Stressed Out?

You have two people call in sick on the same day. Your demanding mother-in-law comes for a visit. A large payment due from a customer never shows up and is already 30 days late. A storm hits town during the weekend and causes tens of thousands of dollars of damage to your building and inventory. All stressors, that cause tension, headaches, lack of sleep and anxiety. Stress happens to everyone, but not everyone knows why our bodies go through these emotional and physical changes. I read some great articles from various publications and thought I would share the information with you, about what causes this, the amygdala. Here's why we get stressed: Historically, the majority of stressors facing humans were physical (lions and tigers and bears, oh my!), requiring, in turn, a physical response. "We are not particularly splendid physical creatures," says David Spiegel, M.D., director of the Center on Stress and Health at Stanford School of Medicine, who explains that plenty of other animals can outrun us, overpower us, out-see us, out-smell us. "The only thing that has allowed us to explore the planet is the fact that we can respond effectively to threats." Humans are equipped with a sophisticated fight or flight response that allows us to outrun a grizzly bear or fight off an animal far more powerful than we are. When stressed, the sympathetic nervous system takes control of the body, which then triggers fight or flight. (The counterpart of the sympathetic nervous system is the parasympathetic nervous system, also known as the "rest and digest system," which is in control during more relaxing times. Both are part of the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary actions.) Once our bodies identify a threat, we prepare for war (or getting the heck out of there): muscles tense up, the heart starts beating faster and blood flows away from any non-essential body system. The problem, though, is that while just a few hundred years ago our stressors were primarily physical, today the vast majority of stress is psychological -- work, finances, families and the like. But our bodies have yet to catch up. And that means the stress response is still a physical one. Soemeone gets you worked up, your body thinks "grizzly bear."

What's more, the brain isn't always particularly good at evaluating how serious a particular stressor is. Think of lighting a sparkler (or a candle or a match) inside a house, explains Amit Sood, M.D., associate director of Complementary and Integrative Medicine and chair of Mayo Mind Body Initiative at Mayo Clinic. Now imagine you can't tell the difference between that sparkler and a multiple-alarm fire -- so each time, you send every available firefighter to put it out. "It would probably extinguish the sparkler, but it would waste a lot of resources," he says. Similarly, when the body is constantly stressed, it's pouring resources into fighting that stress, which can, over time, take a profound physical toll. The stress response starts with the amygdala, which acts as a sensor at the base of the brain vetting every input for possible threats. When it senses danger, it basically shuts down most brain operations and prepares all of its resources for survival, allowing you to react before you even have time to think about what is happening. For example, if you touch something hot, you instantly jerk your hand away without even thinking. This is handled by your amygdala. When constantly, severely stressed, the amygdala becomes hyper-sensitive and hyper vigilant, making even relatively harmless events (such as a barking dog or screaming baby) seem like a threat. After the amygdala sends a distress signal, the hypothalamus activates the sympathetic nervous system by sending signals through the autonomic nerves to the adrenal glands. These glands respond by pumping the hormone epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) into the bloodstream. As epinephrine circulates through the body, it brings on a number of physiological changes. The heart beats faster than normal, pushing blood to the muscles, heart, and other vital organs. Pulse rate and blood pressure go up. The person undergoing these changes also starts to breathe more rapidly. Small airways in the lungs open wide. This way, the lungs can take in as much oxygen as possible with each breath. Extra oxygen is sent to the brain, increasing alertness. Sight, hearing, and other senses become sharper. Meanwhile, epinephrine triggers the release of blood sugar (glucose) and fats from temporary storage sites in the body. These nutrients flood into the bloodstream, supplying energy to all parts of the body. All of these changes happen so quickly that people aren't aware of them. In fact, the wiring is so efficient that the amygdala and hypothalamus start this cascade even before the brain's visual centers have had a chance to fully process what is happening. That's why people are able to jump out of the path of an oncoming car even before they think about what they are doing. Techniques to counter stress The findings of the national survey mentioned earlier support what mental health clinicians experience in their own practices - many people are unable to find a way to put the brakes on stress. Chronic low-level stress keeps the HPA axis activated, much like a motor that is idling too high for too long. After a while, this has an effect on the body that contributes to the health problems associated with chronic stress. Persistent epinephrine surges can damage blood vessels and arteries, increasing blood pressure and raising risk of heart attacks or strokes. Elevated cortisol levels create physiological changes that help to replenish the body's energy stores that are depleted during the stress response. But they inadvertently contribute to the buildup of fat tissue and to weight gain. For example, cortisol increases appetite, so that people will want to eat more to obtain extra energy. It also increases storage of unused nutrients as fat. Fortunately, people can learn techniques to counter the stress response. Personally, I have found simply understanding and knowing what I am feeling is my amygdala responding to current events and doing its job, makes me feel better. If I still feel stressed, I'll try to physically exert myself. People can use exercise to stifle the buildup of stress in several ways. Exercise, such as taking a brisk walk shortly after feeling stressed, not only deepens breathing but also helps relieve muscle tension. Relaxation response. Dr. Herbert Benson, director emeritus of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, has devoted much of his career to learning how people can counter the stress response by using a combination of approaches that elicit the relaxation response. These include deep abdominal breathing, focus on a soothing word (such as peace or calm), visualization of tranquil scenes, repetitive prayer, yoga, and tai chi. Social support. Confidants, friends, acquaintances, co-workers, relatives, spouses, and companions all provide a life-enhancing social net - and may increase longevity. It's not clear why, but the buffering theory holds that people who enjoy close relationships with family and friends receive emotional support that indirectly helps to sustain them at times of stress and crisis. So, still feeling stressed? You're not losing your mind, it's just your body's old caveman response to getting you ready to deal with the issue physically. Dusek JA, et al. "Stress Management Versus Lifestyle Modification on Systolic Hypertension and Medication Elimination: A Randomized Trial," Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine(March 2008): Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 129-38. Holt-Lunstad J, et al. "Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-Analytic Review," PLoS Medicine (July 27, 2010): Vol. 7, No. 7, electronic publication. McEwen B, et al. The End of Stress as We Know It (The Dana Press, 2002). Schocker, Laura, et al . "This is Your Body on Stress", Huffington Post, March 2013, electronic publication. Harvard Health Publications, Harvard Medical School, May 2014

