Be The You-Nique YOU!

Wherever you are right now, you are here for a reason. Behind you is the past with a whole set of memories but you have to remember that you do not live there anymore. Whatever you do, don't go back to the past. If you were sensible, you will have changed the locks.

Reference the past, think of the past but do not carry it around with you. Ahead of you is any kind of future you want. You just have to understand that you are the only You-nique you there is, and your future is in your hands. The circumstances of your life are your own creation.

If you can look in the mirror and say to yourself 'everything in my life right now is down to me. It's all my fault. It's all my doing. The good and the bad' then you become empowered. When you realise that everything in your life is the result of the thoughts you had, decisions and choices you made, and the responses you gave; You will have control and you have account-ability. You have the ability to account for everything.  That is what makes you You-Nique!

Many people get discouraged when they look at what has happened so far in their lives. They say, "I guess I just wasn't cut out to be a success." or  "I've never really made anything work for me."

Every successful person knows that when it comes to success, the past does not dictate the future. If you look at your current results to define who you are and how successful you can be, you may disempower yourself and even limit your future success. It's like driving to work and figuring out where to turn by looking into the rearview mirror instead of at the road ahead of you. It doesn't produce good results.

Your current situation is the direct result of your past thoughts, decisions and actions. If you look at your current situation and make decisions about who you are and what you can have based on those results, then you will repeat the same thoughts, decisions and perhaps even actions that got you where you are today. What this guarantees is that you will get the same results again and end up with more of whatever you have now.

When you change your thoughts, you will change your results. If you understand this principle, you can change your life. True success begins only when you turn away from the things you don't want and begin to focus on what you do want. Repeating affirmations, repeating empowering phrases and having positive thoughts is a waste of time if you are uncertain of your own true self's power and ability.  your words sound right, your actions seem true, but the message is diluted.

Saying things once, or hundreds of times, without passion, energy or ownership is pointless. Engaging with it, owning it, feeling it and using the energy of it is where the magic begins.

Saying something again and again, louder and louder will not make it the truth.

If you say it from a context of truth and authority just once, with conviction and authenticity, it will make it a reality.

The truth is always found in the circumstances you have, not the circumstances you had, or want.

Are You Bound By Boundaries?

Is it possible that having no boundaries  is enlightenment, and the freedom to consider and to choose and to own  the possibility of living powerfully with no boundaries is transformation?

Look at the sky at night and see worlds upon worlds upon worlds, galaxy upon galaxy, without end.  We are told that space is infinite, with no end...
What do you REALLY see?  
I see no boundaries. 
When I look at your face watching mine as I love you, I see no boundaries. 
When I consider what's absolutely possible for every single human being I see no boundaries.
When I imagine how life could truly be for every one of the billions of people in this world, I see no boundaries. 

Yet what would life in this world of ours be like with no boundaries? We have natural corporeal frames. We're not invisible. We exist.  We have zip codes, capital cities, states and counties. We have insurance numbers and passports.  We're expected to drive in our lane on our side of the road. We knock or ring the door bell when we arrive for a visit at someones home. We shake hands when we greet.  We kiss when we meet and say goodbye.  We have manners and we take or give right of way in everything from walking through a door to changing lanes on the motorway/ freeway.  Societal protocols guide us to agreeing that we don't enter someones personal space without permission.

So, evidently there are physical and abstract boundaries everywhere, and we've got no means to be without them or to avoid them. We haven't got wings to fly over them or past them, and we don't skirt around them. Where, then, is the context of no boundaries?

They are in our own being, in that profoundly moving moment of self awareness ... this is where there are patently no boundaries. There's no realm of 'no boundaries' to go to. There's no place without edges anywhere on Earth. The realm of no boundaries is a realm to come from. 
HERE IS WHERE IT IS, NOW IS WHEN IT IS, YOU ARE WHAT IT IS
In reality: This is where it always is. It's been here for all eternity right up until this very moment. It'll be here from this very moment to beyond the end of time. 

The physical boundaries of which side of the road to drive on, what zip code to mail your electricity bill to, the proper way to set a dinner table for your guests, the date by which to pay your property taxes on etc, and the abstract boundaries of being appropriate, respecting privacy etc, demand and command respect - or life doesn't work. 

But when I'm really with you in the moment, if I don't grant you permission to be who you really are around me, if I don't give you the space to have the experience you're having, if I am investing my time in you having another experience other than  the experience you're having, when I'm engaged in the boundaries you've determined for yourself, it is at that moment I become your co-dependent in keeping you small, limited, confined. If I have prevented from you from discovering who you really are I will be denying and precluding you from the possibility of transforming your life...and I cannot, and I refuse, to do that.  And you should refuse anyone from doing that to you.

Until there's transformation, the possibility of living a life with no boundaries is completely unreal. The miracle of transformation is it restores reality to no boundaries, and leads us to who we really are. It also allows us to conform to boundaries without seeing them as an intrusion on our own.

If a person intentionally drives on the wrong side of the road they are an idiot. And if they drive on the correct side of the road while resenting the rules and nature of boundaries, they're still a fool. 

Choose to live from no boundaries ... AND ... drive, without questioning it, on the correct side of the road because that's what it takes to make a life with no boundaries work. 

What is, is....and what isn't, isnt!

Close But No Cigar!

Well...we tried...we almost made it...
close but no cigar...

Perseverance!!!
That's what we need.

Sometimes when the going gets tough the tough give up.  They throw in their cards, they fold 'em.

Many people have a default setting of:
If at first you don't succeed: Self-destruct!

There is the famous story about a gold mine somewhere in America.  The people knew the gold was there, they were digging and digging but...nothing.

They gave up!  They sold the land.

The people who bought the land dug three feet away from where the previous miners had dug...They struck gold.

The first lot of miners had no idea just how close they were to striking gold when they gave up!

