The Brad Miller Show - Growing You, Growing Your Business

Starts with your prospecting – –

Perfectly Picky Prospecting – 061 – episode

Don’t complain about your customers – You picked them

Don’t Complain:

DK – no one held a gun to your head and said, you have to do business with me.

Not all customers are good customers

AND…

Not all business is good business

Not all of your Product Lines are good business –

Our job as the leader – the Chief Innovator – The Intelligent Designer is…

…to Find the Very Best business – and simplify it, systemize it, and Innovate it – so that it has Crazy and Outrageous Profit Margins – and people gladly pay your prices bc they Love your company and love the service or thing you provide!

Replay that again – it is the master key to wealth as a business owner.

You are the Inventor

EVEN more You are the LEADER of your business and your job is not to work IN the business as an employee – your job as the leader is to Think about the business, Simplify the business, Innovate the business SO THAT… and here’s the key – so that you can Choose The Best Business.

Again, this is about BOTH Customer Types AND Business Line

My contractor friend – He is super talented and there’s nothing he can’t do

– He’s a General Contractor

That’s his problem – he’s a General Contractor

The big money – and the Lifestyle business is Being a SPECIFIC Contractor

WOW That’s Good!

You see my friend is Very good at most aspects of residential construction – BUT that could be a problem.

“Jack of all trades…

Many people think that is a compliment

It’s not, bc here is the rest of the story

…and master of none”

I have challenged him to PICK ONE – or Two – or Maybe even Three

BECOME A SPECIFIC CONTRACTOR – and Dominate that space

Devon – door guy

General:

adjective

affecting or concerning all or most people, places, or things; widespread.

Specific:

adjective: specific

clearly defined or identified.

Examples of Bad business and Bad customers

No restaurants

No event rentals

No poinsettias

And Firing customers bc they are not a good fit – mean to our staff – or beyond our ability to satisfy

You don’t have to keep Pain in the Butt clients – You can choose not to do business with them

Not all business is Good business.  Hopefully you are saying No to some And some people think your prices are too high – but that’s another podcast.

Business photo created by diloka107

On Episode O67 began, The Sole Purpose of Business

Create and Keep Customers – listen to 067 first – then come for this expanded version.  Another way to Think about Creating and Keeping customers

Learned this from Rich Harshaw from MYM

I went to a marketing seminar – over 20 years ago.

Inside Reality – is how you show up to serve people with your work

Outside Perception – is your face to the world.

The GOAL for the small business owner is for these two to match – Your Inside Reality and Outside Perception is the same.

But that is not usually the case

Big Box examples that have a mismatch.

Big business that gets it right

The Sole Purpose of Business

And

A business has two functions

Two Big Piles

Create and Keep

Create is:  Outside Perception

Ask these questions:

IPS our unconditional Guarantee – the curse of the familiar

You are standing too close to your own business

Industry influenza – copy cats…

Outside perception options

KEEP:  Inside Reality – you are going to create something truly amazing.  Your business is Unusually Exceptional.

That Begins with creating a Predictable Experience you are confident delivers.  Then Innovate it!

Innovate or Die, as the saying goes.

Innovation is how your Keep Customers coming back

If you do not have repeat customers – You can not build a long term business.

Customers must Love your company – love doing business with you.

People Love Chic Filet – lines around the building 2 times.

People Love Starbucks and Gladly pay 5 and 6 bucks for a cup of coffee.

That really is The Sole Purpose of Business.

Business photo created by diloka107

Mission – to our people

The story of Bill

I said earlier…

??? Do You have a sense that your WORK, is connected to that Mission?

If YES – then you are doing your BEST WORK!

You need to do your Work Tasks – of course.  But that work also has to be connected to something Bigger…Your Vision

STORY OF CHRISTOPHER WREN

Vision and Tasks – You need them both.

“A vision without a task is but a dream. A task without a vision is drudgery. Vision and a task are the hope of the world.”

