Creating (Customer) Evangelists

I've read Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba's Church of the Customer Blog for a long time. Last night I had the chance to talk to and hear Ben speak. As expected his comments were very thought provoking. He was also a genuinely a nice guy!

He talked about a number of things regarding creating Customer evangelists, and while I took copious notes, one thing hit me the hardest - create Customer Advisory Boards.

My mind clicked - "Of course!" People don't think twice about have boards of advisors who are peers or colleagues, but to turn to Customers is much less common. While it may not be common, it sure does make sense!

- Who better to give you feedback about future direction?
- Who better to help you find your blind spots?

And to Ben's point,

- What better way to turn Customer's into true fans (evangelists) than to value them enough to truly ask them for more than feedback, but for advice?

I'm already thinking about how I am going to do that and what it will look like for me, with Customers spread all over.

Thanks Ben. If you haven't visited their blog, signed up for their newsletter, or bought their book, I urge you to do one.. or all three.

The Next Logical Step

I've been flying regularly for a long time - long enough to remember the hub-bub caused by the introduction of e-tickets. Remember? You felt naked without your ticket and itinerary to hand to the person at the ticket counter. Slowly, starting in the 90's, e-tickets started to appear, and slowly people got used to them (when was the last time you had a paper ticket?)

Next we had terminals to check us in - we swipe a card and the machine checks us in and prints our boarding pass. This is becoming so prevalent that the new mid-field terminal being designed in Indianapolis is being redesigned before construction to take these ticketing machines into account in the terminal layout. My guess is that the by the time my son flies regularly on his own (he's 13) he'll rarely interact with a ticket agent, unless he's checking bags. By then though, the next trend of checking in over the internet will even reduce the value of these machines.

Why am I writing about this today? Because I flew Alaska Airlines yesterday for the first time in several years. And when I checked in at San Francisco airport, I got one boarding pass, for two flights. Just one.

This struck me as a nice improvement, seemingly small, but actually quite important.

Our paradigm has always been one event one ticket - whether for a movie, sporting event or a flight. And in all of these cases, you handed your ticket to someone and they ripped part of it off, returning to you the rest so you could still find your seat. But this isn't the way it is on a plane anymore.

Increasingly, you keep the ticket, as your boarding is confirmed when your ticket is scanned at the gate - and the airline doesn't need the paper (and I'm sure gate agents are thrilled that they don't have to deal with that paper anymore).

This change allows the paradigm to change. 1 boarding pass, 2 flights. Alaska saves paper and costs and I only have to carry one piece of paper. Everyone wins.

More important than these advantages though is the lesson it illustrates. We can look for new improvement opportunities and new ideas anytime, but when the system or circumstances have changed is an exceptionally good time to look.

Ask yourself what has changed, and what other advances can happen because of those changes.

Making Customers Feel Important

Here is the article from this week's Unleash Your Potential newsletter...

Two important pre-reading notes: Before you chose to read or not read this article, let make two things clear. Everyone has Customers. Even if you work in an internal staff department in a large firm, you have Customers. They are the people you provide work to. And second, don't be put off by the term Customer. Maybe you call them Clients, Students, Patients, or (heaven forbid!) Users. If one of those words works better for you, read that word every time you read Customer. Now that I have eliminated your reasons for not reading, please continue . . .

We can read lots of books and articles about Customer Service strategies and how to build processes that will serve Customers more successfully. All of these things are valuable, but if we put all of our focus on processes, systems, strategies and procedures we may lose track of something very important.

Customers are people first.

This means that each of your Customers, like everyone else, wants to feel important. It a universal truth - we all want that feeling, and will gravitate towards those that make us feel that way.

Hint: Having Customers gravitate towards you is a very good thing.

Here are seven ways that you as an individual, regardless of any corporate policies or systems, can make Customers feel more important, written from the Customer's perspective:

Read seven ways you can make your Customers feel important.

The Lessons in Waiting

Several months ago I received a call from a writer doing a story for Entrepreneur Magazine. After a fifteen or so minute conversation, I was told my comments might be used in an upcoming issue of the magazine. I thought that sounded cool. A week or so laters I got a call confirming some information and was told the piece would be in the June issue.

It wasn't.

Since I hadn't gotten a contact person's name (duh Kevin!) I assumed that the story had been cut and thought nothing more about it.

Until I got another call saying that a version of the original story would now be in the November issue. I thanked the person (and got their name and email address . . . I DO learn eventually).

