Be Positive, Be Successful!

For the next few days I am giving away my chapter "Be Positive, Be Successful" from the Best-selling book DARE TO SUCCEED.

The book was co-authored with Jack Canfield and other leading experts from around the world. It reached five #1 Best-selling lists on Amazon.com

Just simply follow the link below, give us your first and last name and your email and we will send it directly into your inbox.

https://www.facebook.com/luisvicentegarciag/app_427089034046612

Ifyou would like to obtain more information on our products and on the trainig and development we do for companies and their TEAMS, please write to info@LuisVicenteGarcia.com

Now, start Being Positve to Be Successful.

Luis Vicente Garcia

The Foundation of your Business: Creating Customer Satisfaction

A very critical factor in today’s world is to understand how a successful business looks like. You might be selling pizza, tiles, be a dentist or having a much larger company. But regardless of the size, we all - and specially the business owners and the entrepreneurs who created the companies - need to be very clear as to which key and critical factors are necessary to make a business successful in today's economy.

When you build a building, you always start with the foundation. And what is the foundation? It is the basis on which you create your company. The purpose of a business is not to make a profit; the purpose of a business is to create and keep a customer. Brian Tracy, whom I have the privilege to work with at FocalPoint Coaching, mentioned that “of all the focus of everyone in the business, 80% has to be on customer creation, and the other 20% has to be on customer keeping.” And customer keeping is taking such good care of your customers after the sale that he or she will either be back for more business or better yet, refer your company to their associates.

When you understand that the purpose of a business is to create and keep a customer, you design the methods and ideas that will make your company grow. And then you get in front of another important question: what is the measure of a successful business? The answer is customer satisfaction. The customer uses the product or the service you sell, and is so happy that they decide to buy your product or service over and over again.

And how do we measure customer satisfaction? The answer is repeat business. The customer buys it and is so happy they buy it again and tell their friends, and then buy some more. Here's the final, ultimate- and this is breakthrough stuff- the ultimate of successful business is that customers recommend you enthusiastically to others and say, "You've got to buy this product or service like I did."

In our comany we believe that you can transform your customers into your best salespeople, your advocates. The key to all of this - the foundation- is creating a great product or service that makes people happy, that causes them to buy again and causes them to enthusiastically tell their friends, and that has to be the central focal purpose of everything you do in business.

If you would like to get more information on how we can help you improve your sales team and improve your customer satisfaction, you can contact us at info@luisvicentegarcia.com .

Keep on being successful!

Start Early on Entrepreneurship!

Entrepreneurship is about daring, taking chances, not knowing where you are going and yet, taking action. Entrepreneurship is about movement, using action verbs, about implementing strategies to fulfill your dreams. I say fulfill as you will reach them along the way and then you, the entrepreneur, will be looking for new ways to improve your company, your team, your performance; in the simplest way, to improve yourself.

As a business performance consultant I meet regularly with business owners and entrepreneurs alike. And yes, there is a big difference in their definition. While business owners most times manage their companies, entrepreneurs look for ways to innovate, create and constantly improve. You may agree or disagree with me on this definition, but put some thought into it. Most successful entrepreneurs I have interviewed have mainly one regret, not having started earlier. However, the good thing I tell them is that they have started already. And the only way you will succeed in life and in business is if you put your heart and soul into making your company, your enterprise, successful.

This is what entrepreneurs do every single day. They start with a dream and then go working out of their way to see it become a reality.

As the title of this short article suggests, you need to start early.  And then start again and again until you get it right and do it right. Taking the first step gets you going and moves you in a direction. It may not be the right one; you might have to change courses from time to time; so you have to set your mind on your goals. Developing your goals and creating the strategies to implement them is of crucial importance.

So start early. Your idea does not have to be perfect; nor does your plan (and of course you do need a plan). But until you start you will never know what you will need to change, to adapt, to modify. Simply put, start and start early so that you can become the entrepreneur you have in you.

Q4 Starts Today!

Dear Friends,

This has been a very fast paced year, or at least it seems so. Have you set aside a time to review your plan and focus on what matters most? Have you celebrated the many accomplishments you have had during the year? Are you still working on those goals you set out to achieve?

