sales warriors - here are a couple of basics:

#1 The truth is in the numbers!

When you first started at your job - how many cold calls did you make a week?

How many are you making now? (Tell the truth)

Most likely you are making less than half of what you used to. So, your "B2B" is to at least double the number of cold calls. Why?

Because if you are making 20 cold calls they are probably turning into 6 meetings. Those six meetings are probably turning into 2 sales. If you need 4 sales then you better do 40 cold calls. If you need 6 sales / week then you better do 60 cold calls a week.

It is basic math! Do this for one month and see how quickly your sales increase.

#2 - Don't judge a book by its cover

I know your mamma taught you this - and it still rings true. We have all heard the story of the homeless-looking guy who walked into Sears and all the salesmen ignored him. Then the "newbie" asks him if he wants help and he bought 20 refrigerators for the apartment complex that he owned.

Or in my case when I sold cars when I was 19 I was that "newbie." I worked with 14 car salesmen and they didn't want to help the mom who drove up in a beat-up van with her three kids. I wasn't jaded yet so I walked up and helped her. She ended up buying two cars from me - a new van for herself , and a work truck for her husband. I made $2,000 commission from this deal. Then the next weekend she sent her sister over to see me and she bought a car!

We get lazy, we get jaded - and we start judging the outcome before the sale even begins. You didn't do it when you were a "newbie" so don't do it now. Who knows how much money is passing you up when you stereotype the "opp."

#3 - It is time to get creative!

If you sell advertising you better come up with some amazing packages

If you sell services - you better have some amazing customer service

If you sell products to retailers you better package those babies up with GWP's or PWP's or some really amazing packaging that stands out from the rest.

There are a hundred other "yous" out there - what makes YOU so special?

#4 Get Excited!

Derek always makes fun of me because he says that I have a "sales face." When I get excited about a new restaurant in town and I am telling him about it he usually says something like: "Ok babe - you sold me! We'll go..."

He calls it my sales face because my eyes get big, my eyebrows go up and down, my arms start flailing around, my head nods, and my voice gets higher. This is just me - those of you who know me know that I can talk about a new pen that way - but the point is - I'm excited and I am making people want it too!

People are feeling kind of low right now. They are waiting for you to come in and get them excited again! Listen, if they are not buying from you it's becuase their clients are not buying from them. Give them hope. Let them know that their clients will be so excited about your product that they will make room in their own budget for it.

Everyone needs a little spike in their punch right now. Give it to them. Your excitement will wear off on them and they will be excited to do business with you.

Get Back 2 Basics and have FUN!

Getting Back to Basics

Well, I finally finished school - yah! I graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Organizational Innovation. Most new graduates would look ahead to the future and lay out their big dreams. Strangely, I am taking a step back and looking to get back to my roots - the basics.

I have been running around like a crazy person running the marketing and innovation of a multi-million dollar, International cosmetic company while at the same time going to school and raising a daughter. I am feeling exhausted, relieved, and anxious to start a new adventure. At the same time I know that I have been running too fast to get the work done, and forgetting how I got there in the first place.

Sometimes we are so busy running that we forget the little things that make the biggest difference in business and in life. Be courteous, ask questions, take stock of the quality of your work. Thank your coworkers for their help. Commend your employees for their hard work. Send a note to a valued peer/friend.

This came to me while I was reading Sidney Poitier's book - The Measure of a Man. I highly recommend it. It reminded me that the measure of a man (or woman) is not by the education she received, or the talents that he has. It is by the way that they treat others, grasp opportunities, overcome hardships, and learn from their own strengths and weaknesses.

There are several people that keep me on track in my life and help throw me back on course - I am eternally grateful to them. Now that I have accomplished my goal I am able to take a breath and make sure that "track" is a solid one. It's time to start again at the beginning:

1. Take stock of my skills

2. List my opportunities

3. Figure out how I can be better

4. Set a new goal

5. Take on a new adventure!

You can always be better! You can always learn more!

Good Luck out there.....