June Update - Rahm, Rooftops, Solar Roadways, & Sales!

Good Evening, Happy Tuesday!

As I was told, parenting has brought on an array of emotions; some being polar opposites...the greatest joy to the most crippling exhaustion.  Sprinkled among the semi-controlled chaos are other funny opposites, such as our sweet little Marleigh next to...Rahm Emanuel.  He was actually the nicer one while she gave him the stiff-arm!  

At ten months she's turning into a toddler before our eyes - it's wild!  Tip of the hat to all the parents out there and happy belated Fathers Day.  

 

I am fortunate to be out every day with an eclectic group of people and businesses.  This monthly digest reflects the things I've discovered lately - new sales ideas, music, Chicagoland happenings, and other things that get me in the groove.

I hope these snippets are of interest to you or someone you know, and offer a quick breather from the driving force of everyday life.  I always appreciate your recommendations, thoughts, and ideas  - as well as taking time out to enjoy it.

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Featured Business

Based out of 1871, MortgageHippo is a new species of mortgage company. They are not a lender or a bank.  But they could become the future of mortgages and the answer to everything that’s been wrong with them for far too long.  They are the first and only online home buying tool built with the consumer's best interest at its core. The sole purpose is to protect home-buyers and help them get the perfect mortgage.

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Sales Best Practices

As I learned from my Brian Tracy (tapes), "Selling isn't telling. Selling is asking questions."  Certain questions are good for taking the temperature of the situation, aka 'trial closes'.  Here is a question-filled article that discusses a few that help the process along and make sure you and your potential new customer are on the same page.  

Two Sales Emails that Warm-Up Cold-Calling.  Thanks to Kevin @ Hireology for the guest post! Check out his great blog too,Sales for Start-Ups.  

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What I'm Up To

I enjoyed opportunities to guest blog this past month.  First for Robert Terson's Selling Fearlessly blog ("How NOT to Blow a Meeting in the First 3 Minutes") and also for SAVO Group ("Five Sales Onboarding Tips to Lower Turnover").  As I continue to pursue my writing, I'd love to hear from you on any sales challenges, questions, trends, or thoughts to discuss in a future blog post.  Thanks for your ideas! 

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Random Joy

The internet was abuzz recently about the development of 'solar roadways'.  Pretty amazing stuff and applicable on so many levels (and surfaces).  While their vision is a noble one and worth watching in this video, I'm sure they'll have plenty of naysayers blocking their futuristic path.  

I appropriately found this post to be very interesting, as it shares tactics on how to be so.  It made me take a personal inventory of my interesting-ness (such as...can I tell three really good stories?).   It also led me to this great article on karma (& a sales lesson). 

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Chicagoland

A few weeks ago I enjoyed the views from the Rooftop at the Wit.  It reminded me that enjoying rooftop decks is something I have slacked on from a Chicago experience perspective.  If the same goes for you, here is an updated list of the best rooftops to check out.  Next on my list - Drumbar!

I'm sure you could share a story or two about random things you've seen while riding the El.  The Greenhouse Theatre (2257 N Lincoln) is running the third season of "El Stories", which reenacts true stories of those memorable and hilarious moments.  Go check it out through Aug 30th.  

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Music

Here is one of the most interesting takes of the classic song "Hallelujah" I have ever heard (at minute 2:40 the performer absolutely blows my mind).  For a more traditional version, I also enjoy this take by Rufus Wainwright.

St Paul & The Broken Bones - everyone I have shared this band with has loved them.  Click, Listen, & Enjoy!

Bonus Musical Post (30 seconds) - I can't wait to turn Marleigh into a human beat box machine - Ha!  So cool.  

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Quotes

The conventional view serves to protect us from the painful job of thinking. - John Kenneth Galbraith (1908-2006)

Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death. - Harold Wilson (1916 - 1995)  

It is only possible to live happily ever after on a day-to-day basis. - Margaret Bonnano

In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable. - Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890 - 1969)

Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it. - Maya Angelou (1928-2014)

I hope you enjoyed the newsletter and found something of value for yourself or someone you know.  Again, I appreciate your recommendations, thoughts, and introductions that so many of you have shared with me.   

