News From The Swamp 
By Billy Arcement, MEd.
Professional Speaker, Author, Consultant
(225) 677-5166 or 888-376-7374
Issue # 4: September 2001
Copyright
2001 by The Results Group
All
Rights Reserved
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Articles from
this newsletter may be reproduced with permission.
IDEAS ON GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE
I’ve just completed construction of a new home. It was a 20-month project! Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought building was so demanding and time-consuming. The project also made me aware of how so little customer concerns sometimes exist in today’s business environment. Here a few gems. If you are a business owner or if you interact with your customers, these would be rules you should go out of your way to avoid.
Don’t keep your word. Contractors would call to tell me when they were coming over to work and then never show up. If you tell a customer you will do something, do it. Never promise what you are unwilling to deliver.
Do sloppy work. Fortunately few contractors worked poorly. But, there were a couple that I wish I had engaged to work for me. Only close supervision prevented the job from getting too bad. But pride and attention to detail were clearly lacking. If you do something for your customers, do it right and do it with a prideful attitude.
Be lazy. This one is closely connected with the previous point. However, I want to discourage you to look for short cuts that short-change your customer. Give them a full day of work for a full day of pay. Taking too long a lunch break, moving very slow on the job are just two ways customers see their money wasted.
Get all the money you can from your customer. Several times I had to discuss costs with a contractor. In all cases, I got work done for a lesser price. If I had not been overseeing this project as closely as I did, there would have been incidents where I would have paid considerably more for a job. Be fair with pricing. Strive to make a good living but never take advantage of customers by over charging for a service.
Tell your customers anything. One supplier told me he had spent too much time with me for the money I’d spent with him. Boy, did I have fun with him!! Always appreciate whatever sum a customer spends with you. One never knows when a small fish will turn into a whale.
Let’s hear from you. If you have a horror story with a supplier, I’d like to hear about it. Email your story to: barcement@eatel.net.
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TIME-The Great Equalizer
In this issue, I’d like to focus on a key improvement process-effective use of time. Time is the great equalizer. Everyone on the face of the earth is given the same amount of time each day. The only factor separating those who achieve much and those who spend their lives wishing is what these individuals do with their time. Achievers commit to a plan and work their plan. They spend their time doing the most important things. The wishers of life have no plan and thus are relegated to working the plans of others. These individuals react to life rather than taking a proactive position
How then do we get control of time and make it work for our benefit? Control starts by seizing the moment. That is the only time we control. We cannot live in or change the past. What is done is over. We cannot live in the future. It is unborn and intangible-only a vision in the mind. All we have is now, the moment in which we can use the lessons of the past and the moment in which we can begin to give birth and tangibility to the vision of our future.
Resolve to use every moment life offers to the fullest. Develop a prioritized list of goals and plan action steps to accomplish these goals. Don’t put off doing what is necessary. Procrastination can be the thief of time. As Winston Churchill said, “The price of greatness is responsibility.” Take responsibility to build focus on what you want to achieve and use the moments of time to work your plan. That is how time becomes the great equalizer. That is how you bring your dreams into reality.
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Please recommend this E-Zine to anyone you know that is interested in improving their effectiveness or who may want to bring Billy in for training or consulting. It's also a good way to stay in touch with your clients. Forward the email as an article of interest to your business associates or customers and if they are interested in receiving this monthly newsletter, have them email to barcement@eatel.net and put “ezine” in the subject line.
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Telephone Interruptions
It’s almost impossible to go through a day without using the telephone. Recently while traveling from a speaking engagement, I boarded the rental car van to return to the airport for my flight home. On the bus there were six people. Four of the six were on cell phones. As I entered the airport and made my way to my gate, I counted another ten people using their cell phones. Along the walls of the airport, phone booths were filled with travelers. During the time I was in the airport it is probably a conservative estimate that hundreds of calls were made or received. We are truly “controlled” by our telephones.
How many times does the phone ring and interrupt your daily work activity? How many times do you use the phone to conduct business? If you conduct a study of your use of time to determine answers to these two questions, the results might surprise you. When I did this a few years ago, I learned that I was either receiving or initiating calls an average of twenty times a day or 400 times a month! This was a tremendous consumer of my time and something I needed to better control. Here are some ideas that I implemented to help get control of this interruption. Perhaps they can prove equally valuable to you.
(1) Don’t socialize on the phone. Complete your business activity and hang up.
(2) Plan calls in advance. Outline key points that need discussing and stick to the agenda.
(3) Batch your calls rather than randomly returning or making calls.
(4) Give your party a callback time. This avoids phone tag.
(5) If possible, screen calls. Find out who is calling and what they want.
(6) Adopt the habit of taking copious notes of phone conversations. Success will follow the individuals who have the best notes.
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Overcoming Inertia
Many times, we seem to be anchored to a habit or position and change is not an option we feel we have or an option we want to exercise. To bring about improvement, we must embrace change. And, that means overcoming our own inertia. It is my belief that the beginning of success lies in overcoming this inertia-the glue that keeps us in one spot and, until removed, halts our momentum forever.
What is grounding you in place? What habits have you resisted changing? What improvement, if implemented, could make your financial, personal, career or family situation better? Do you really have a genuine understanding of how you use your time each day? These are but a few important questions one should address as he or she considers how inertia is impacting their life. Isn’t it time you get some answers?
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Quotes to Consider
“Destiny is not a matter of chance. Reaching the destiny of our life is really a
matter of choice. Every day, we make
choices that impact the direction of our life.
We cannot wait for destiny to happen.
It is something we must define, take control of and then plan for its’
achievement.” Billy Arcement
“When I am ready for the message, I will understand. When I gain understanding, I am ready to grow
and carry out God’s plan for me.” Billy Arcement
Closing Thoughts
We’ve covered some very important points in this newsletter. But, none of what is written will have any impact unless you apply the information in your daily life. Now is the time to correct old habits and begin anew. Each moment of time represents a potential new beginning point to renew our being. We should forget our past failures. All of our thoughts should be on the possibilities of what can be-on our desires that burn with the intensity of the sun. You must understand that you will not have a desire without the ability to achieve that desire. What is your dream? Do you believe it is possible to achieve? What it takes is a belief that the seemingly impossible is now a possibility. Won’t you take a few minutes now to dream about the impossible? Won’t you commit to make the best use of each moment this life offers?
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If you know anyone who might enjoy receiving this newsletter, please forward it to him or her. Anyone who receives this E-Zine can subscribe to News from the Swamp by sending an email to barcement@eatel.net and put “ezine” in the subject line.
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When it’s time to choose a
speaker for your next important meeting, choose Billy Arcement, MEd. He brings humor, inspiration,
warmth and sincerity to the platform.
Billy’s syndicated column, The Search for Success, has an annual
readership of one-half million+. He is also the author of the book, Searching for Success. Billy
is a writer, consultant, professional speaker and President of The Results
Group. He is a respected and
popular presenter for business groups throughout the
Billy is truly a speaker who has demonstrated ability to show people and organizations how to turn knowledge into RESULTS!
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Call Toll Free 888-376-7374 to speak to Billy about one of his programs or about his various consulting services.