Common Sense is not so common.
Voltaire (1694-1778)

Oh, how true that statement is. The destruction in the San Diego fires left all of us feeling badly for those poor folks who lost their homes. Thank goodness not too many people perished in this disaster. Sometimes a business does have a lot of common sense, common sense like the actions displayed by the Doubletree Hotel in Anaheim, California.

Doubletree is owned by Hilton Hotels and Hilton was within weeks of implementing a company-wide pet friendly policy. With so many people being displaced from their homes, they implemented the policy 3 weeks early and let the guests arriving in droves from San Diego bring their pets in. Reportedly, the hotel looked like there was a dog show going on. Not only did they allow dogs to come in, but they also gave folks coming there a break on the price as well. That’s a big old dose of common sense right there. However, I must say this is rare in today’s business.

In the past month I could not get served a meal 3 blocks from a high school football stadium because they did not have enough help. The owner of the restaurant seemed surprised that all these people had shown up after the biggest game of the year. Where’s the common sense there? At a country club I used to belong to I ordered my kids hot dogs. When we asked for ketchup, we were told they were out and had been out since yesterday, and the truck wouldn’t be there till the next morning. When I reminded them there was a large grocery store less than a mile away where they could get ketchup, they responded, “I’ll tell my manager that.” And finally, last year after I had taken my wife’s truck in for service, I heard a rattle under the hood, so I pulled over to take a look. When I opened up the hood, I was amazed to find a pair of pliers, an oily rag and the work order for the work. Guess someone was in a hurry to go home. Just like Voltaire said, common sense is not so common.

This week look around your office; think about how you’re treating you clients. If you look hard enough, you’ll find something. Our front lobby at Grunder Landscaping doesn’t look so good and it’s the first thing clients, prospects, and potential new hires see. I’ve called my interior decorator Marlene and she is on her way to getting our lobby looking good. Common sense should have told me not to allow this important area of our office to be neglected, but it didn’t happen that way. Common sense is not so common.

As you may know, I live in Ohio and we’ve had a long, cold, wet, and snowy winter, and I’m sick of it. I cannot recall a spring that I have anticipated more than I have this upcoming one. This week, why don’t you think about a way you could get your team excited for spring? Here are some suggestions:

1. Have a cookout and make some milkshakes for your team, pretend it’s warm outside, and tell everyone how much you appreciate their efforts and their spirit and how much you’re counting on them this year. Talk about some of the good things going on, but be specific and recognize your people by their name.
2. Shut the office down at 2 and rent out a movie theatre and show a motivational movie to them. There are tons to pick from, or even just watch a new release with your team. The point of doing this is to just take some time to get them out of the office and build morale and have them think, “You know, this is a great place to work.”
3. Tell everyone that there is a mandatory meeting next Friday and you want them in at 7:00 am. When your team arrives, they’ll be treated to a made-to-order breakfast – omelets, bacon, bagels – the works. Stand up and tell your team you love them and are looking forward to making 2008 your best year ever.

Look, every paper and newscast in America has some negative news on a daily basis. And since none of us can control the economy, the weather or much more, do your part to show things are good at your place, and show them by your actions that you are a winner. You have a lot better chance of winning if you think you can win!

Great salespeople listen twice as much as they talk. Great salespeople also learn how to ask questions.

When you want information, ask open-ended questions, such as:

• Tell me about (your project, your problems, your needs).
• Why did you call us?
• What is your biggest problem?
• What does a win look like?

Here are some questions we use at Grunder Landscaping Co.
What activities do you use your yard for now?

• As you imagine your landscape, what other outside activities would you like to include in your new design?
• Which kind of outside setting appeals to you:

• A feeling of enclosure? Outdoor “rooms”?
• A feeling of openness? A feeling of distance?
• Restful shades, textured leaves and muted colors?
• Dramatic shapes and bed lines and bright colors?
• Lots of shade? Lots of sun?

• What kinds of water features, walk surfaces and lighting appeal to you?
• Which kinds of outdoor things do you dislike or want to avoid? (Plants, colors, materials, settings, textures, bed shapes)

Asking questions is always a great way to “zero in” on what your prospect wants.

This week make it a goal to listen more than you talk.

One of my best friends in the speaking business is the wildly-successful author and speaker Mark Sanborn. Mark is the author of two great books. Please click here to learn more about them.

Awhile back Mark sent me this poem that he wrote and I liked it so much that I wanted to share it with you.

The Marks We Leave

As time goes on and we reflect
On the things we’ve said and done;
The places we’ve been, the people we’ve met
And we think of all the fun.

We realize the marks we leave in life
Aren’t made of stone or steel
But rather of the lives we’ve touched
And how we make folks feel.

For people are far more valuable
Than achievements great and high,
Than cars or planes or space shuttles
Or buildings reaching to the sky.

You and I can leave our mark in life
By doing all we can
To serve and praise and uplift
The lives of children, women and men.

Mark Sanborn, CSP, CPAE

I think Mark captures the essence of success well and I hope his words make you think today.