Vision vector created by wowomnom

I asked this last week:

Margin for Mission

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

Mission – Begins with people

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry – author John Mark Comer

WHEN I READ THE SYMPTOMS OF HURRY – I KNEW THE CAUSE OF MY PROBLEM

The theme verse for the Ruthless book was this:

Matthew 11:28-30

THE MESSAGE:

BUT, – – – and this is the point of the podcast – IF we’re not careful – if we’re going too fast – our work becomes drudgery.

Margin – for ourselves

How to build Margin into our Everyday Life.

We are going Fast – We live in a fast-paced world.

7 Ideas to Regain Margin

The unforced rhythms of grace

WOW – I don’t even know exactly what that means – But I want it!

JUST SIT WITH THAT

There is a Rhythm to life – AND to Grace

What does that mean – – – For YOU?

THIS WAS CREATED BY GOD AND IS PART OF THE UNIVERSE – PART OF THE RHYTHM OF THE UNIVERSE.

THE GOAL IS …

The Daily Examen is a technique of prayerful reflection on the events of the day in order to detect God’s presence and discern his direction for us. The Examen is an ancient practice in the Church that can help us see God’s hand at work in our whole experience.

St. Ignatius thought that the Examen was a gift that came directly from God, and that God wanted it to be shared as widely as possible.

One of the few rules of prayer that Ignatius made for the Jesuit order was the requirement that Jesuits practice the Examen twice daily—at noon and at the end of the day. It’s a habit that Jesuits, and many other Christians, practice to this day.

Margin is the Space To slow down and Think and Dream and Plan

Next week – How to use your Margin

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WELCOME! This Episode is for you!

We all get to that place – and need fresh perspective.

The podcast is about – Growing You, Growing Your Business

I have a line in my intro – you just heard it – “A business will never grow bigger than the person who leads it – You”

You the leader have the power to decide – to Choose – what your business or organization will focus on.

You have to choose!

To Not choose is to choose

Not just about Business – About Your Work

All great businesses serve people – they serve people with their work.

Work is not a 4-letter word that ends in K – OK it is but it is not a cuss word.

BUT, – – – and this is the point of the podcast – IF we’re not careful – if we’re going too fast – our work becomes drudgery. We get in a hurry and lose all Margin.

We have to Regain our Margin to focus on our Mission

I want to refresh your Vision for your work – to look at the Big mission You are on

Slow down and Think about Your business and/or your Work

How do I know that?  Bc God said so

If that offends you – maybe this is not the episode for you – Tune in next week…

But it is the truth as I have experienced it in nearly 40 years of following Christ

We get Busy and we lose Perspective.

OR

We never have been challenged with a Bigger Vision for our life –

THAT’S WHAT HAPPENED TO ME

I have a talk – Your Best Work, the Best Way and it starts like this:

Hi my name is Brad and I’m a recovering Technician.

The talk is to Business Leaders and my goal is to make a giant shift in their thinking – In Their Perspective.

THINKING ABOUT THEIR “BEST” WORK

From thinking about themselves as Employees of their business – or technicians.

TO

Business Owners – Leaders

I read a business book about 30 years ago that changed my PERSPECTIVE about how business should work

Here is Big Idea of the Book:

Working IN your business only – can become drudgery

That is a huge Perspective Shift for business leaders.

And that is what You are!

I am going to ask you to make a couple of huge Perspective Shifts

You are the Experts in your work –

The podcast IS NOT ABOUT the work of DOING…It is about the work of THINKING

THINK

We are going to ask Big questions like…

What is my work REALLY?

What is My BEST WORK?

I gave this talk to an amazing group of Salvation Army leaders

??? Is your work connected to the Mission of The Salvation Army?

The Mission of The Salvation Army

??? Do You have a sense that your WORK, is connected to that Mission?

If YES – then you are doing your BEST WORK!

Your Best Work is connected to Mission.

Here is another quote that really helped me…

“It’s not enough to do your best, you must know what to do and then do your best” – Demings

I AM GOING TO ASK US TO BE OPEN TO A PERSPECTIVE SHIFT

PERSPECTIVE –

The Coffer Illusion

As we begin this day, I am asking you to be Open to seeing your work from a Different Perspective.

Maybe – – – maybe…

You say:

But what about the Circles?

The Rectangles are URGENT!