Tony Lenhart | tony@salesempowermentgroup.com | 773.991.4236

Two Sales Emails that WARM-Up COLD-Calling

Thanks to Kevin Baumgart for guest-blogging this week! 

Decision makers are busy. They don’t typically answer their phones or return their calls. So, how do you get in touch with them? They receive hundreds of calls and emails every day. They have all received emails from salespeople reviewing how great their product or services are and they have gotten really good at deleting them as fast as possible.

Here are two email templates that are helping organizations get responses and land meetings. 

1.  Bryan Kreuzberger, creator of Breakthrough Email built the below template that has helped him land meetings with decision makers at a number of Fortune 500 companies:

The below is a sample template that helped him land a deal with McDonalds.  This was sent to four people in separate emails.

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Subject: Appropriate person

I am writing in hopes of finding the appropriate person who handles multicultural media? I also wrote to Person x, Person Y and Person Z in that pursuit. If it makes sense to talk, let me know how your calendar looks.

VoodooVox helps increase the revenues of Fortune 500 companies by marketing to Hispanics. Each month we reach 25 million Spanish speakers with an audio message they must hear. We insert 30 second audio and SMS advertisements into phone calls made on calling cards. The benefit to users is they make their call free. The benefit for our clients is they can increase store revenue by providing text message coupons. Typical redemption is 3%. You can measure results online and with store sales. Advertisements can target specific ethnic groups and geographies. Some clients include Burger King, P&G and Chili’s.

If you are the appropriate person to speak with, what does your calendar look like? If not whom do you recommend I talk to?

Thanks,

Signature

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The key of this approach is to send the exact same email to four people in the organization (only the names will change in the first paragraph.)  For example, if I were selling to the Director of Media,
I would write the VP of Media (boss), the Chief Marketing Officer (boss’s boss) and the VP of Marketing (lateral role to the boss).

What Bryan has found is that he doesn't get a response from the person he is trying to meet, however that persons boss does often responds.

2. Aaron Ross, Author of Predictable Revenue has created a very simple email process he calls CC2.0.

This process revolves around sending a targeted email to the decision maker for your product or service, asking them who is in charge of that function (even though you probably already know the answer to it.)  Here is an example of a CC2.0 email:

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Subject: Aaron, Quick Question

Hello Aaron,

Sorry to trouble you, but can you please let me know who handles (something that is relevant to your product or service) at ABC Company?

Thank you,

Kevin

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What we have found is that if you ask someone about a responsibility that falls within his or her job description they usually want to take credit for it and will reply.  Here are some typical responses:

• “That’s my responsibility, why do you ask”
• “I do”
• “X person does”

Aaron’s research shows that open rates are much higher than typical sales focused emails.

The real benefit of this approach is the cold call now turns into a warmer call.  The phone call is now, “Hi Aaron, I just got your email, sorry I should have put more context into my original email.  We are helping…..”

Also, Hubspot published a slideshare presentation that has some great takeaways on best practice email templates; worth the three minutes to review:

http://www.slideshare.net/HubSpot/how-towriteemailspeoplewanttorespondto

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Kevin Baumgart is VP of Sales at Hireology.  Check out his excellent blog too, Sales for Start-Ups.  

Add This One (Timing) Thing to your To-Do List

No, no...I'm not giving you more to do tday.  I'm actually going to share a way to cross those things off quicker.

So how (and how often) do you do your to-do list?

Do you...

• make a bullet pointed list on paper then scratch thing off
• A digital list on your iPhone Notepad (or popular apps Any.do or Astrid)
• Perhaps categorize?
• Or Color Coordinate?  

I really am curious of your habits around this practice (that I think most people do, right?).  So many options and so much TO DO!  Each having different places, priority levels, and time commitments.  And of course, there is always that one thing (or 10 things!) that inevitably get pushed to the next day or week.

I'd like to offer a best practice I started using a few months ago.  It has helped me prioritize, understand where/how/when/why I'm spending my time, and procrastinate less.