If the answers to all of these questions were ‘YES’, well, congratulations. If you had a ‘no’ among these answers, the good news is that you still have time:

·         Time to redefine and adjust your goals: Always do something that gets you closer to your goal. Remember that your strategy remains the same, but you need to be flexible on your goals (if your goal is too big, then create sub-goals);

·         Time to focus on your plan: what have you achieved so far in 2014? Are you working on your clients the way you should be nurturing and monitoring them? Remember that usually Q4 is the best quarter of the year;

·         Time to celebrate: regardless of the importance of your achievements, celebrate them. If you have had many achievements, celebrate even more. And if you have not done so, plan a big end-year celebration where you can recognize your achievements and those of your team members who helped in achieving them. Remember: Teams are comprised of people that work and perform better when working together.

New research has indicated that it is very important to share your stories, to work in your brand, to focus on your marketing, and to make your team more productive while working together. In working with companies develop their strategic plan we have realized that ‘to tap into the full potential of all of your employees, you need to share your Q4 Plan with more than just a few people at the top. Whether you schedule a company meeting and explain it or post the plan around your company, do whatever is most effective to make sure everyone clearly understands their role in making Q4 a success.’

Work on your company, on your team, on your goals and create your plan to a really great Q4. To learn how we can help you and your company achieve your goals while working on your strategies and improving your performance, please contact us at info@luisvicentegarcia.com or visit our web page www.coachluisgarcia.com  

“You cannot expect to achieve new goals or move beyond your present circumstances unless you change.” - Les Brown

To your Success,

Luis Vicente

Reviewing your Strategies for Achieving your GOALS.

It's August 1st.

How far are you in achieving your GOALS for the year?

The following is a very simple four step system that will help you in getting your work ready for the next fine months:

1. Review your key 7-month key performance and key results indicators;

2. Understand where you are at today according to your Plan and adjust accordingly;

3. Implement the new Strategies you think are necessary to achieve your Plans;

4. Implement all of these changes so that you and your TEAM are able to 'Reach your GOALS' by the end of the year.

And start TODAY!

Luis Vicente Garcia

Systems and processes in Franchising

As we continue to embark on a learning experience about franchising, I would like to ask you a question: How many franchising companies do you know? They may be a fast-casual restaurant, a pharmacy, a hotel chain, a rental car agency, a flower shop, a barber, an ice cream parlor or so many others you cannot even imagine. Almost 90 industries use the Business Franchising Model in order to grow their network. So now go out and start thinking on the places you visit, the shops and restaurants you go and see if you can figure out which of those are franchising establishments.

How can you achieve fast and steady growth and guarantee that it is all done in the same way? The answer is very simple: it is all a system, a series of processes and programs the franchisee has to follow, all very well documented in the different kinds of operational manuals all franchising systems (small or large) have. And the franchisee follows a strict training process that allows the new owner (he or she most times call themselves entrepreneurs) to perform at the level the franchisor (the owner of the franchise) requires.

Why? Very simply because you, the customer, will expect to buy the same hamburger, sandwich, pizza every where they go  in the world; you would expect to receive the same level of quality service from your rental car agency or your hotel also anywhere. And franchising developed a system in which you can be certain of getting those every time you go and visit one of these stores. This is why it is a system, a process, that when done well, it will allow you to grow and constantly improve your business.

And then you can start doing your own research. Which places do I go frequently to shop, dine, or use during my travels? It is actually amazing to realize that some of the largest service companies in the world operate through franchising. Hotels, car rentals, full service or fast food restaurants; you name it. They are mostly franchising units that are required to operate under a series of standards and quality measures so that you, the customer will (almost) always receive the same (or similar) product, with the same quality and with the same level of service.

Understand that it s all a system and processes, and when followed, they will produce the best results.

Please visit www.luisvicentegarcia.com in case you are interested in books and programs that would improve your results and performance, and if you wish to develop your skills in different managerial areas.

 

Managerial Lessons from the World Cup

A big portion of the world’s population if following the world’s most important and international event: the 2014 FIFA Brazil World Cup. For those of us who follow soccer (of football as it is known in Europe and elsewhere besides North America), this amazing world sports event has just finished its first round of elimination games. After two years of qualifying round, the best 32 teams met, with the top 16 going on to the second round. And it is an interesting time to reflect on some important issues not only about sports but also on management itself. Some issues would have to deal with the previous preparations that have to be carried out to infrastructure, roads, security and many other issues that need to be ready for the arrival of millions of visitors and tourists into the host country, so that their experience is the best one possible. Other issues would have to do with what it means to be the host country of such an important global event. However, I also believe that there are important lessons in various management topics that would be appropriate to point out.

