Unleashing Creativity in Your Business

Cirque du Soleil has over 900 staff and artists who are independently minded.  How do they keep their creative people focused on the collective vision and maintain their creativity.  In the first part of a 2 part series, here is what Cirque du Soleil President Daniel Lamarre suggests:

1. Let them break new ground.  Creative people get bored easily, grow restless and get cranky without new challenges.  So when the company says, “It can’t be done!” the staff see this as the greatest inspiration.  Lamarre says, “We are very comfortable being uncomfortable, which makes for a great environment for creative people.  We appeal to the rebel in them!  We cultivate the rebel instead of pushing it down.”
2. Reward them for their innovation.  Lip service promoting innovation is not good enough.  Creators need to have a vested interest in their creations.  Each year, 10% of Cirque du Soleil profits are returned to their employees.  And 70% of profits go back into development, ensuring there is funding for the creative teams.

Next month, you’ll learn about unleashing creativity through keep casting and not aligning yourself with one person’s vision.

 

Getting & Staying Positive

Last month, I read a really cool idea that the motivational and sales master, Zig Ziglar, did to stay positive.  He bought a date book that had powerful one line motivational quotes and statements.  Every day he wrote these on a card and stuck it on the visor in his car.  As he was caught in traffic, he’d reread the phrase to keep him positive.

 

Sales Call Success Tip

To make every out bound sales call a success, remember these 5 key points:

1. Ensure you have a primary objective for the call – i.e. what result do you want from the call?
2. If you can’t reach your primary objective, have a secondary objective.
3. Bring something of value to the customer – this does not have to be a tangible good but could be education or information.
4. Pre-plan a number of questions (4 or 5) to get to the core of the customer’s needs.
5. Plan an opening that engages the customer’s interest while sharing why you are calling.

 

Improve your Internet Sales Success!

Ask For the Sale a Few Times:
Sometimes the buying cycle is 3 months, 6 months or even 18 months long. But sometimes a buying cycle might range between 6 and 60 seconds.

People may be ready to buy two-thirds of the way down your website page or an email.

So offer frequent opportunities for readers to pull the trigger. This doesn't mean you want to ask for the sale at the end of each paragraph, but asking every few paragraphs probably isn't a bad idea, depending on what you're selling and how much convincing is needed.

I once tested over 8 call-to-action links in a single solo email. I will share with you that the greatest number of click throughs came from the first and last links, but every single link in between got at least a few click throughs.

 

click here

 

June Winner was . . . Angela
from Canterbury Leagues Club, Australia

Thank you to the subscribers who forwarded the email to their friends, colleagues, relatives and maybe even their enemies to get in the draw for the Younger Next Year book!  The winner this month was Angela from Canterbury Leagues Club in Sydney!

Thank you to the following for forwarding the E-news:

• Phil King from King Swim School, Australia
• Christina from Australia
• Michael from Mickncolls Fitness, Australia
• Dennis from HealthyPeople, Australia
• Brian from Village Fitness, Australia
• Garry from Australia
• Angela from Canterbury Leagues Club, Australia
• Bec from Advanced Recruitment, Australia
• Andrew from Chizen Health, Australia
• Jessica

Special mention must go to Tanya from Technogym who was missed off the list last month!  Sorry Tanya and thanks for forwarding our E-news!

 

			Win Brain Tattoos This month you can win this awesome book that will help you create your unique brand that sticks in your customer’s minds. This book is great whether you are chain of health club or a single personal trainer that operates in a park. There are lessons here for everyone! Forward our E-news to a friend by the 30th July and you will go in the draw to win it! Buy Brain Tattoos Now – click here

 

Product of the Month

Everyone is looking for the answer to finding sales people! We don’t have the answer but this month I am excited to share with you a potential answer: Advance Recruitment!

With experience in selecting, hiring and training sales staff in Australia and New Zealand for over a decade, it made some sense for Advance Sales to move into recruitment. And who doesn’t need a new sales person?

The ability to out source this aspect of running a club is time efficient! Plus these guys are experts!

Before they put anyone forward, candidates are comprehensively reviewed during their thorough recruitment process. Any candidate you see will have demonstrated successful sales experience and understanding and/or will have successfully completed two days of sales and customer service training.

It does get even better.  The Advance Sales Recruitment Full Service Solution includes:

• 3 half day in-house training sessions for your new sales person
• Access to the one-day Sales Start training sessions as a ‘refresher’ at any time during their first 90 days
• Performance benchmarking against results from sales people all over Australia
• Motivation and support that comes with being part of this large ‘virtual’ sales team

For more information click here

 

World Personal Training Day

On August 20, 2007 the World will celebrate Personal Training for the first time! World Personal Training Day is an initiative designed to unite Personal Trainers from around the world in the battle against obesity. World Personal Training Day provides and opportunity for Personal Trainers to make a difference to the families, schools and workplaces in their local area by providing motivation and activity. The theme for this year is "Personal Training is the Answer". 

 

Get Some ‘Rememberness’ In Your Emails

It is an oldie but a goodie! If you want to add some of your personality in your emails and letters, then include a motivational quote at the bottom. Be sure to switch it around often, otherwise you will loose the impact! To search for cool quotes go to www.thinkexist.com.

 

click here

 

You Can’t Say That ...

I heard this story the other day . . . I was working at a fitness club, and a co-worker was showing a new member around. Turning to the trainer the woman said, "I don't feel comfortable here. I feel fat, ugly and not properly dressed. Everyone seems to be thin, beautiful and wearing the nicest aerobic outfits." In an attempt to make the unhappy woman feel at home, the fitness trainer replied, "You shouldn't feel that way. Not everyone here is the way you describe. Look at the fat man riding the bicycle over there. He's not well dressed." The woman stared at the trainer and said, "That's my husband."

 

The Last Word

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”
Epicurus quotes (Greek philosopher, BC 341-270)