When you think about giving in, giving up, throwing in your cards, folding them, cashing your chips in...whatever way you want to dress up the fact that you have given up, think of this...

De-Stress your Dis-Stress

"A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As they raised a glass of water, everyone expected they'd be asked the "half empty or half full" question. Instead they inquired: "How heavy is this glass of water?"

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

The psychologist replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn't change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

Holding onto things for too long can have a detrimental effect on us.  We become attached to things that we shouldn't and also to things that don't, and will never, serve us.

What's more, how are we going to grab an opportunity when it appears if our hands are full from holding onto something for no valid reason?

The majority of people carry their past around with them.  This is EXHAUSTING!  What's more, as you look ahead to the future, you want a big, clear space to fill with all of your hopes, dream, ideas and aspirations.  Unfortunately, you have your past in there too, taking up space, because you insist on carrying it for too long.

"The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything."

"It’s important to remember to let go of your stresses. As early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night. Remember to put the glass down!"

The Latest Endangered Species: Great Customer Service

You CANNOT survive if your business model is 'always look for new customers'  Service your existing customers. 

I am forever wondering the same thing...what happened to customer service?
In this fast moving, high energy, business world, when did we lose that good old fashioned 'customer service' option.

It's as if companies don't need customers!!
Has something happened that we have not been made aware of?  Have companies become omnipotent and just exist without having to have customers willing to buy their stuff to keep them in business?

Oh no...actually, they DO need us to buy their stuff but if you want after sales service it seems more and more likely that you will fall victim to the 'we have your money: tough' attitude.
A case in point is the automated service you get on the telephone with these places.  "Press 1 for... Press 2 for...." And then you get a voice telling you that you now have 8 more options...then 4 more options...and then...'I'm sorry, that department is not taking calls, goodbye'. (BT)  Or you end up in India, the Philippines or somewhere else in the world.  They ask you to tap in date of birth, account number, door number, numbers from postcode, dogs middle name and blood group and then, when you finally get through to a life form, they ask for all those details again!

I train Customer Service departments when I visit large companies...even small companies whose CS department is only three people...and there are some Laws....

DISCLAIMER!  These are not rules out of a book, a training manual or something from some school, college or University.  They are LAWS!  They come from EXPERIENCE, COMMON SENSE AND THE STREET.  YEARS of experience.  They Work!


BE THE BENCHMARK OTHER COMPANIES ARE MEASURED AGAINST!


Law 1
COMMITMENT
You MUST have a commitment to your customer. THEY, on the other hand, do NOT have a commitment to you! You need to create their commitment to you...start now!

One of the biggest challenges companies have is keeping customers.  It's quite easy for a company to mess things up once in a while or to screw a customer around for no reason.  It's done every day.  But some companies take it to an art form.
So many companies send their sales staff out into the big wide world, either door to door or by telephone, to 'get new customers' and completely forget that they already have a ton of customers.  It's far easier to get business from people who are already a customer than to get new customers! Duh!
If you look after your customer then they will be your customer for good.  By looking after your customer I mean: Do what you say you are gonna do, give them what they expect to get, and more...OVERDELIVER!

Law 2
SATISFACTION
You may think satisfying your customer is a big deal? Guess what? It's not a big deal...it's expected!   It is a condition of the deal.  It is expected by your customer, of course. They expect to be satisfied by your product.  They expect to be satisfied by you. You should see that as a matter of course.

Customer satisfaction is a priceless commodity.  If your customer has peace of mind, they won't give you a piece of their mind....Got it?  No issues, no complaints, no challenges.  Your customer isn't expecting a trouble or issue free time but they are hoping for one and they also want to know one thing.  If issues or problems arise, YOU are going to deal with them immediately!

Law 3
CONTACT
Remember all that work you did to get that customer?  Why did you stop?  You need to KEEP them.  The work STARTS when you get them!

A few years ago when working in the telecommunications field I was training sales people to switch customers from BT (The UKs biggest landline provider) to a cable telephone system.  One of the things I got the salespeople to make clear to the customer was that when they put the transfer in place they would be BOMBARDED by phone calls from BT asking if they could do something to keep them, or if they wanted different and more cost effective pricing plans.  I made sure that the salespeople asked the customer 'When was the last time they asked you if they could do anything for you?'  The answer was always the same.  NEVER!  Some of those people had been with that supplier for 25 years!  Many companies only care these days if you are going to leave them.  The art, or the secret, is to make sure that your customers are not even looking for a better deal.  You need to make them CERTAIN that you are the best, and you need to do that all the time.  Not just when a predator calls.

Law 4
LOYALTY
A Loyal customer is the best customer you can have.  Better than satisfied.  But then, they are only going to be loyal if they ARE satisfied.

Satisfied customers spread the word.  'Well, my provider is great'...or 'We never have that problem with (your company name)'.  And they tell their friends.  If you don't satisfy your customer, not only will they tell 50 times more people that they are not satisfied, they will not stay.  They will not be loyal.  LOYAL is where you want them.  Stuck to you like glue.  the way to get them like that is to look after them, answer their questions, call them, do what you say you are going to do and quick.

If you are still stuck on whether you want satisfied or loyal customers, think of this.  Do you want your spouse to be Satisfied...or LOYAL?  Got it?
                                                           ____________________

There are more Laws to this...and they really do work but, bottom line is simple....if you want a long term career, if you have kids at private schools, if you have a mortgage, if you want three holidays a year, nice cars, a great standard of living then you need to wise up.  If you lose customers ALL OF THAT CHANGES!

 Over deliver.  Involve them. Call them and ask what else they want.  they bought from you once, they will buy again.

I firmly believe, from my experience of training salespeople: "The salespeople give up selling LONG before

the buyer stops buying"

You cannot expect to mine for gold in the same place every day...one day it will dry up.  Service your existing customers.  Stop making it hard for them with your automated call systems, your hold music, exorbitant charges, ignoring their calls, emails, requests for help.

