By Matt Hall

The holidays are a time when we turn our attention to family, friends and the celebrations of the season. None of us want to see a loved one suffer an injury over the holidays, but unfortunately, based on statistics, there will be about 8,700 holiday-related injuries this year… and more than 400 house fires. Please take a few moments to think through potential hazards around your home and resolve them before all the excitement and celebrations begin. Following a few simple safety precautions will help your holiday events unfold just the way you planned.

Trees

When setting up a tree at home, place it away from fireplaces, radiators or portable heaters. Place the tree out of the way of traffic and do not block doorways.

Frequently check your tree to make sure it isn’t too dry. A fresh tree is green, needles are hard to pull from branches and when bent between your fingers, needles do not break. The trunk butt of a fresh tree is sticky with resin

Cut a few inches off the trunk of your tree to expose the fresh wood. This allows for better water absorption and will help to keep your tree from drying out and becoming a fire hazard.

Be sure to keep the stand filled with water, because heated rooms can dry live trees out rapidly.

Lights & Decorations

Never use electric lights on a tree with a metal frame. The tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights, and a person touching a branch could be electrocuted.

Before using lights outdoors, check labels to be sure they have been certified for outdoor use. To secure lights, string them through hooks or insulated staples, not nails or tacks. Never pull or tug lights to remove them.

Check all tree lights-even if you’ve just purchased them-before hanging them on your tree. Make sure none of the bulbs are broken and that there are no frayed wires, broken sockets or loose connections.

Plug all outdoor electric decorations into circuits with ground fault circuit interrupters to avoid potential shocks, and never connect more than three strands of lights to any single extension cord.

Turn off all lights when you go to bed or leave the house. The lights could short out and start a fire.

Use only non-combustible or flame-resistant materials to trim a tree. Choose tinsel or artificial icicles of plastic or nonleaded metals.

Never use lighted candles on a tree or near other evergreens. Always use non-flammable holders, and place candles where they will not be knocked down.

In homes with small children, take special care to avoid decorations that are sharp or breakable, keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children to avoid the child swallowing or inhaling small pieces, and avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food that may tempt a young child to eat them.

Remove all wrapping papers, bags, paper, ribbons and bows from tree and fireplace areas after gifts are opened. These items can pose suffocation and choking hazards to a small child or can cause a fire if near flame.

Toy Safety

Select toys to suit the age, abilities, skills and interest level of the intended child. Toys too advanced may pose safety hazards for younger children.

Before buying a toy or allowing your child to play with a toy that he has received as a gift, read the instructions carefully.

To prevent both burns and electrical shocks, don’t give young children (under age ten) a toy that must be plugged into an electrical outlet. Instead, buy toys that are battery-operated.

Children under age three can choke on small parts contained in toys or games. Government regulations specify that toys for children under age three cannot have parts less than 1 1/4 inches in diameter and 2 1/4 inches long.

Children under age 8 can choke or suffocate on uninflated or broken balloons. Remove strings and ribbons from toys before giving them to young children.

Watch for pull toys with strings that are more than 12 inches in length. They could create a strangulation hazard for babies.

Safe Conditions for Visitors

Keep your driveway, sidewalk and steps clear of obstacles, ice and snow.

Clean up immediately after a holiday party. A toddler could rise early and choke on leftover food or come in contact with alcohol or tobacco.

Take medications and medical supplies out of your purse, pockets and drawers and put them in a cabinet or other place out of the reach of children.

Remember that the homes you visit may not be childproofed. Keep an eye out for danger spots.

Keep a laminated list with all of the important phone numbers you or a baby-sitter will likely need in case of an emergency. Include the police and fire department, your pediatrician and the national Poison Help Line, 1-800-222-1222.

Traveling, visiting family members, getting presents, shopping, etc., can all increase your child’s stress levels. Trying to stick to your child’s usual routines, including sleep schedules and timing of naps, can help you and your child enjoy the holidays and reduce stress.

Fireplaces

Before lighting any fire, remove all greens, boughs, papers, and other decorations from fireplace area, and check to see that the flue is open.