THE Rectangles are Obvious and scream for your attention – the TASKS

The Circles, not so much.  They are the VISION

It’s a perspective shift

To look at our Work with Fresh Eyes – asking God to help us see things we have not seen before

Ask, “God, what is my Best Work”

That’s introduction – Part 2 is about how to find the Margin

Without the Margin to THINK and Slow Down – you will never get the perspective you need

Coffee photo created by wayhomestudio

Here’s the big idea The Very Best Businesses are Intelligently Designed

The World Class businesses that you love, serve you in amazing ways and the experience with them is predictable and comforting

The reason these businesses are wildly successful is BC we as humans Love Order

“It is best to do things systematically bc we are only human, and disorder is our worst enemy”

Order!

Why is order important?

Whenever you see order – That is the sign of an Intelligent Designer

The Universe for example.

Nothing about the universe is random

The universe is perfectly designed to work in an orderly way – And all of the systems work in harmony with every other system.

Just Like a great business should.

Just as there is nothing random about the universe – there should be nothing random about your business.

Say again – THERE IS NOTHING RANDOM IN YOUR BUSINESS.

Nothing is left to chance.

Everything is done for a reason BC you have designed it that way.

Nothing is left up to chance.

That type of order requires an Intelligent Designer….YOU!

You are the I. D. of your business.

That is how you work ON your business.

This is a Good time to talk about the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

It has to do with Energy and Entropy

Second law: Entropy = disorder.  As energy is used, things go from order to disorder.

In simple terms – Our business as it does its thing – AS IT USES ENERGY – it will go from order to disorder.

AS I SAID – – – People – – – our customers Love Order

If your business is chaotic and haphazard – that does not create confidence and people look for another company.

You as THE Intelligent Designer have to invent the systems and the processes TO Keep pushing Order.

Read that again!

In the Push and Pull of doing your work – things will get Chaotic and Disorderly – that’s OK if you have the systems to Reverse the cycle of Entropy

Negative Entropy = Negentropy

Proverb – 14:4 – Where there is no oxen, the stall is clean – But from the strength of an ox come abundant harvests

The stall is going to get dirty if you’re busy and doing your thing.

But you don’t worry about that – bc you are the intelligent designer and you have designed the systems and checklists and templates So That everything – Every Thing, in your business is orderly

For Example – – – Here is my Short list of things you need to Intelligently Design.

Intelligent Design In the Universe AND Your Business

WHY?  Because…The Very Best Businesses are Intelligently Designed – they are orderly and predictable!

Technology vector created by starline

We’ve been talking a lot about inventing your business. Making your business defy comparison. Making your business special.

We’ve been talking a lot about inventing your business.

That’s one of the best reasons to go to work on your business inventing it. Your business becomes unusually excellent.

That’s what I mean by business as unusual

Walt Disney was famous for his saying:  Plus it

The company’s success wasn’t accidental. Walt set out from day one to always achieve the impossible. He encouraged his team to think bigger and more creative by telling them to plus It!

They would create some new Something and it was always amazing, THEN Walt would stand back and say to his team…How can we PLUS IT?

Whenever I go on a ride, I’m always thinking of what’s wrong with the thing and how it can be improved. — Walt Disney

Lagniappe:  something given as a bonus or extra gift.

Shawn White wins the 2010 Olympics with his – Double Mctwist 1260

IT WAS HIS SIGNATURE MOVE –

What is your businesses version of the Double Mctwist 1260

Customer Satisfaction is worthless…Customer Loyalty is Priceless

7 Practical Ideas to do BUSINESS as Unusual

Minutes Matter

Practical Innovation that pays Big Bucks!

3 Ways to Increase Business Efficiency

Efficiency is doing the same work you do, in a faster AND better way

EFFICIENCY:

(especially of a system or machine) achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expense.

MINIMUM WASTE!

(of a person) working in a well-organized and competent way.

MINIMUM WASTE!

THERE is so much waste in every business!

How do you create efficiency?

Innovate.

Innovation: ongoing systems development. This promotes continuous learning, growth and the improvement of individuals and organizations.