Be the company they believed you were when they became your customer.  It was you who told them anyway...don't lie.

Seeing Isn't Always Believing

Increasingly, people are becoming aware that we need to change our way of thinking, being and acting in the world.  We need to Transform our focus from developing the Material, and 'the Outer' to developing the Spiritual, 'the Inner'.

Each of us has a success blueprint already embedded in our unconscious mind. This blueprint, more than any one other thing, will determine our destiny.

We live in a world of duality: good and evil, up and down, light and dark, hot and cold, in and out, fast and slow, left and right. 

These are a few examples of the thousands of opposite poles. For one pole to exist, the other pole must also exist. You cannot believe in God without believing in the devil, and vice versa.

Consequently, just as there are outer laws for Transformation, there must be inner laws. The outer laws include things like knowledge, Skill, state management and belief strategies. These are essential. But the inner laws are just as important.

Having top quality tools is imperative to a carpenter but he must be able to use those tools in a masterful fashion.

It’s not enough to be in the right place at the right time. You have to be the right person in the right place at the right time.

So who are you? How do you think? What are your thought processes? What are your habits and traits? How do you really feel about yourself? How confident are you in yourself? How well do you relate to others? How much do you trust others? How do you rate your ability? How do you rate your ability to act in spite of fear, worry, inconvenience and discomfort?

Can you act or function at your highest level even when you are not in the mood?

The bottom line is that your character, your thinking, and your thoughts are a critical part of what determines the level of your success and how your blueprint pans out...

One of the Keys to success in anything is to raise your own energy, vibration and attraction; when you do, people will naturally be attracted to you, they will tune in to your frequency.

Most people do not reach their full potential. Most people are not successful in what they choose to do.  Research shows that 80% of individuals will never be free in the way they would like to be.

80% of people will never claim to be truly happy.

The reason is simple. Most people are on autopilot. They are asleep at the wheel of their own life and looking in the rear view mirror at where they were in the past too often. 

This is one of the points in the HPT-Transformation seminars that makes people feel uneasy but I am only interested in what works.  I am not saying any of this to make you happy, I am saying it to HELP you.

They work, think and behave on a superficial level of life – based on what they can see. They live in the visible world.

Imagine a tree. Let’s suppose that this tree represents the tree of life or living. On this tree are fruits. In life, our fruits are called our results or experiences. So we look at the fruits (our results or experiences) and we don't like them; there aren't enough, and they are too small, or they don't taste good.

What do we tend to do? Most people put more attention and focus on the fruit, the results or experiences.

They will clean the fruit, spray the fruit and nurture the fruit.

But what is it that actually creates those particular fruits?

It's the seeds and the roots that create the fruit.

It’s what's underground that creates what's above ground.
It’s what's invisible that creates the visible.
So what does that mean?

It means if you want to change the fruits (your experiences or results), you have to change the roots. If you want to change the visible, you must first change the invisible.

In my experience, what you cannot see in this world is far more powerful than anything you can see.

Try electricity. You can’t see it, but you can see its effect when you turn on a light. How do you know electricity exists? Because of the light? 
Put your finger in the socket and test if it really exists. I guarantee your doubts will disappear.

You may not agree with the statement about what you can't see being more powerful than what you can see but you will suffer if you don't apply this principle.

Why?

The law of nature determines that what's underground creates what's above ground. As humans, we are a part of nature, not above it. Consequently, when we align with the law and work on the roots, our inner game of our life flows smoothly and we are a magnet to opportunity. We bear fresh fruit.

We do not work or exist on just one plane of existence. We work in four.

Physical – Mental – Emotional – Spiritual.

Most people never ever realise that the physical realm, what we call reality, is only a printout of the other three.

Let’s suppose you have written a letter. You want to change the font or a colour on the letterhead.  You turn it Purple and into a flashy font that you like.  You hit print and out it comes. Whoops...no change! 
You try it again and out comes the letter without the change.
Whoa! I just changed that, so you check and...it has reverted back to the original version. 

You now study the six hundred page manual called 'changing fonts and colours'. You now have the tools and the knowledge you need. You make the changes again but this time you hit the button APPLY. You hit print. You look. Success! 
Things cannot be changed in the printout, the physical world; they can only be changed in the program: the mental, emotional and spiritual world.

Whatever results you are getting, be they great or bad, positive or negative, always remember that your outer world is a reflection of your inner world. If things are not going well in your outer game, it’s because things are not going well in your inner game.

It’s that simple.

What you hear, you remember; what you see, you remember; what you do, you understand.

Forget the magic bullets, punches and pills you seek. You are just victim of Loch Ness Monster disease.

‘I have heard of this phrase but no one has seen it. It's a great close which, if you say it, you get everyone to buy from you. If I could get hold of that I would make it'.

Wrong.

Once you sort out your inner game and realise that you control your energy, your state and your focus then you will get what you want in life. You will have your cake and you will eat it. What is the use of having cake if you can't eat it anyway? What are you supposed to do with it? Put it on the mantelpiece and look at it?

There is a major difference between the people that 'get it', the people that are not sure they 'get it' and the people who think they will never 'get it'.
1. 'Get it' people believe `I can have my cake and eat it'.
2. 'Not sure I can Get it' people believe `Cake is too rich, so I will only have a little piece'
3. 'I can never Get it' people don't believe they deserve cake, so they order a donut, focus on the hole and wonder why they have nothing'.

Which one are you?  

ADVICE!

Some great pieces of advice for anyone in Sales.

It isn't personal: if they tell you to go away 'or worse' they are talking to the product/ company, not you.

If they say 'No' it means 'not now', it isn't permanent.

If they tell you 'I am not interested' it's because you haven't told them anything to be interested in yet.