So now there is a couple sentences from me in this month's Entrepreneur Magazine. While I am glad it is there, I think I'll remember my lessons (be patient and get a name!) longer than I will remember what was said in the short article.

If you want to read some thoughts about Customers and how trade-ins can be a valuable way to serve and retain Customers, you can read it HERE.

Toner and More

I recently realized that I would soon need a new Drum for my HP LaserJet2500L. From past experience I knew that while I can get toner at any office supply store, I can't get the drum locally. So, being proactive, I went online to order one. After a bit of searching, I decided to order a re-manufactured product at a significant savings.

The order went to PrimeToner.com. Previously, I knew nothing about this organization, but the order process went smoothly online and I received an email confirming shipment. I was feeling pretty good about my purchase.

The box arrived a couple of days ago, and in doing some work in in my office I decided to open it up this morning.

Within 1 minute this company has guaranteed themselves my next purchase (assuming the product is satisfactory).

1. A card for a 5% discount on my next order. Very nice. Not huge, and not incredible, but valuable.
2. Inside the box, near the top of the Styrofoam peanuts, is a copy of the DVD of the movie The Legend of Bagger Vance. I don't know how Bagger Vance relates to toner. But I know I was surprised and impressed (and I like the movie).

The lessons for all of us in delivering better Customer Service:

- Get the basics down. While they should be a baseline, when they are well executed, it is always welcomes and usually noticed.
- Reward me for my business and you will turn me into a long term Customer.
An additional surprise doesn't have to be extravagant (I'me sure they bought these for less than $5 wholesale).
- Surprise me in unusual ways and I will tell others.

How can you apply these lessons today?

Conversation or Discussion?

In my Powerquotes Plus members today received the following...

"Conversation means being able to disagree and still continue the discussion."

- Dwight Macdonald, author and editor

Questions to Ponder

1. Given this definition, how often am I in conversation, rather than discussion?

2. What is my biggest barrier to conversation?

Actions to Consider

1. Listen more.

2. Keep an open mind.

3. And focus on conversation, not discussion.

Make it a Day of Conversation!

To which a long-time member wrote ...

I apologize, but I'm in having a bit of confusion over this one. It appears to me that "conversation" is a superset of "discussion" rather than something different or contrasting. I believe that "conversation" vs. "arguing," or something similar, may be the contraries.

And here is how I replied...

...For many people, the idea of a discussion is something akin to a debate, where two sides "discuss" a topic, hoping to convince their "opponent" to agree with them. In fact, the origin of the word discussion literally means to "smash to pieces." (It shares a similar history with the word concussion - ouch!) Some people have "discussions" with their bosses. They have "discussions" with their parents (or children). With those origins, it is clear to see why many people carry a somewhat negative perspective of this word...

Which is why I like conversation or dialogue as a concept and expectation for positive, collaborative interchange. As you can see, I might not have used the authors words, but I think his point is valuable.

It is valuable, because the words we choose matter. In your next intercahnge, whether with a colleague, family member, customer, or neighbor, have a conversation, because I'm sure you don't want to "smash something to pieces."

Converse.

Listen.

And keep an open mind.

Do the Unexpected

Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba's blog, Church of the Customer is one of my favorite blogs. Forbes apparently agrees as they were selected as one of their favorite marketing blogs.

Posts like this one are the reason why. Ben describes a recent trip to the dentist (Hint, go read it), and closes with a powerfully profound quote:

"For service providers, generating word of mouth often means doing the emotionally unexpected."

Indeed. Ask yourself what emotionally unexpected thing you can do for your Customers/Clients (or those you lead or work with or live with for that matter) tomorrow/today/right now?

Note to Hotels - It isn't Just the Bed

I'm back to blogging after a week's vacation in Cocoa Beach Florida ... a week's vacation, with a one day business excursion to South San Francisco to speak at the HR Star Conference on Wednesday sandwiched in.

I flew into SFO late Tuesday night and stayed at the Four Points by Sheraton in South San Francisco. I noticed on my arrival that this chain has decided to differentiate itself with new beds, just like many other chains (which limits the value of the differentiation, doesn't it?) While the bed was nice, and the high speed access appreciated (and now expected), what defined my experience was a bent piece of metal and plastic called a shower rod.

I've stayed in all sorts of hotels from Family Ins to Five Seasons, from Holiday Inn Expresses to Hyatts and Red Roof Inns to Radisons. And in most all of them I couldn't take a shower without part of my body either on the shower wall or on the shower curtain. So I immediately noticed the curved shower curtain rod the the Four Points, because it made the shower a much more pleasant place to be.