DO THIS:  Next to each task, simply write down the number of minutes you feel that task will take.  So it may look like this:

5  Call Bob about Intro
10 Email CCR about Contract
10 KRD Follow-up
30 CRM Rollout Notes
25 Call Mom
20 Update Pipeline
5 Call Jennifer F
20 Prepare ABC Proposal

(I make the list, then go back and jot down the number of minutes)  I then circle the number of the most urgent task(s).  In this list above, I know I need to carve out roughly two hours to complete this to-do list.  Knowing this total time is key, as it allows me to budget my time appropriately through-out the day and save certain tasks for certain times (such as making my follow-up calls during my commute).

More importantly, it keeps me on task.  After those two hours, do I have all those to-do's crossed off?  How efficient was I?  What am I wasting time on?  White space in our calendar is so valuable; this simple practice will help us respect and cherish those little windows even more.  

Give it a whirl and see if helps.  As always, I'd love to hear your best practices in the comments below or via email at salesdrummer@gmail.com.  Happy Selling! 

The Masters - are you among them?

In 1986 I watched wide-eyed as Jack Nicklaus roared on the back nine at Augusta and won his 6th green jacket and 18th major.  Everyone was SO excited and therefore, I was too.  My 8th birthday was the following month and I wanted golf clubs. Bad.

Lesson above: Larry throwing his club in joy, not anger. 

I got those clubs and played as much as I could that summer.  The following year, I watched Larry Mize chip in a 140 runner to beat the Shark, Greg Norman.  Augusta was won yet again in dramatic fashion and I was now double-down, hook-line'n'sinker, sold on golf.  As the PGA commercials say now...These guys are Good.  Well, they were back then too.  Warriors...Masters of their trade...Inspirational.  

So, my question to you (and me)...Are you a warrior?  A Master of your trade?  Do you inspire people with your work?!  ...me personally?  I'd tell you...sometimes.  I fall down on occasion... I sleep in.  I procrastinate.  I don't always put in 100%.  I don't pick up the phone.  I don't read enough books.  

But just about every day I do carve out time for self-improvement and learning - I read, listen to podcasts, talk to my peers, etc.  After that, I put it into practice immediately those lessons to hopefully inspire others and to further master my trade.  The hard part?  You can never do enough.  There is always more to learn.  And the older I get, the more I realize, the less I know!

I challenge you to do a little exercise while you watch the tournament this weekend (plus for those that care less, this will keep you awake!).  Write down one of these questions at the top of a blank sheet of paper:

• How can I become a warrior at work?
• What do I need to do or know to master my trade?
• How can inspire those around me with my work? 

Write down ten answers (yes, 10).  Pick one.  Try it.  Absorb, Rinse, Repeat.    

Enjoy the Masters this weekend.  Let it remind you to strive for excellence, to overcome adversity, and to keep a strong mental attitude.

Have your own Masters memory or an example of something you do to be a Master?  Leave a comment or write me at salesdrummer@gmail.com.  Happy selling!  

Get Stuck in your Prospects Head like Hall & Oates

The last three days I can't get this song out of my head.  Specifically?  Private Eyes by Hall & Oates.  Just three lines.  Over and over and over again.  Humming it, tapping it, singing harmonies in the shower.  

Don't you hate when that happens?!  Or...do you love it?  Maybe your stuck tune is pretty catchy.  Perhaps it puts a smile on your face or a pep in your step.  

As salespeople, we'd give anything to be that catchy tune in our prospect's head.  We dream about our prospects dreaming about us.  Going to bed at night and waking up thinking about us solving their problem.  

So...how can we?  Ya know, get stuck in their head.  Here are four suggestions: 

1. Be Consistent.  Make sure they're hearing your tune on a regular basis.  Do you have a newsletter?  Are you posting on social media?  How about PICKING UP YOUR PHONE?  You have to be doing something to drive awareness (TOMA!).  Just like a song, if they never hear ya, they'll never be singing about you. 
2. Understand your Audience.  Not just what their pain points are, but what makes them tick.  What's important to them?  What are they thinking about?  If you can get to the root of why you're there and why you can help them, you'll uncover something powerful enough to make them think about you (and your solution) for days.  So - ASK (GOOD) QUESTIONS! 
3. Power Phrases.  Lyricists and songwriters know tricks with repetition, patterns, and phrasing to make a tune catchy.  You too have the power to phrase the benefits of your offering in a certain memorable way; things should have a certain cadence to help your message resonate.  I'm not talking cheesy jingles here; a classic example is Martin Luther King's speech (he said it 11 times).  If you like this idea, here is an excellent recent article on the topic of repetition in music. 
4. Tell a Story.  Painting a beautiful picture worth a 1,000 words can tattoo a memory onto anyone's brain.  What story can you tell (well) about your product/service?  Do you have several stories?  Write them down and include some specific details.  Practice telling the story to friends/family so you can tell it with passion and enthusiasm when you're "in the moment".    