Don't fear the word 'No'. If you get a lot of 'No's' count them and see how many you get before someone says 'Yes'.  Next time someone says 'No' just think, 'I only need about three more and someone will buy'.

In fact, go out and see how many people say 'no', someone will ruin it and buy from you! ;-)

And above all else, always keep in mind, SWSWSWN

Solution! Change the Context.

"Solutions come from people who do not accept the limits of the question or problem." ~ Dave Moore

‘How come all the commands for a computer come from a keyboard’ ...somebody already asked that one; hence they invented a mouse.

It is said that madness is a level very close to genius. People working in either of those contexts can sometimes look alike.

Both look at things in a very different way from your average person. Neither one accepts what is called the norm as being the only way to do things. They do things differently, some better, some silly, but always different.

Never be afraid to ask what on the surface may seem stupid.

Without the question you will never come up with an answer, and your brain will always come up with an answer. Do you think the Internet sounded like a good commercial idea forty years ago? But someone asked the question ‘How can we make computers talk to each other.’ Now when that was first said the reply they got was ‘Computers talk to each other, you must be mad!’

Another old saying “A wise man can learn more from a foolish question, then a fool can from a wise answer.”

Everyone can learn from a question that others fear to ask, or just cannot see. Solutions come from people who do not accept the limits of the question.

Added Bucky Moment:

Contextual Framing

CONTEXTUAL FRAMING

Definition: the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood.

One could say, the more space you have to think in, the bigger the idea or the greater the understanding.

One of the factors of the HPT-Transformation training is the directness.

The confrontational manner in which the training is presented shocks some people at the very start. After a while they take the loud, direct, powerful and confrontational manner of the training to be the norm.  They don't get 'used' to it...they simply accept it as 'that's how it is'. 

I have always believed that the training has to be that way.  It has always had that element of confrontation, wherever and to whoever I have presented it. A Seminar room with paying attendees or within a maximum security prison, the format is ALWAYS the same, because it works.

It is a wake up call and there must be a shock to the system to jolt the recipient of the training into change, reaction, self questioning and accountability.  The context of the training program, indeed the context of the training environment we create (in essence, the space for HPT to be completely effective) is a strict regime.

This in itself is unusual as it puts a group of people into an environment where the contextual frame and content is far removed from what they are used to on a quotidian basis.

One of the things that struck me very early on in the formation of the Transformation Program was the contextual frame from which the training took place in comparison to the contextual frame the attendees were used to.  It became apparent to me and my team that context is a major factor in growth, experience and usuality.

Most people work from within a contextual framework. Unfortunately, this frame is too limiting for them on a long term basis.  Like a comfort zone, unless it is stretched and widened, no growth can take place or be achieved.

Life begins where your comfort zone ends!

When some people see an accident on the motorway where people die horribly and one can see the blood and mangled car and, in some cases the people, some of the people looking at that scenario will faint. Unfortunately, human nature means that people in other cars will slow down to have a look at the accident because they don't want to miss any experience.  In truth, they are just nosey.  They feel entitled to see.  The excitement takes over but then another feeling kicks in for many of them, they feel faint, nauseous and they pass out.

Anyone watching surgery for the first time will likely as not faint.  Anyone watching any medical procedure, from an autopsy to a minor operation, will feel, or may indeed, faint.

The reason is because the scene they are witnessing sits outside of the contextual framework they live in.

A surgeon, a traffic cop, a paramedic...they see this every single day, so it is WITHIN their quotidian Contextual Framework.

The HPT Training is not unusual to us because it sits within our contextual frame, but to the attendees...wow!  Some of the questions, presentations, directness, and even the training process itself is so far outside the context of the people taking the training it allows us to cut through the barriers, obstructions and masks that people wear on a daily basis.

We speak to the real person.  Not who they are at the time, or who they think they are.  We talk to who they REALLY are, behind all the masks and stuff that hides that.

Our authenticity is our contextual framework.  We sit outside their context and then we enter their framework and THIS allows us to strip them Back to Nothing, speak to the real them, and help them Transform.

"This is all about becoming the person you were DESTINED to be!   You need to release the REAL you!  That's right! The REAL you, the one that you were, the one that all this useless 'stuff' is hiding.......We need to strip you back. Back to NOTHING...so that the person you were meant to be recognizes the person you really are, and takes you into a future of endless possibility!" ~ Dave Moore

IDEA!

IT IS NOW 1984!

"Psssssttt!  Keep your voice down...someone may overhear us....listen.....

 I have a great idea I want to share with you.  Listen carefully.  Tell no one about this as I want YOU to be part of this.  I have a plan…

I have designed something so GREAT that I reckon it will sell millions.  This is it.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 
Well?  Great idea huh?
These turtles are big, human size.
They carry backpacks instead of shells and they keep all manner of stuff in them.
They are named after Italian Renaissance painters.
They wear blindfolds so nobody recognises them (!).
Their boss is a RAT!
They live in the sewers.
They ONLY eat Pizza.
They do Kung Fu.
They fight crime.
All I need is $20,000…are you IN???"

I have a pretty good idea what most people would say.  ‘What? Are you nuts? $20K??’

Do you know who said ‘NO’ to that idea?  Every major toy manufacturer including Hasbro; the largest toy manufacturer at the time.  (They later changed their mind when they had become successful and they took over the merchandising.)

That stupid idea was seen as a great idea by a small visionary toy manufacturer called Playmates Toys and marketed.  The rest is history, to the tune of all manner of merchandise, TV series, movies, records and millions of dollars.

Napoleon Hill wrote, "You will never have a definite purpose in life; you will never have self confidence; you will never have initiative and leadership unless you first create these qualities in your imagination and see yourself in possession of them." He went on to say, "... imagination is the most marvellous, miraculous, inconceivably powerful force the world has ever known."

SOMETIMES we read or see something that resonates more than anything else before.