The moral of this story is that we can please, delight and wow Customers in many ways, and some of the best ways are little ways.

Whatever your business, look for your equivalent of the curved shower rod. And remember that all the little things that might not even cost anything, might mean more to your Customers than the big new planned investment in a branded bed.

What is your curved shower rod?

How Customer Focused is it?

A random act of surfing tonight led me to Armytage and Mason Blog (subtitled The Blog for Strung Out Managers Everywhere!). Their most recent post shared a link to an interesting website - Customer Focus Calculator.

The site says, "As proud as you may be of your company and your product or service, most customers only care about how well you can help them meet their wants and needs. If you want more of them to buy, your focus has to be on your customer. How do you communicate that to them? With the words you use on your site. Are you talking mostly about them and their needs or are you talking mostly about yourself?"

The calculator analyzes a webpage you submit or it can review any copy from a brochure, advertisement, to help you see where the focus of your copy is.

It isn't perfect, but they don't purport it to be, but it is a great way to look at how Customer focused your writing is.

WIIFW, II

Last week I wrote about a speech topic that captivated me (What's In It For We?). At that time I promised to share of summary of the talk with you here.

Guy Harris gave the talk at the monthly meeting of Rainmakers, here in Indianapolis. He told us he wanted to change our thinking about collaboration, to get us thinking about What's In It For We? His three main points were:

1. Effective collaboration is the key to your financial and business success.
2. How you think determines how others react to you.
3. Ask the wrong questions, get the wrong answer - therefore get the right answers by asking the right questions. (in this case, "What's in it for We" questions).

So, the circle looks like this...

1. You first decide you want to be a better collaborator,
2. So you discipline yourself to ask the WIIFW questions,
3. Which leads to thoughts consistent with that goal,
4. Which leads to your actions being consistent with those thoughts,
4. Which leads to people responding to your WIIFW approach,
5. Which leads to collaborative relationships and successful collaborations,
6/1. Which leads you to increase your desire for more collaboration.

I was taken by the title question, which is why I wrote the initial post. And the talk itself didn't disappoint.

Thanks Guy.

If you are reading and have ideas of ways we could collaborate, I'd love to hear them!

What You Think About Grows

Today is the third anniversary of a day registered by a friend of mine, Stephanie West Allen.

Today is What You Think Upon Grows Day.

This concept is hard to ignore and certainly isn't a new idea - witness Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy; think about such things."

Philosophers and writers have said in different ways through the centuries, and they are all correct.

What we think upon grows.

It isn't so hard.

Think about things you want and desire. Think about abundance not lack. Think about positive things.

Think about love.

Think about peace.

What You Think Upon Grows.

We can apply this in our lives personally, and we can model it with great power.

If I am a leader, how should I think about my team? By focusing on their faults, or by being mindful of their potential?

If I am a trainer, expecting great things from willing learners will get me mucfurtherer than assuming people don't want to be in the workshop.

If I am trying to be more creative, think creative thoughts.

Assume the best of the Customer making the unusual or challenging request, and you will render better service.

I could go on, but you get the idea - think about it.

Happy Anniversary to the day. Thanks Stephanie for making this happen.

To read more of Stephanie's thoughts on this concept, go to her article.

Who Drinks Tea at Starbucks Anyway?

I do.

Why? Because I don't drink coffee.

Yesterday morning I went into my local Starbuck's for a meeting and ordered a Grande Earl Grey tea, because, like I said, I don't drink coffee.

They were out of Earl Grey, so as I paid for my flavored hot water I said "just give me Awake", knowing that it is another good black tea flavor.

And they were out of it too.

I ended up drinking some herbal tea variety which was fine, but not the reason for blogging about the experience. I blog about it because as they handed me the Vente size (the big size - larger than I ordered), they also handed me my money back.

Some people, with a different perspective who might be having a bad day might have been quite peeved by this lack of inventory management. While I was inconvenienced I was happy to pay for my drink regardless of the flavor. But they insisted on giving me my money back.

It is a simple gesture, done automatically and without thought - in other words they didn't wait to see if I looked upset (I think I was quite pleasant) to offer the refund and no one went to a policy manual either.

It was simply good Customer focus and Customer service.

You may be thinking it is easy to give me my money back because their real cost was insignificant - a little water, a cup and two tea bags. And while that might be true, but if you stop at that you have missed the lesson.