Next Steps?  Take action!  

1. Pick a media outlet, Pick up the Phone.  Execute! 
2. Write down 10 open-ended questions you should ask on every meeting.
3. Work on some power phrases or something with repetition of letters/words.  Email me your phrase(s) and I'm happy to help brainstorm. 
4. Be able to tell a before/after success story about one of your clients. 

Have a question or thought?  Write me at salesdrummer@gmail.com.  Good Luck & Happy Selling!

Please Stop Acting Like You Care About Their Day

If you make sales (phone) calls as part of you job, we need to talk about an annoying phone habit you've probably developed.  It's this...

"How are you doing today?"

Seriously.  Stop asking this question.  I'll tell you how their day is - BUSY. I assure you as soon as you say it, the person on the other end of the line is already thinking about how they're going to get off the phone.   It's what every other average, pesky sales person says after their name and company.

I know, I know...it's an instinctual, knee-jerk question we ask.  And it will feel weird not to say it.  You're right - the first few times will be rough.  But break the habit.  Don't sound like EVERYONE else.  Stop it.  Now.

Ok?  Ok...so let's talk alternatives:                                                                                                              

1. Make them laugh - if you can elicit a laugh in the first 20 seconds of a phone call, you buy yourself at least a minute to get your message across.  My go to - "Happy ____day!"  Whatever - Mon/Tues/Wed/Thurs.  If it's any day but Friday, nine out of ten times I get a chuckle or can feel a smile on the other end of the line.  That laugh alleviates the awkwardness of the cold call, puts a smile on their face, and allows you to take a quick temperature of the type of person you're dealing with (If you don't feel an air of levity on the other end of the line, you better talk fast)
2. Good morning/afternoon! - this salutation is a much more logical thing to say when calling a stranger. 
3. Acknowledge you'll be quick - you're calling to open the door to a conversation.  Say to them, "Hey, I'm sure I'm catching you in the middle of something; do you have a quick moment?"  If they say YES, begin your next statement with, "Excellent - I'll be brief."  Say your benefit statement and engage.  
4. LinkedIn Precall plan - find something of interest or a common thread on their profile - hobbies, college, associations, charities, whatever.  Say, "Hey before I get to the main reason for my call, I saw on LinkedIn that ________.  How involved are you? (or I support that cause too.)"  

Got something that has worked for you?  Would love to hear the idea - drop me a note and happy selling! 

Packers Fans are the Best Salespeople I Know

Happy Football Season!  Time for hooded sweatshirts, crockpots, and all day football Sundays.  It’s fair to say football fans are about as enthusiastic as they come.  Nothing reminds me more of this universal truth than my first Packers game - I was SOLD. 

A home game at Lambeau Field is an intoxicating experience, figuratively (and for some literally).  Those people are PASSIONATE.   I’d heard stories of lore about the frozen tundra, and seeing is believing.  But at Lambeau – EXPERIENCING, is believing.  The hours of traditional tailgating beforehand, the fans dressed up in dark green and gold football costumes & headdress, singing fight songs, the buzz of energy before kick-off…it was electric.  As a Chicagoan, I know it’s bad to say…but I walked away a fan.  They made me BELIEVE in the team, the town, the cause. 

Now can you imagine, walking out of a meeting with a prospect, and they feel like that?!  They become a fan?!  Impossible?  Perhaps, but how can we work toward that level of fandom?  It’s my view that not only do you need to share your excitement about why you can help them, you must also be open and willing to learn about why they’re excited about their work and fixing whatever problem they may be having. 