A lot of the time people walk around on autopilot, with nothing going on upstairs.  They travel to work by car, bus or train and when they get there they have no recollection of the journey as they have been in an altered state. 

"If everyone said exactly what was on their mind right now,

most people would be speechless!"

An image in your mind is the first stage of the creative process in life. From your imagination your visions and plans arise.

There is a concept called "Fantasy - Theory - Fact." The premise underlying this concept is that everything has its origination in the form of Fantasy, which some adventurous souls dare turn into a theory and then boldly turn into fact. Give this serious thought for a moment.

The idea of moon landings, communicating by email, traveling on jets, cellular phones or wearing synthetic garments was a very short time ago, sheer fantasy. Today, they are considered commonplace. The individuals who were responsible for the conception and creation of the email, cell phones and any of the thousands of modern conveniences we enjoy today had a highly developed imagination.

As Leaders, we realise that there is infinite possibility in our imagination.  No idea too big.  No idea too outrageous. Leaders have Vision. 

Some people have an ability that others don’t.  They have the ability to see opportunity and possibility in the most outrageous ideas.  A Leader needs a mindset of Can-Do, Anything is possible, opportunity is all around…

There is no such thing as a bad idea…only an idea that isn’t investigated and acted upon correctly.  If you, as a leader, are presented with, or have your own, wild idea you have to be able to see the big picture and realise that by rationalising and expanding a great idea or a stupid idea you could have a lifechanging success. 

If you don’t believe that then think of these two words…Spongebob Squarepants!  Would you have given me $20,000 for THAT one?

BITE!

I really wish that a company would take a bite out of Apple because I have never known a company that could not care less about its customers!

I am certain that many people reading this will disagree and hail Apple as the all seeing all knowing life enhancing company that it probably is on many counts but as far as a cell phone service provider they are seriously lacking in customer service and customer care.

The iStore is totally inaccessible in the UK via your iPhone.  Only by looking online will you find that out.  One person has posted at the Apple Forum saying that they went into an Apple store and found that they had no way of connecting either.  So if Apple can't connect to themselves, how are they going to fix it?

A call made to the help desk found them to be completely UNAWARE that there was a problem. They then put people on hold for ages while finding a reason, which in the end turned out to be 'We are looking into it'.

In other words, while they 'look into it' we, the consumer, can only 'look at it' as most of the apps that now say they need updating won't update nor work correctly.

Some users, unaware that Apple was down, even restored their phones to Factory Settings.  Surely a text message to all phones could have been sent, in this day and age, considering you claim so often to know where every iPhone is located: you must know who your customers are?

Here's one message online...
"Just spoken to Apple customer services UK and the agent was unaware of the issue until I told her to pick up her own phone and attempt to download an app. She said “Oh, yes I seem to be having the same error” and put me on hold. She then came back and said “We are aware of an outage but I don’t know how long it’s going to take, please try again in about an hour”…

Update 7:  We’re continuing to try to contact Apple but at this point we’ve received no reply to our emails and no one’s picking up the phone.

Update 8: Apple has updated its developer status page but iTunes isn’t on it. The support status page still shows iTunes working fine and dandy.

I called the helpdesk and the lady there also said she was unaware also that there was an issue with the iPhone and iTunes after the latest IOS update, so I asked her to test it with her own cell phone.  The response I got was 'Oh I haven't got an iPhone, I have a BlackBerry!!'

So have I Apple, so have I, and I am reaching for it now, or the Samsung, or the Nokia...

Oh and there's just one more thing...Dear Apple,
If you are going to compensate users for the loss of services on their iPhones can you please NOT insult us with a free U2 album. Bono is enough to tip us over the edge!

A Million Pound/Dollar/Euro Lesson

“Always carry a notebook”:

Aristotle Onassis.

Why? Simple. You try and remember everything you see and hear on a daily basis. There are so many ideas, bits of information, names, words, slogans, websites and people that pass through your mind that you will never remember them. If you see as many people as I do, and speak to as many people as I do, on a daily basis then you would realize that a Journal or notebook is invaluable.


I don't mean a computer or iPad either. I mean a Journal or Notebook that you write in by hand.

This is the single most valuable piece of advice I have ever had.

I carry a black moleskin notebook at all times and I always have a small black moleskin notebook in a jacket pocket. Sometimes it's an A4 size legal notebook with perforated pages that can be torn out and filed.  I always carry a pen but if you want to, go into any betting shop or catalogue showroom that has those little pens for customers use, grab a handful and put one in the pocket of every jacket you own.

I then read what I have written at the end of the day or week, or if I am taking a break or being driven somewhere in the car and all the stuff I think I need to keep I transfer into an A4 size Journal.

I have about 20 of those...full.

Not only did Onassis live by this belief but so too does Richard Branson. (Click his name to read his thoughts on notetaking!)  Everywhere he goes he carries a notebook.  It is IMPOSSIBLE to remember EVERYTHING you think and read and hear.

You can watch something, listen to something or experience something but if you WRITE IT DOWN it becomes hardwired into your brain. What's more...you start to understand it a lot better if you write it down.

I went and saw my friend Ross Jeffries one day in London when he was presenting a training program and he wanted to chat over Lunch. I had taken with me, in my bag, one of my journals from four years earlier when he had spoken to a group before and I had been there.

(I make a hell of a lot of notes)

During the afternoon session he started to tell the group of a poem he had written many years ago, a funny one about Speed Seduction and NLP techniques...but he couldn't remember it!

Out came the journal and he was amazed to see it written there from four years ago. Afterwards he told me 'Jeez, that journal is impressive'.

I was impressed he could read my handwriting!!!

The point is this. If you get an idea, write it down. If you hear a remark and think it's interesting, write it down.

Whenever you engage in any form of interaction, if you use persuasion, speed seduction, embedded commands, language patterns, sales pitches...write down everything.

What do I mean?