IT IS PROCESS IMPROVEMENT

THE REASON TO CREATE A PROCESS – IS SO THAT YOU CAN IMPROVE IT

3 Ways to Increase Business Efficiency

Anything that slows down the process – – –

Awesome quote:  5% of total elapsed time is the actual time to do the work

In the book – Reengineering the Corporation – the story of processing a credit app.  It was taking 4 days to do the whole process

Reduce the Cycle time of a process – the steps from beginning to end

You do this by finding and eliminating bottlenecks

Bottlenecks can be

There’s no so useless as to do with great efficiency something that does not need doing

WOW, read that again!

DEMING!

Here is a super quick way to Increase efficiency and Profit!  STOP doing some of the things you are doing now!

Look at every task and ASK, “Why are we doing this?”

Industry Norms!  Sacred COWS!

Sacred Cows make the best hamburger

Can you pull off a Zero-defect installation?

Zero Defect means

Zero Defects was a management-led program to eliminate defects in industrial production

What’s the Metaphor for an installation for you?

What does Production look like?

What is your work – what is a process that frequently needs someone to go back again and redo it

Another way to consider – KEY Frustration.

Minutes Matter!

From Chapter 2 in my book: Victory Goes to the Business with Superior Systems – systems create order from Chaos – Becoming the Intelligent Designer of Your Business.

Become The INVENTOR of your Business!

A World Class business is a beautiful collection of Inventions – all harmoniously working together like a high performance automobile

You can do this for your business

Study McDonald’s then Innovate Your Business

How to create a business that works – and Works without YOU!

There are a lot of things at McDonald’s that do not apply to your business – bc they are a restaurant and sell food.

A lot of things about McDonald’s can be copied and implemented

7 Innovation Ideas from McDonald’s: 

“Define your work in a way that serves you”

As entrepreneurs and small business owners we can always be pushing And never satisfied

We think if we just work a little harder and a little longer – all the problems will go away.

That’s Good news and Bad news

This Podcast is Perspective On a BALANCED View

We put a lot on ourselves.

We read books and go to seminars and listen to podcasts – And we become idea junkies

WE Want to do it all

Always pushing and never satisfied

AND …We Don’t Celebrate our wins!  BC there is always more to do.

WE DON’T LEAVE ANY MARGIN TO THINK – TO THINK!

Let me tell you something Friend…

THAT doesn’t serve you.

You will not be your Biggest FAN – YOU WILL BE YOUR BIGGEST CRITIC

Everyone else is Celebrating You and saying – Wow, Well Done…but you’re not satisfied

THAT DOES NOT SERVE YOU

Here’s the phrase I would ask you to memorize so that you can repeat to yourself

“Define your work in a way that serves you”

Work is not a dreaded 9 to 5 existence

It is an expression of your unique gifts, talents and life experience for the Purpose of Serving other people

Working ON Your Business:  Yes you should do that…

If you’re going to work ON your business – There is a lot of Thinking Work and NEW things you have to learn.

It’s a little like learning how to play the piano

You have a choice…

You can either celebrate yourself for making the Big Decision to leave your comfort zone – OR you can be impatient with yourself and Condemn yourself.

I got this quote from Jeff Walker – it was a simple idea but very profound

DEFINE YOUR WORK IN A WAY THAT SERVES YOU

“YOUR WORK” – does not have to be just your business building work – it can be anything you are working on to reach your full potential

You have made a choice to Live into the fullness of your potential – AND that means, doing something you are not good at now.

One of those things for me was Podcasting.

I saw it as a big part of the work I wanted to do at MMT

And I knew I was not good at it

I was going to give myself the time to be bad – permission to be Incompetent for a period of time.

But somewhere along the journey – I lost some of that Grace for myself

My podcast was condemning me.  OR I was condemning me bc of my podcast work

“Define it in a way that serves you”

Here are some other thoughts on this…

“define it in a way that serves you” – – – Make your work A Fun and Joyful part of your life.

Saw this title for a John Maxwell Book:

“Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn”

“Define YOUR WORK in a way that serves you” – CHOOSE TO BE YOUR BIGGEST FAN AND – then you can Celebrate Yourself and Your Big Life