For fans - and not so fond fans - of international soccer, a World Cup has a number of important features. First brings together the best players from the best teams in the world; secondly, this is an event both very important and highly relevant to the host country; thirdly no other sporting event brings together so many viewers worldwide. According to a statement from FIFA, the 2014 Brazil World Cup has already broken box office records in worldwide television and on mobile devices because for the first time in history, people are watching the games on their phones or tablets. Even in the US, it was estimated by ESPN that 24.7 million viewers watched the US-Portugal game, plus other 5 million estimated viewers watched it online (http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jun/23/usa-v-portugal-most-viewed-soccer-match-ever-us).

While we are starting the second round and probably still missing the most important part of this world cup, in the knockout round we have seen some very interesting aspects that relate very well to some managerial areas:

1. Better teams have arrived. Most incoming teams are - usually - those who are better prepared and have better players; however, this time we have seen teams that have worked hard and dedicated beyond what they have done in other World Cups. Thus we see, for example, that the Costa Rican Team was the first that gathered to prepare, study techniques, train as a team and be ready for what was been his best performance in history, during the first elimination round.

2. We all need inspiration. No matter who is the host, the favorite, or the better prepared team, inspiration always helps. It was very exciting to see in their inaugural game, how the Brazilian team was motivated and inspired by all the fans who were in the stadium singing their National Anthem, a Capella, once the music stopped. The excitement and energy level were so high at that time in the inaugural game that it was reflected in the face of both the fans and the players themselves and this is something to appreciate. You can feel that inspiration by watching the following video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uG5xZCsB_m0  

3. We must always develop new talent. While this is something we always know we do not on it all the time. Talent must be developed continuously; and this involves not only the technical areas, on effort, preparation, strength and resistance, but also the mental preparation for such an important competition. Additionally we all must always be on the lookout for new talent. For this World Cup we are seeing new faces, such as: Sayouba, from the Ivory Coast team; Pulido from Mexico; James from Colombia and Neymar, from the Brazilian team. Of course we always have the experienced players and new players. We also see that there are figures that stand out for the preparation they have had, for the great effort they have made or the skills they have to do things better than others. And I do not want to get into a discussion of which player is better or has the best qualities, but would simply like to mention that both Neymar and James are playing in their first World Cup, being considered already as among the best players in the world. So how do you get two 22 year old new talented and new members of your world cup teams?  Always be on the lookout for new and better talent to help your team reach their goals.

4. We must prepare for the unexpected. In our daily life, people and businesses have emergencies or urgent situations. In a professional, business or sports team, things happen that do not allow you to grow, expand, train or plan. During the first round of this world cup we saw the unexpected and some, where not ready to see it. For example, we saw how Costa Rica, to which I referred earlier, finished first in the group where the other three teams always been considered among the best teams in the world; secondly we saw that Spain, the reigning champion, did not go past the first round; and there were games where the number of goals against the favorites went beyond what is acceptable. These are situations that happen to us daily, with our teams or how we handle some situations. However, what we have to do is always to focus on what's important and be prepared to handle the urgent and unexpected.

5. We need new leaders. Every day we need our leaders tell us the way to go. Of course we come to the image of Nelson Mandela who was tough, and had the knowledge and courage to manage and change the destiny of a nation. For some companies its leader is not its president/CEO; when working with teams, there is always one leader that stands out and who might not been appointed as such. The important thing is to allow the new leader to emerge and develop. What caught my attention was reading headline news that appeared during the classification of Mexico that said things like "…Guillermo Ochoa is the goalkeeper that Mexico does not need." For us who watched the first games of the Mexican tem viewed a different reality. So these past few days I read an article that mentioned that "Guillermo Ochoa is Mexico’s new Hero." We know things change; and new heroes and leaders emerge, grow, evolve and are maximized at the times most needed. This is why we should not be surprised to continue to see the emergence of new leaders and new heroes who will carry their teams into new places and new heights.

Still missing the most important part of this World Cup and the definition of the new champion, we might expect that the more prepared team and with the best talent, will have new heroes and leaders, who will collectively strive and work with the rest of their team members to become the new world champion. The important thing is always to learn the lessons that we experience, understand that we have to adapt and be flexible to achieve these targets, and that in one way or another, we should be striving every day more to create and sustain better teams that will propel us to have a better company.

________________

Luis Vicente Garcia is a business Consultant, a FocalPoint Business Coach, a Best-selling Author and an International Speaker. He helps businesses and business owners reach higher levels of performance. You can follow Luis at @lvgarciag and contact him at   coachluis@luisvicentegarcia.com