So, first off – seek first to understand, then to be understood.  Ask good questions - understand why you’re there.  What does success look like for them?  How is the current way of doing business not cutting it?  How will doing things differently improve their situation?  Was there a tipping point that prompted this meeting?  If you understand their “why”, chances are you can strike a common chord and empathize.  Everyone, including you, at one point or another, has tried to save money or be more efficient or just plain be BETTER.  By practicing empathy, you can in turn get excited about supporting them in realizing their definition of success.       

The second key?  Understand why you are there; this time, by “there”, I mean in your job.  What aspect of your job do you get excited about?  How does your widget help people?  What do you love about what you do?  And the biggest question – why do you do what you do?  If you can eloquently share and elaborate that with your potential customers, you’ll be two steps ahead of everyone else.  I encourage you to watch this great video by Simon Sinek (at least the first half) to explore this idea fully and help discover your WHY. (Side note - if you're not aligned with that WHY, start looking elsewhere)    

So, REMEMBER - sales is a transfer of ENTHUSIASM.  Sure, 72,928 impassioned fans behind you at your next meeting would help, but you don’t have that luxury.  Instead, practice and understand the above principles, combine it with a confident smile and positive body language, and you’re on your way to winning very enthusiastic fans.

Whoa, Whoa Buddy…You’re in the Wrong Place.

I had just gotten back from two weeks of corporate training and I was pumped up.  I had booked eight prospect appointments for that 1^st week in the turf and was ready to take all of them through the six steps of the sale.

Monday afternoon, looking polished in my new suit & tie, I had my first prospect call – Jerry’s Diner.  It was just after the lunch rush and I slid into the faded green booth across from the owner.  I gave him my card, and attempted to ‘build rapport’ (step 1), making polite chit-chat about how long they had been in business.  I then set an agenda (step 2), and off I went into my memorized company overview (step 3) – excitedly telling him how we’re the largest, oldest, most well-respected company in the industry, 600,000 clients can’t be wrong, etc, etc…

Before I could begin he ended it by raising his hand toward me and saying, “Whoa, whoa buddy... you’re in the wrong place.  Thanks for stopping by.”  Without a handshake or second thought he was back in the kitchen and I was alone in the booth.

I got two big lessons my first day out…

Understand your audience – meeting with the owner or office manager?  Top 50 law firm or Jerry’s Diner?  Before you step into their door you better know how to be dressed and the questions you’d like to ask.  Seek understanding on their:

·         Website – is it crisp & new, or was it built in 1996?  Shows you their image and positioning in the marketplace, if they value technology, and their history.

·         LinkedIn – what associations are they active in?  Hobbies?  Where did they go to college?  Find a common thread and think about what motivates them.  Conversely, maybe they don’t share much on LinkedIn or any social media platform – chances are they’re going to hold things a bit closer to the chest.

·         Obvious Clues – type of industry, their job title, how you got in (referral or call call?), “About Us” section of website.

Adapt your style & rhythm.  Every conversation has a pulse to it; a cadence.  Your job is to create flow, which helps display competence and builds a foundation of trust.  Matching your prospects energy & intensity level is a good start.  If you can tell they’re more reserved, don’t be pushy.  Energetic & Fun?  Show them your biggest smile.  Do they expand on questions & ideas, or do they seem like they need to be somewhere else in 5 minutes?  With your questions in hand, prioritize and don’t interrogate.  Use phrases like Really?, Tell me more…, No kidding?, How do you mean? to encourage people to share.    

Don’t be afraid if the topics & questions wander a little – as they say, you never know where the conversation may go (hopefully toward a 2^nd meeting).  Understanding your audience & adapting your rhythm will develop your sense of empathy and help you better connect with people during those first crucial steps of the business cycle.  In the end, seek first to understand, then to be understood.      

 

Perhaps in another post I’ll get to those last three steps.  Until then, happy selling!

June 2013 Newsletter

Good afternoon, happy Thursday! 

Thanks for visiting - this is the first installment of my new blog - super excited!  

Below is my monthly newsletter I've been doing for a couple years - enjoy! 