Starbucks won more of my meetings, and many coffee and tea orders, even though I can't be on wireless internet access there for free, because of the gesture. Their residual revenue from my decision is significant.

They won more of my business for the gesture, but the gesture came from great hiring, training, and systems that made it a very pleasant and automatic service recovery.

And whether you drink coffee or not, you can learn from that.

Connect the Dots

Last week I facilitated a two day Internal Consulting Skills Workshop. As a part of that session we talked about expertise and how most people don't value the expertise they have.

One of the first things we need to do to be more successful in getting our expertise valued and used (a great way to think about consulting) is to value our own expertise.

I've thought about it a lot since the session ended - trying to convince people quickly that they under-estimate what they know.

Then I saw one of my daughter's coloring/activity books. Along with the pictures to color and other simple exercises, I saw a Connect the Dots puzzle.

From the context of the other lines/pictures on the page I had some idea what the picture would be when she connected the dots, but it wouldn't be clear until the pen went from 1, to 2, to 3, etc.

That is what we need to do - connect the dots. Our expertise, knowledge and perspective allows us to connect the dots for others.

As a leader, give people enough context and background to really understand a task or action plan, in other words, connect the dots. (This is equally important as a parent.)

When helping Customers, use your expertise not in a way of talking down to but in a serving and educational way. When the Customer understands your offering better in a more complete way they will value you what you have offered. You have connected the dots.

When teaching or training someone on something, whether as a trainer, coach, leader, parent or what ever, use examples. Give people an idea of the nature of the situation. Give background. Give additional data. Connect the dots.

In so many ways when we begin to value our expertise (recognize that not everyone already knows what you assume to be obvious) we become more confident, productive and valued. Recognize that I am not talking about becoming arrogant or condescending. In every case my suggestions come from a serving, helping perspective.

Your expertise can help others in dramatic ways, if you take the time to help them connect the dots.

Process, Project, or Panic?

I recently worked with one of my Clients, Indiana Farm Bureau, to discuss with their organization the differences between process and project work. I helped them uncover some differences and see how more and more of their work is becoming project based, rather than purely process driven. This realization that they are having is true in most organizations. More work is becoming project based.

Then, yesterday, a participant in an Effective Internal Consulting Skills workshop made a comment that struck me as profound.

She said, "I get called in for project work or panic work."

Panic work.

I'm guessing you either smiled or cringed as you read that phrase.

Far too many people in far too many organizations know what panic work is. We call it by other names: Urgent work, problems, or putting out fires, but we are all too familiar with it.

Panic work comes when our processes aren't well enough set, defined or followed. Panic work comes when we haven't established processes at all - or haven't changed them in 20 years.

Some people thrive on panic work - they love the challenge and the adrenaline rush that comes with solving the problem, satisfying the Customer in a dramatic "save" or otherwise "saving the day."

While people might profess to like it, it is one of the biggest challenges that organizations face. Too much of our work is panic work. We don't invest the time to build, document and/or improve standard processes. By having standards, we free ourselves to use that adrenaline for more creativity, new product development or delighting/Wowing Customers.

As more of our work becomes project based, the only way, paradoxically, that we can succeed is by making our processes more solid. This will reduce the panic work and allow us to use our potential to create even greater results.

Thanks to Patti Besuner for the phrase.

What's in a Word?

My friend Rosa Say on her great blog Talking Story has asked people to weigh in this month on "the Art of the Sale", so here are some of my thoughts.

I've never met anyone that didn't like to buy something. Even if it is someone who doesn't like to go to the mall, or someone who doesn't like to part with their money, EVERYone likes to buy something, be it tangible, or an idea, or something.

On the other hand, many people have stong negative experiences/feelings about being sold. When they hear "sales" they think of buying a car, buying insurance or a telemarketer being a bit too agressive on the phone (apologies to people in these industries, I'm just stating my observations).

The words used and the tactics connected to those words is where the disconnect lies. For many people then, sales or selling is connected with words like manipulation, trickery, force, pressure, tactics, negotiation. Most of those people with those feelings will say they don't feel comfortable in doing sales. No big surprise here.

If people like to buy but don't want to be "sold" then what do they want? I think they want: assistance, help, advice, options, expertise. People don't mind being influenced, they just don't like being forced.

Based on this quick discourse, it isn't surprising that the best salespeople see themselves as experts, consultants, or "assistant buyers." It is why they are successful.

For those who have the negative view of "sales" it is time to get a new set of words in your mind so that you can help serve your Clients and future Clients. Those new words can help you get to your personal art of (and comfort with) sales.