As fun as it may seem at the time, do not burn wrapping paper in the fireplace. A flash fire may result as wrappings ignite suddenly and burn intensely, and the burning paper can float back out of the fireplace.

By Matt Hall
Merritt Hall Insurance

I recently had the opportunity to spend a few hours with Dr. Robert Cialdini, author of the New York Times bestselling book – Influence: the Psychology of Persuasion. In the brief time we spent together, he shared some new discoveries he made in the field of human psychology based on recent research findings… findings that should be of great interest to entrepreneurs who desire to gain influence in the marketplace. Some of the information I’m about to share with you is currently unpublished and not available to the public from any other source.

Maybe you think psychology doesn’t have any relevance to your business or industry. As a whole, you’re probably right. However, I think you’d agree that a simple understanding of how the human mind works (especially concerning the principles involved in the decision making process) can have a tremendous impact on your business. After all, businesses don’t make buying decisions, people do. All markets are made up of people, and that makes the study of human psychology more important to your business than it may appear at first glance.

You’ve probably heard the phrase: “Money follows trust.” Well, that’s true now more than ever, because research tells us that in uncertain times, when people are not sure what to  o, they don’t look inside themselves for the answer. They instead look to credible sources (people) of authority to tell them what to do. And that’s the position you need to be in. You
want to be the credible authority… the expert everyone is looking to for advice and guidance. That’s the position of power and influence.

Knowledge and trustworthiness grant license to authority and credibility. Where you truly have expertise, you have warranted authority, but that doesn’t mean you can wield it  universally. Before exercising authority, you must demonstrate expert status (what you are known to know). The person you wish to influence must perceive you to be a both
knowledgeable and trustworthy before they will grant you authority to influence them. So what can you do if you’re not currently seen as the expert or don’t have a lot of credibility in the eyes of your market?

Relax. I’m not going to suggest you spend thousands on branding, image building or trying to get on T.V. and radio shows. Now don’t get me wrong, those things can work, but they don’t always make sense in every situation. Instead, try this strategy based on psychological research. It’s simple. It’s free, and most importantly, it works. And you could start using it in the next 60 seconds.

Research shows that you are afforded a brief moment of power immediately after admitting a weakness. So when making a proposal or presentation to a prospect, before presenting a powerful benefit or feature, mention a weakness in your case. Being trustworthy enough to describe the negatives has a disarming effect. Sharing a weakness or shortcoming before mentioning the benefits causes your prospects to feel that you are trustworthy and you gain credibility in their eyes. Remember, money follows trust.

Now maybe you’re concerned that revealing a weakness in your argument will cost you sales. Not to worry. There’s a simple solution. Use the word “but.” It has an interesting function in the mind. It says, “Forget any and all comments that came before me.” So, if your presentation has a weakness, position it before the “but!” By strategically placing any perceived or real shortcomings in front of the word “but”, you instruct the reader or listener to discard the preceding shortcomings and focus on what comes next.

Perhaps you think this strategy is too simple to work. Well, there are some big companies taking advantage of it: L’Oreal (Cosmetics): “We’re expensive, but you’re worth it.” (Forget that we’re expensive. You deserve this!) Avis (rental car): “We’re #2, but we try harder.” (Forget that we’re 2nd. We’ll try hard to please you!)

Berkshire Hathaway (holding company). They have no product. All they have is credibility. It’s interesting to note that in their annual stockholder reports, they always cite a mistake or error before relaying the victories. And this is a stock that costs $116,000 per share!

Be careful, though. This principle works the other way too. The Ford motor company (among others) has violated it many times to their own harm. Their CEO has often been quoted saying things (in stockholder meetings) like, “We’ve had a great quarter, but we still have a long way to go.” Might as well say, “I know we look promising on paper, but don’t believe what you see.” So make sure you’re using this principle to your advantage.

Remember, history has shown – it’s when the going gets tough that the best become the best, because winners find ways to win, and all it takes is one idea to turn your business around… provided you implement.

Matt Hall
Merritt Hall Insurance
2421 Production Drive, Suite 203
Indianapolis, IN 46242
317-247-7737