1. Where you were. If you went to a coffee shop write down 'went to coffee shop'!!!

2. Name of person you spoke to.

3. What you said.

4. responses.

5. Outcome.

Then...yes, you read it back and analyse it.

"When you meet someone, write down everything you know about them. That way you know how much time to give them next time."
- Aristotle Onassis
Write down everything. Phone numbers, web addresses, names, tips, ideas, plans, phrases….
I guarantee that if you don’t write it down you will try to remember it later and that’s all you will do, ‘try’.
Believe me, 'try' is a very bad word and you need to eliminate it from your vocabulary.

You won’t remember it if you haven't written it down. If, by some miracle you do manage to remember what you wanted to remember, I also guarantee that something else will drop out of your memory to make way for it.

Want to risk it? No, I didn't think you would!

One Direction

- Updated

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the cat.
“I don’t much care where…” said Alice.
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the cat.
Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll

The cat was right.

If you don't know where you are going you may as well stay where you are.

Some people don't know where they ARE let alone where they want to go.

A compass has 360 degrees or points, and if you do not know where you are, you have 359 chances out of 360 to go where you didn't want to be in the first place.

So if you are at a point in your life that you can build upon that will impel you towards your goal or target then great. But what if you are not?

You need to focus on what you want. Your destination.

You need a road map!

Nobody says 'let's go on holiday' and then gets in the car drives off and waits to see where they end up.

If I asked you to meet me in London and you were in Manchester, there is a big chance that you might look at a map or turn on your Sat-Nav .

You must start with the destination in mind. You have to have a clear defined and resolute goal or target and then you must aim at it. If not, you are going to drift through life and end up as one of the masses. You will have wasted your life, wasted your potential, wasted your dreams and aspirations.

The UK at the moment is made up of some startling facts and figures...

• 100% of the population want to be successful
• 80% of families didn’t buy or read a book last year
• 75% of teenagers want to be famous but have no idea what for
• 70% of adults haven’t been to a bookshop in 5 years
• 60% of all paperbacks sold are romance
• 58% of graduates never read another book after graduating
• 50% of hardback books bought are never read past page 22
• 48% of all hardbacks sold are romance
• 40% of all men don’t read anything except at work
• 32% of men read nothing but newspaper sports pages

Out of 100 people who started work at the age of 18, by the age of 65....

• 1 is a millionaire
• 3 are still working
• 4 have adequate capital to retire
• 29 are dead
• 63 are dependent on social security, friends, relatives or charity

Only 5% of the adult population can comfortably retire at 65.

The other 95% are dead, broke, or dead broke!

But...when you consider the resources around us right now...

IN A WORLD WHERE ONE THIRD OF THE POPULATION IS STILL A TWO-DAY WALK FROM A TELEPHONE...YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE FOR NOT BEING SUCCESSFUL!

Remember that compass I mentioned? ...

Those 360 points on the compass? ...

What's YOUR point?

All aboard the Leader-Ship!

Leader- Ship!

* Do you have a crew?
* Who is in your Crew?
* Do you know who
your passengers are?
* Where do you get your passengers from?
* Are you the Captain of your Leader Ship?

WHO IS ON BOARD YOUR LEADER-SHIP?

Have you ever been on board a ship? It really doesn’t matter whether it’s a large cruise liner or a cross channel ferry. The principle is always the same.

The Captain.The captain or master is the ship's highest responsible officer, acting on behalf of the ship's owner. The captain is legally responsible for the day to day affairs of the ship as he is in command. It is his responsibility to ensure that all the departments under him perform legally to the requirements of the ships owner. The Captain represents the owner, or could also BE the owner.

The Chief Officer. He is the head of the deck and second-in-command after the ship's Captain. The chief Officers primary responsibilities are the vessel's cargo operations, its stability, and supervising the deck crew. The Chief Officer is responsible for the safety and security of the ship, as well as the welfare of the crew on board. The chief Officer typically stands the navigation watch with an eye on the horizon. Additional duties include maintenance of the ship. The Chief Officer also trains the crew on various aspects like safety, firefighting, search and rescue, and various other contingencies. The chief officer assumes command of the whole ship in the absence of the Captain.

The Second Officer. The second officer is usually in charge of navigation and is the next licensed position above third officer and below chief officer as third-in-command. The second officer is typically the navigation officer aboard a ship.

Third Officer.The third officer is primarily charged the safety of the ship and crew. The third officer is the next license position on board the Ship, being fourth-in-command after the captain, first officer, and second officer.

Now let’s look at this in a different way.

Let’s imagine we are not talking about a Ship.Let’s talk about a company.Your Company.

You have a Ship/Company that you want to sail.You launch it and its full steam ahead.Your passengers are your Customers.If they enjoy the trip, and the customer service is excellent then they will book again.

The Captain is YOU! 
You are the Leader, the CEO. You are the one in overall command of the Ship/Company. You are the one that decides direction and destination.Your Crew/Team will come to you with ideas to make the cruise more enjoyable for the passengers/customers, and will run ideas past you as to new and exciting destinations for you to steer towards. You need a great crew/team and your ability to recruit, mentor, promote and empower your people is the reason your ship/company will be successful.They are the driving force, the lifeblood of your business.

The Chief Officer is your Director.
They have the day to day running of the company in mind.The navigation, the speed, the training of your staff, the planning…yes, you are the overall person in charge but you have mentored and coached this person in such a way that when you ‘go ashore’ you are confident that what you would have done if you had been on board is being done while you are not on board.

The Second Officer is your Manager.
They maintain and steer your company on the course set by you and your Director.They ensure that you arrive at the relevant port on schedule (your company hits target) and that the seas are navigated in a safe way (your customers have a smooth ride) while keeping an eye out for icebergs (challenges, roadblocks and complaints).They report back regularly and advise you and your Director of the potential difficulties (competition activities, current trends, feedback from customers).They also manage your team directly and monitor their performance.They have targets to reach, staff levels to maintain and results to achieve.