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Hello again to my friends, colleagues, clients, and business partners.  I am very fortunate to be out every day networking with an eclectic group of people.  I’m always interested to hear about what others are reading about, listening to, watching, or just flat-out DOING. 

With that in mind, this monthly digest (and TWITTER account) shares the latest Chicagoland findings, music I’ve enjoyed, new ideas I’ve been exposed to, the latest in the world of Precision Payroll & Sales Empowerment Group, as well as other things that may be of interest to you or someone you know.  Thank you for your recommendations and thoughts, as well as taking time out to enjoy it.

Featured Charity

ATTENTION BIKERS!  Whether you prefer a bicycle or a motorcycle, I have something for you…

1. A Giving Heart Foundation, a 501c3 “dedicated to saving lives of children with congenital heart disease” is raffling off a 2012 Harley-Davidson Dyna Switchback.  Tickets are $50 each and they are only selling 1,000 tickets total (drawing on July 15^th).Check it out and buy a ticket (or increase my odds by refraining…)!
2. Bike4Life – next Tuesday, June 25^th there is an event for the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation.  I am trying to help them sell 10 tickets ($30 – food & drink for 3 hours).  Take a look and write me back about getting your ticket – thanks for your support! 

Featured Business Partner

JJR Marketing is a full-service, award-winning marketing and public relations agency.  Their integrated approach harnesses the power of your marketing to create leads, increase sales, drive digital traffic, and tap into new markets to make things happen. JJR’s founder, Jacqueline Camacho Ruiz, has published her 2^nd book; a new memoir, The Fig Factor, about embracing life’s big sky possibilities, even amidst our greatest struggles.  In this beautifully written memoir, Jackie shows us how to find more in every moment of living through love, awareness, forgiveness, gratitude, and more.

Human Resources & Business

• Have you been considering a new business card design?  Are you a solo-preneur and trying to stand-out in a crowd?  Read this article for some quick, thoughtful tips & ideas (including 5 great sites to get them printed). 

Precision Payroll & Sales Empowerment Group

• Precision Payroll – I’m excited to share the launch of our new website.  Please take a click onto the NEW SITE!

• Sales Empowerment Group – here is a recent article discussing all of our programs at SEG – exciting growth ahead!

Web

• How many times do you think you could clap in a minute?  Ok, now just watch this guy…absolutely ridiculous. 

• Like many children, I used to pretend the carpet was a lagoon with alligators or steaming hot lava, and then proceed to death-defyingly jump from couch to end table to fireplace, etc. – skillfully navigating the obstacle course.  This guy kicks it up a notch using just his bike. 

Chicagoland

• Retired, but not yet forgotten, Brian Urlacher has been the man here in Chicago for a while.  This article has some clips highlighting his best plays as a Bear. 

Music

• I hope to pass some level of musical prowess on to my unborn child.  This video is about as cute as it gets as this little boy belts out a Beatles classic with his dad. 

• This one time, at a band concert in 5^th grade, I had to get in front of about 200 people and recite the lyrics to Little Drummer Boy – including each delicate “Pa-rum-pum-pum-pum” after each line.  I was mortified, and unknowingly happy that Youtube had not yet been invented.  This poor kid however was on camera for a related but more embarrassing moment, but recovers brilliantly.   

Quotes

The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources. – Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)

I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by. – Douglas Adams (1952 - 2001)

You can't have a light without a dark to stick it in. – Arlo Guthrie (1947 - )

I went to a fight the other night, and a hockey game broke out. – Rodney Dangerfield (1921 - 2004)

I hope you enjoyed the newsletter and found something of value for yourself or someone you know.   Again, I appreciate your recommendations, thoughts, and referrals that so many of you have shared with me.  GO HAWKS!  

May 2013 Update

Good afternoon – happy sunny Tuesday! 

 

Hello again to my friends, colleagues, clients, and business partners.  I am very fortunate to be out every day networking with an eclectic group of people.  I’m always interested to hear about what others are reading about, listening to, watching, or just flat-out DOING. 

With that in mind, this monthly digest (and now my TWITTER account) shares the latest Chicagoland findings, music I’ve enjoyed, new ideas I’ve been exposed to, the latest in the world of Precision Payroll & Sales Empowerment Group, as well as other things that may be of interest to you or someone you know.  Thank you for your recommendations and thoughts, as well as taking time out to enjoy it.