The Seven National Crimes

William J. H. Boetcker, a Presbyterian minister wrote these. I have read them attributed to Abe Lincoln, but from some reading I've done recently, it seems that is a false attribution. Here are what Boetcker defines and the Seven National Crimes:

1. I don't think.
2. I don't know.
3. I don't care.
4. I am too busy.
5. I leave well enough alone.
6. I have no time to read and find out.
7. I am not interested.

Crimes indeed. Rather than thinking about these from the "national" perspective (I'll leave that for bloggers with a different focus), let's think about them as organizational crimes.

1. Too often, sadly, people don't think.
2. While not knowing isn't a crime in itself, it becomes one when it is a closing statement, rather than an opening one. (Are the trainers and Customer Service leaders among us listening?)
3. Giving people reasons to care is one of the most powerful things we can do as a leader.
4. Everyone is busy. But the paradox is that the busiest among us always seem to be able to get one more thing done. Sort of takes the value out of that excuse, doesn't it?
5. Leave it alone, and no change will occur. The problem is, often, it isn't "well enough" to start with.
6. Ever made it ok for people to read on the job? Why not? Give people opportunities to find ways to learn.
7. Interest drives action which is a precursor to achievement. As trainers we need to help people be interested in learning new skills. As leaders we must cultivate interest in our team members.

The critical question is - what will you do to reduce the organizational crime in your organization (or behind your desk)?

Happy Anniversary to Me . . .

I'm excited!

One year ago we started our blog experiment. We were in the process of renaming and rebranding my company - changing the name to The Kevin Eikenberry Group. As we developed the concept for our new website we thought we wanted to include a blog, but we decided I should try it first.

So we tried it. Starting on March 22, 2204.

365 days. 130 posts.

A few weeks ago I posed a question in email to my team. It read something like:

"The one year anniversary of the blog is coming up. Do you think we should celebrate in any way? If so, what are your thoughts?"

The ideas they had were fabulous... and as you read the rest of this post you will be the beneficiary of their ideas . . .

First Gift

When I started writing this blog I wanted to share something of value, and in reviewing these posts over the last couple of weeks I think I have acheived that. You can judge for yourself, because our first gift to you - for visiting to help us celebrate is our Best of Blogs Special Report. Since this is a PDF file, click to open it, or right click and save the file if you want to read it later,)

Holly Powers read through all of the posts, selecting one from each month to include in this collection. Thanks Holly for your help.

We hope you will benfit from this Special Report and will choose to share it with others too.

Second Gift

The first five blog readers (that is you) to call and talk to me today (and they have to tell me they were reading the blog - I'm not giving products away to the guy trying to get my phone business). You will be able to choose from one of the five products listed below:

Becoming a More Effective Team Member Learning System
Effectively Managing Projects Learning System
Being More Creative Learnng System
Understanding and Mastering Change Learning System
Effective Internal Consulting Skills Series (there isn't a link for this product yet on one of our websites, so I'll have to tell you about it if you are one of the first five callers.)

I appreciate you reading our blog and hope that you will continue to do so. I look forward to talking to some of you on the phone today. (You can reach me at 317.387.1424 or 888.LEARNER in the U.S.)

Pick up the phone!

Just Five More

Reading the March Training + Development Magazine, I saw a snippet on focus from Sam Horn's book, Tongue Fu. IT describes an acronym using the letters in the word FOCUS to provide five tips.

I loved the first one - the F.

"Five more rule. If you are in the middle of a task and want to give up, just do five more: Write five more paragraphs, read five more pages, work five more minutes. Working past the point of frustration helps build mental stamina, just as not giving up when your body gets tired helps build physical stamina."

Let me add a couple more "fives" to this great idea...

- Try five more times to help an employee who you are losing patience with.
- Find five more possible solutions with the brainstorming session is winding down.
- Count to five before responding to a Customer who has frustrated you in some way.

Add to your focus by adding your own fives in areas you most want to focus.

Take the Stress Test

I ran across this online stress test and I encourage you to check it out.

It may not be clinically perfect, but it doesn't matter.

It raises an important question for us. How does my stress level impact my ability to lead, be a part of a team, effectively train others or perform at the highest levels of Customer Service?

We know the answer.

Whatever your stress score, take time today to think about how stress impacts your effectiveness. If this reflection causes you any concern, decide what you can do to take action to either reduce your stress, or take actions that reduces the impact of the stress on your performance.

