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"If you obey all the rules you miss
all the fun." –Katharine Hepburn
Good ‘ole Kate got it right when she said
that. Not only was she a great actress, it seemed that she
knew a thing or two about the future of business. Businesses
who are still obeying all the stiff rules of the 1900’s
will be left behind and miss the fun. (The word fun also
translates into "more business.")
Are you still following "the
rules" in your business practices? Well, let’s go
over a short list of rules you need to start breaking as
soon as possible and then we’ll discuss some of the rules
which you should leave in tact.
RULES TO BREAK
Live a little. Go shopping or to the
gym at 10:30 am on a Tuesday. It’s wonderful! Work
on a business project at 8 pm on a Friday night.
You’ll be amazed at how creative you can be at
different times.
Don’t send your clients a thing
for the standard holidays. Send them something for a
new holiday that you make up, such as National
Tell Your Clients You Think They’re Great Day.
Pick a day and send your clients something when they
least expect it, for no other reason than you just
wanted to. That’ll get you noticed.
Take your laptop and cell phone to a
park and work there. A different location will help
your creative juices to flow.
RULES TO KEEP IN TACT
This rule shows that 80% of your
business comes from about 20% of your clients. Also,
it takes only 20% of your sales time to keep current
clients, but 80% of sales time to gain new ones.
Relationship selling and "dress
down Fridays" have hurt the professionalism of
business today. Just because you may feel
comfortable around your clients, never act
unprofessionally in front of a customer or
prospective client.
Stay consistent. Studies have shown
that people must see something an average of 14
times before they remember it, so consistency is
crucial. Make sure company colors, slogans,
taglines, and overall image are consistent.
So, listen to Kate and lighten up, break
some rules, and have some fun. If you’re not having fun,
then you’re doing something wrong.
©Kirstin Carey 2005 - is President of
Orange Tree Training & Speaking Group, Inc. and is a
communications expert who trains and coaches professionals
to improve their communications and presentation skills. She
presents fun and content-filled programs which train and
educate CEO’s, managers, trainers, and staff to perform
more effectively in sales, marketing, customer service, and
training. Kirstin can be reached at Kcarey@Ottsg.com
or online at www.Ottsg.com
or www.PowHERful.com.
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