The Third Officer is your HR or Compliance Officer.
They are in charge of the safety and compliance with the law of your company and its entire staff.They ensure that the documentation, contracts, employment law and entitlements of all of your staff, and you, are adhered to in a manner that is conducive to all.

The Crew is your team.
All of them from the engine room to client facing are signed up and ready to provide the experience that your passengers have not only paid for, but expect.  This can only come from you and your officers by example.When your crew feel safe, feel they can approach you, listen to you, admire you, know that you are decisive and that you are willing to listen to them AND include them because you consider their opinions and ideas relevant, you can sail any sea.

A Captain is usually someone who has started out as a sailor and worked their way up through the ranks to Captain.In doing so, they have a great understanding of how each section, from the Bridge to the Engine Room, works and they could, at any time, step in if disaster happens in ANY of those areas.

A great leader is also someone who can step in at any level because, not only do they have a deep understanding of what the business is and how it runs but they spend time walking around, talking, getting involved and relating to people at all of those levels.

If your Ship is called ‘Leader’ then the only way to ensure your ‘Leader-Ship’ is sailing on calm waters, fully crewed with full capacity of passengers at all times is to not only have a crew that you trust, but to have a crew that trusts you! You are confident that when you 'step ashore' the ship is running EXACTLY as it would if you were on the bridge.

Your Passengers are your customers and clients.
They will book a voyage on your Leader Ship in full knowledge that they have peace of mind.  Whatever happens, however rough the seas, when the storms hit, you and your officers and crew will navigate them through to calmer seas.

Bon Voyage!

Don't Quote Me On That, But...

Sometimes I get a Bright Idea!

"It is just as if I plug myself into myself and I light up!" was how someone described this process once....

When working on a presentation I have been known to say things that are a complete surprise to me, not just because it's the first time I have heard them too, they sometimes come up to the surface of my memory, but because I think 'Hmm. that's a keeper' and they go in the file of 'To be used again at the relevant moment!'

Lately, during a seminar, some tweetchats (#HPTTransformation and #PeopleSkills) and a couple of HOA's things came up and it happened again....

Bad leadership is self-serving - Great leadership is serving others.

I don't say this to impress you, I say this to impress upon you that.......you can do this too

Don't sell the means; people buy the end!!!

This may be the crack in the wall through which you will see the world.

If you are going to go fishing, bait your hook with something the fish likes and not YOUR favourite food.

Don't 'assume' your client is as clued up as you...think about it...it's your job to know what it does, it's their job to use it.

When people believe they can do something, or if they believe they can't, they are right on both occasions.

I don't need to be your friend for you to trust what I say will work.

You don't need to be my friend for me to make you more successful.

You don't need to be my friend for me to change your life for the better.

People don't get stuck in what happened to them, they get stuck in the significance of that event.

There are certain things you can only know by creating them yourself.

We are in a society where we are looking around for leaders, When in fact we should be looking for the leaders within ourselves.

Irrespective of conditions or outside influence, transformation can happen at any time. People have the ability to Transform.

It’s not what you think that changes your life; it is the space in which that thinking takes place.

Common Sense isn't all that common.

You have to live your life in a ‘you AND me’ world and not a ‘you OR me’ world.

The majority of people are motivated by the avoidance of what they don’t want rather than the attainment of what they do want.

If you create a context of well being in your life, the circumstances in your life will reflect that.

You are living in the past at today’s prices.

The trouble with talking too fast or talking a lot is you may say something you haven’t thought of yet!  If that's the case, write it down!

This is why I keep hammering home the point about always keeping a notebook! ;-)
The NOTEBOOK post

(Thanks to +Angela Goodeve for the artwork in this image)

Don't Try This At Home, I Am A Professional

I have just 'repaired' the printer in my office by using the 'Gucci Shoe method'.

The Possessed Printer

Its very technical and not something I would recommend you attempt. You need to call in a professional like me

Basically, you open various sections of the printer and peer inside looking for evidence of a problem. Then you take the toner cartridge out, shake it, and put it back in. Then you take the cartridge out again, shake it harder (like that will make a difference) and then ram it back in so it makes a loud crashing sound in the hope that the force and noise of this will make the printer wake up.

You then close all of the various panels and flaps that you opened. You switch the power off and on and then stare at it.

Finally you take your shoe off and whack it a few times until you beat it into submission. Works every time....

...It also amazes me how some people keep pressing print when nothing comes out and then complain that the printer is broke only to find no paper in it. Then when they put the paper in 45 copies of what they wanted comes out and they moan about that!!

That's when you take your shoe off and whack THEM over the head.

I have also found that a laser printer can be bought for less than the cost of a laser toner cartridge.

I bought a laser printer and it came with a toner in it AND a spare toner.

The printer was £80 including 2 toner cartridges.
The toner cartridges are £90 if bought on their own!!!!

I now have two laser printers gathering dust in the stock cupboard as its more cost effective, when the toner runs out, to buy a new printer.

THE WORLD HAS GONE MAD!!!!

The Code

In Life you should have a code of conduct that you live by just as you have in business.

You should have a 'mission statement' for yourself so that everyone who knows you understands who you are and what you expect.  It's the very essence of your being.  It's how you walk through the world.  So...

If you feel happy, smile.

If you feel daring, act.

If you receive good service, compliment.

If you feel energetic, do something positive.

If you know a good joke, tell it.

If you feel generous, give.

If you are interested in getting wealthy, save and invest.

If someone needs help, lend them your strong hands or soft voice.

If you give your word, keep it.

If you can say something nice, say it.

If you can stand up for the weak, do it.


But, also consider this.....


If someone says something you don’t agree with, tell them.

If you see behaviour you don’t like, stop it.

If someone is rude to you or someone else, call them on their bullshit.

If someone is bad towards you, show them.