While I enjoyed the Cubs rooftop game last night, I hope it’s the last time I have to wear a stocking cap for a while.  This upcoming flip-flop weather is the reason we all live in Chicagoland and I intend to take advantage this summer more than ever.  This (3 minute) TED talk has inspired me to get out of the Starbucks and Corner Bakeries for meetings and get out enjoying our beautiful city.  I hope many of my appointments the next few months are outdoors and active!   

Featured Charity

The Holiday Heroes Foundation’s mission is to visit hospitals for a number of holidays including; V-Day, Easter, 4th of July, Halloween, T-giving, and Christmas/Chanukah. During those holidays, they attempt to recreate the spirit of each holiday in hospital wings all across the nation by throwing a party and giving out gift cards to the children.  Professional Athletes past and present have also been involved with Holiday Heroes’ events and hospital visits. Their annual fundraising event is on Thursday, June 6^th from 6-9PM at Quay Restaurant & Bar downtown.  TOM THAYER – FERGIE JENKINS – DESMOND CLARK - TED ALBRECHT and more sports celebrities will be socializing with guests attending this exciting, casino-themed event!  SOX, BEARS, CUBS - Unique and Exciting Live and Silent Auction Items!  Great networking opportunity – clients, prospects, friends, spouses, etc.  TICKETS HERE.  (Early Bird Rate: $100.00 if purchased TODAY!  General Admission: $150.00 if purchased after 5/15/13).

Featured Business Partner

Legalshield – this unique, affordable employee perk/benefit is something to consider as health insurance confusion and rates rise.  Plus, LegalShield takes the stress and strain of legal issues off your employees’ shoulders and puts their focus back at work, where it belongs.  These plans are designed to meet the most common legal needs encountered by employees and their families.

Human Resources & Business

• Does your company offer a 401K plan?  Do you take advantage and get good guidance?  Read the points on this brief article and start saving!  Those in the financial services arena, I’m curious to hear thoughts/feedback.   

Precision Payroll & Sales Empowerment Group

• Precision Payroll – many companies are struggling with proper time & labor solutions.  Accurately tracking hours, over-time, projects, and client costs can be challenging.  We get rid of the labor-intensive work and “ka-chunck” clocks to help streamline the process.  Email me back if you’d like to see/hear more on the technology.   

 

• Sales Empowerment Group – If your company is looking for solutions on appointment setting, lead generation and/or prospect profiling, we may have the solution for you.  We are quickly growing a new division to help tackle these common sales areas.  More news to come soon!  

Web

• This is a disturbing video about the ever-rising obesity rate in the U.S.  Start eating healthy people!

 

• Some of grew up watching “Whose Line is it Anyway?”, but you had to know they weren’t the first.  Jonathon Winters shows here how it’s done.   

Chicagoland

• Trying to convince Lindsay that we should get this print for out Chicago-themed nursery.  If I don’t happen to win that discussion, please go buy one and I’ll live vicariously!   

Music

 

• Some extraordinary subway performers with their take on a popular tune.  If you have a son/daughter/grandchild that plays violin and thinking of quitting, show them this video.  

• The Polyphonic Spree has been around for a while and live shows are pure joy.  The group travels with 20+ members, so you know they do it for the love of it (hard to make money on the road with that many people).  They are releasing a new album soon and here is the single – good stuff!

 

Quotes

The real hero is always a hero by mistake; he dreams of being an honest coward like everybody else. – Umberto Eco (1932 - ), Travels in Hyperreality (Harcourt)

Whenever I dwell for any length of time on my own shortcomings, they gradually begin to seem mild, harmless, rather engaging little things, not at all like the staring defects in other people's characters. – Margaret Halsey

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. – Herm Albright (1876 - 1944)

Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are more pliable.  – Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)

I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be. – Douglas Adams (1952 - 2001)

I hope you enjoyed the newsletter and found something of value for yourself or someone you know.   Again, I appreciate your recommendations, thoughts, and referrals that so many of you have shared with me.