
I picked up my hubby’s anniversary present from Walmart – not only was it a week late, I did get it from Walmart. Here’s the thing, I used their site-to-store program as they didn’t carry an electronic wok in stock, and it was quite easy to order on the internet and I got a text updating me when it arrived at the store. Very convenient and very efficient, right?
Well, that’s when efficiency ended because then the human element was added in. I went in, showed my text and my ID, and I was told that someone else would be up to help me since it was a site-to-store item. They called her up from the back end of the store, took her a bit of time to make it to the front of the store, she looked it up and then said she would be back as she needed to go back to the back of the store to retrieve the items. Hmmmm – didn’t she just come from there? Could they not see how inefficient this really was? I thought maybe this was just some oddity, one-time lack of efficiency in their service, but heard from others they had the same exact scenario.
Even though Walmart is a HUGE company and Sam’s relatives are still making a bundle of money every year, inefficiencies in most businesses keep you from being productive, which holds back your ability to be successful (be it more time or more money or both).
What do you find that you are less efficient at? Maybe we can help each other out with some pointers. Also, ever heard of Robby Slaughter with Slaughter Development? He’s a process engineer, and his company could help the big deals like Walmart and the smaller folk just like you and your business.
Serina Kelly
Relevate
www.getrelevate.com
serina@getrelevate.com
317-203-7740




Knowing when you have found your ‘WHY’…
Tuesday, April 26th, 2011A question many seem to have when on the journey to discover their ‘WHY’ is…
“How will I know I’ve found it?”
I’ve been working to refine my WHY since a great buddy of mine put me on to the concept and Simon Sinek.
You see, I’ve been looking for YEARS (about 7!) for a way to express my WHY. The trouble was, I didn’t know what it was.
Each time I thought I had it – turns out I didn’t. Does this sound familiar?
A few days ago I thought I had it. I was very happy. I decided to drop an email to my buddy (Steve Marriot – an amazing coach) who had put me on to this concept in the first place. I couldn’t wait to share the news with him and thank him for his gift, of pointing me to Simon Sinek and this concept of starting with WHY.
And as I typed merrily away on my keyboard, I suddenly realised I couldn’t completely remember my WHY…!
I don’t mean I couldn’t remember all of the words ‘verbatim’. I mean, I couldn’t even remember all of the essence of it. How silly was THAT?! After all, I was sure I had it…
And that was when I realised that I DID NOT HAVE MY WHY…
BUT… for the first time on my journey to discover my WHY, I felt pretty good at realising I didn’t have my WHY…
…Because I now had a sure-fire way of determining if I had found my WHY or not – and it was QUICK!
AND… I also felt that I was closer to my WHY than I had ever been – I was definitely on the scent…
This helped me zero in quickly on what my WHY is…
I believe that it’s more than a conscious, deliberate act of remembrance. It goes deeper than that. If you have to make an effort to reconstruct your WHY, if it doesn’t ‘roll off your tongue’, then you haven’t got it. When you have discovered your WHY, it’s there in the way you think, act and communicate.
As my long suffering wife Tracy will tell you (bless you!), up until the point where I discovered my WHY, I was trying too hard, and making it too complicated… it was from the ‘head’ and not the ‘heart’.
So I discovered that for me at least, may be for you too, when you discover your WHY and come to express it, it will be a simple and short phrase.
And so I can comfortably, confidently, naturally, and easily express my WHY anytime, like now…
“I’m driven to help you inspire YOUR customers to buy from you.”
Martin Schmalenbach
http://martinschmalenbach.com/blog/
Tags: indianapolis small business, Selling, Simon Sinek, The Why of My Business
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