If someone lies to you, tell them you know.

The Power of Passion, Energy and Ownership

Words. Affirmations.

How many times do we use words and affirmations when we 'reach for the stars' only to find that we never even get off the ground?

When we use empowering words without any emotion it’s like a broken pencil: pointless. Just like the old saying of comparing a toothpick with a spear. Words with no emotion are toothpicks, but words with emotion behind them are like a spear.

Be positive sounds like a blood group but being positive isn't everything, as some people would have you believe. Being positive just isn't enough. We can all be positive about something if we choose to be. We can be as positive as we like. But is just 'being positive' enough on it's own?  From the research we have conducted over the years, just saying something, just using the word(s) is not enough.

Just being positive will not make something change, or happen, or become achievable. It is better than the alternative, negativity. Positivity is a great context to work out of, far better than a negative one, but just 'doing' positive stuff will not make it happen.

We can use affirmations all day, again and again if we choose. We need to realise that positivity and affirmations alone will change NOTHING. Take an empowering affirmation like ‘I am Powerful’ and repeat it 20 times, 30 times, or maybe just 10 times and you will notice how the word loses all meaning.

But when we say an empowering word, like ‘Powerful’ once and we stand shoulders back, head up and punch the air with as much ownership and passion as we can muster, as much energy as possible, we start to feel a change immediately. Now imagine the feeling of being powerful, embody it, and own it. Feel power coursing through your veins, feel it tingling on the surface of your body, feel it, see it and hear it in your mind, and own it. Now say the word ‘Powerful’ again and feel the difference.

Saying things once, or hundreds of times, without passion, energy or ownership is pointless. Engaging with it, owning it, feeling it and using the energy of it is the point.

Saying something again and again, louder and louder will not make it the truth.

Saying it from a context of truth just once will make it a reality to you.

The Kindest Cut

Talking of Language...as I was before I started writing this (it's ok, you weren't part of the
conversation), I wanted to share something with you all.

I have just had a meal with some friends who also work in the NLP and Persuasion field and we were discussing language and conversation.

It seems that some conversations, or lines of questioning, are acceptable in certain situations but not others. What appears quite incongrous and innocent can be intrusive and freakin' creepy in others

I told them that when I had my haircut the other day, the hairdressers I use offer you tea/coffee/water/glass of wine or beer while you are having your hair cut.  After your hair is washed they offer a complimentary neck and back massage.  It's a top notch joint.  Fact is, they cut your hair and concentrate on doing a great job. The girl that cut it was talking to me and asked me a few questions to pass the time of day while she sharpened my head.

It struck us that no other job could warrant the questioning.  You would not get away with it.

"Do you live nearby?"
"What do you do?"
"Are you married?"
"Is that your car outside?  Nice."
"Where are you going on holiday?"

I responded to her questions but then asked her...

"Have you worked here long?"
"Who does YOUR hair?"
"How long have you been doing this?"
"Wow, those are long hours,are you married?"
"How many of you work here?"

Can you imagine the trouble you would be in having that kind of conversation, the kind everyone has with a hairdresser, somewhere else.

There you are ladies, sitting at the bar having a quiet, chill out, drink after a long day and a guy walks in, you smile at each other and to break the silence he asks...
"Do you live nearby?"
"What do you do?"
"Are you married?"
"Is that your car outside? Nice."

You go to your doctor and after he has examined you and is writing out a prescription for something you ask...
"Do you live nearby?"
"What do you do?"
"Are you married?"
"Is that your car outside? Nice."

There you are at the gym.  Pumping iron or in the jacuzzi, whatever, and the person next to you says,
"Do you live nearby?"
"What do you do?"
"Who does YOUR hair?"
"How long have you been doing this?"
"Are you married?"

It seems to me that some conversations are specific to certain situations and are a no go in others.

Can you think of any situations where you have been talking to someone and asked questions like that because I can't. We can't.  In fact the feedback on this from readers is that they can't either!

It's true when they say your hairdresser knows more about you than your friends.

Kate Nasser - The People Skills Coach™

I thought I would take some time to make a recommendation to you...

Kate Nasser, The People Skills Coach™

Stop what you are doing and get along to www.katenasser.com and have a good look around for yourselves.  If you are in the market for Customer Service training or for solid gold info about what you need to do to keep customers, or maybe just some common sense techniques and training that works then you would be foolish to ignore this nudge to her site.

There are lots of video clips and there are also lots of interesting comments and information from a very clever, intelligent and knowledgeable Leader/ Teacher/ Trainer who really walks the walk as well as talk the talk.

One of the business models The Moore Consortium runs is a Sales Training program that shows you how to GET customers... but Kate Nasser shows you how to KEEP them with her cutting edge ideas.

Kate's techniques are embedded in a very funny and conversational style of presentation, which appeals to me as thats how I work.  It's a great way of pouring your message into the heads of the audience without them resorting to note taking.  If you have a team of people who need to step up to the next level, or if you need a reboot yourself, or if you just want to enhance your lifeskills, Kate is the person for you!

Kate also has a Google+ community called PeopleSkills.
I am honored to be one of the moderators on there as well as @TomJ_Rhodes @tshroyer2 @jandis_price @MaaHoda @CBechervaise  who are all worth following as they each have a unique style and ground breaking information they are willing to share on Social Media.

Tweetchats take place on Sundays at 10amEST and cover a different subject every week with an emphasis on the skill sets people need in life and business today.  Each Tweetchat is moderated and the main rule is: Respect for each other even when we disagree

There is a Facebook Group called People Skills That Really Matter which you will find HERE and that is monitored by +Hoda Maalouf It is well worth joining that group for some terrific interaction with other like minded people.

I also recommend that you check out the Google+ community PeopleSkills  HERE and join it today!!

It is not often that you find gold like this...but it is here...on her website www.katenasser.com
Contact on Twitter @katenasser