A Passion for White Castles

I first read about it on January 20th. Eight Indianapolis White Castle restaurants were going to offer special service on Valentine's Day.

A restaurant taking reservations, offering service at the table, and using real table clothes and silverware isn't much of a story on Valentine's Day. Except at White Castles, which are 24 hour hamburger joints on the lower end of the food chain (if you pardon my pun) - all apologies to White Castle loyalists.

They made news on January 20th, and have tons of local press coverage today - and all the reservations are taken. Additional restaurants in the chain have vowed to join this service next year.

White Castle used creativity to build a promotion, get loads of free publicity, and tap into their very loyal fans too.

The passion shows. Congrats to White Castle on a creative promotion and a wonderful Customer Service idea.

Have a Passionate Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is for romance and love, so you may be wondering why I would write about it in this blog. Valentine's Day is about more than romance and love... it is about passion. And passion is something we definitely can talk about here.

As you celebrate Valentine's Day today, let your passion for life, for projects, and for ideas to show through.

Your passion will create energy.

Your passion will help you influence others.

Your passion will change, in a positive way, how others see you and your abilities.

Your passion can make a difference.

Happy Valentine's Day.

A Little Something Extra

"Lagniappe" (LAN-yap) is a word used primarily in southern Louisiana - which is where I learned it.



I love the way the word sounds, but I really love what it means - giving a little something extra that is unexpected.



Having a lagniappe attitude and habits can be tremendously beneficial to you and those you serve. The applications in our work are endless. Here are a few situations for you to consider...



As a leader, think about how you can serve a little bit better by giving something a little bit extra.



When serving Customers, think about the little extra you can give people at the time of the purchase, or at some point in the future that is a pleasant surprise.



How can you give a little lagniappe to other members of your team?



How can you make the training you design or deliver unusual, and unexpectedly interesting, fun or effective?



Think lagniappe today.

The Positive Postcard Project

Three years ago, a colleague of mine, Stephanie West Allen, named January 2 as Positive Postcard Day. I'll let her explain the process as I quote her:

First, write down seven positive traits about yourself. Next, obtain seven postcards. Write a note to yourself about each trait on a different postcard. When you are done, you will have seven postcards, each with a note to yourself about one of the positive traits you listed.



You may write a note as simple as this:



"Dear Sally,



You are very imaginative.



Love,



Sally"



Or:



"Dearest, remarkable Sally,



You are wildly and wonderfully imaginative!



Much love and respect and affection to you, girl,



Sally"



THE WHOLE SPECTRUM OF COLORS



Why seven traits and seven cards? Because a musical major scale has seven notes, a week has seven days, a telephone number has seven numbers, a rainbow has seven colors. Seven is a good number.



Speaking of rainbows, it is highly recommended that you get writing utensils that write each of the seven colors -- red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo , and violet. Use one of the colors for writing each of your postcards so you will have a rainbow of postcards when you are done.



Now address your cards to yourself and stamp them.



Give the whole stack to a friend and tell him or her to mail you the cards throughout the first quarter of 2005. Make sure he or she does not tell you when each is posted so your receiving your cards will be a fine surprise for you each time one arrives.



Receiving a card will add a new and bright dimension to your day. And it will again invoke the powerful phenomena of self-fulfilling prophecy and the law of attraction.



CARE PACKAGES



Next prepare a Postcard Care Package for someone else. Give this person seven stamped postcards and seven pens, one of each color of the rainbow. Give him or her the instructions above on preparing Positive Postcards. Recommend that, after he or she has prepared the seven Positive Postcards and given them to someone for mailing, he or she prepare a Postcard Care Package for someone else.



See the potential here? If people prepare their own Positive Postcards AND give someone else a Postcard Care Package, the mails in 2005 will be filled with Positive Postcards arriving to surprise, and to affirm marvelous traits.

You may not do this today - might not even read it today! It doesn't matter. Take this process and use it or modify it for your own use.



Some options I can think of immediately are:



- Put together the CARE packages for everyone on your team and do this at your next team meeting.

- Send Packages to your favorite Clients, enclosing the materials and instructions and offer to be their "sender by enclosing a self addressed stamped envelop to return the post cards to you.

- Give the materials and instructions to a training class and either have them exchange their postcards or collect them and mail them yourself.

- Go into a school classroom and in collaboration with a teach have a whole class write them and give them to you to mail to them at random days in the coming weeks.



There are many more ideas you will come up with. If you have ones that will make a difference for you, your organization or the world at large, let me know and I'll post them here.