Setting Business Objectives

I speak at approximately 100 events every year. At the beginning of just about every speech, I ask the participants the following question: "Before I begin my presentation, I would like to know what you would like to be able to change in your life, or business as a result of attending this session? In other words, what can I do, as a presenter, to make this time worth it for you?" At this time I actually take comments and list them on a flip chart. Once everyone is done telling me what they would like, I put this list up on a wall and use it as my class objectives. Throughout my career I've been goal oriented and managed businesses with specific objectives in mind. I believe this is the primary reason why I have been very succesful at what I do. Even now when I work with a business owner, I focus on setting goals, putting together a strategy and marching forward. From the years of 2002 through 2007 I coached my stepson's little league baseball team. at the beginning of every season, I would establish a set of objectives for the team and focus on those for each individual player. When we transitioned from playing in the 12 and under to the 13 and up league there was some significant changes in the way the game was played. For example, the length between bases went from 60 to 90 feet. The pitchers mound to homeplate went from 46 feet to 60.5 feet. Basically we were playing in a field that was as a major league baseball field. The most significant change however was that runners were now allowed to lead off bases and steal. In preparation for these changes, I spent a lot of time watching the 13 and older boys playing to get a "feel" for their strategy. I quickly realized that stealing bases would result in almost half of the runs in a game! I knew now that if I could limit the amount of runners from stealing bases, we can win more games. So my objective for the preseason was to make sure we practiced picking off runners and anyone trying to steal a base. This resulted in a lot of infield practice just doing the same things over and over again. That was the first year that we had an opportunity to make it to the state championship. We also became known as the team who wouldn't let anyone steal bases. Designing a winning strategy, setting objectives and putting in a process to make it all happen will cause any business to become a winner. It just takes a bit of planning and some practice! If you would like to have me speak to your team, help you design a winning strategy or just want to talk to me, give me a call at 888-538-5383. Best regards! Frank Besednjak

Try Actually Listening to Your Customer!

When I decide to get some work done from a contractor, I usually take a few minutes and search the net, just like most people do, to get an idea of how others' experiences went. If I see a company had comments like; "they were rude", "unprofessional", "wouldn't call me back" or "showed up hours late", I consider it a deal breaker and won't do business with them. Of course I see price complaints too, but usually just ignore those because I believe you get what you pay for and someone had to approve the work so how can they still complain? Personally, I believe a price complaint is usually the result of something else not going well and not actually the price being the problem. For some reason after everything was done, the customer didn't think it was worth it. I've spoken to business owners in the past who have had negative comments about their employees attitude or lack of professionalism from their office and I'm shocked to find out the situation could have been handled easily by just refunding some of the money or offering something else free. I find the owner or manager of the business reluctant to budge and is just sticking to his guns because he is unwilling to "give in" to this complainer. Okay, so in response it is better to lose a few hundred potential customer due to the bad review online than to give up a few hundred dollars. Really??? Duh!!! Recently I've added a new segment to my Business Strategies workshop titled; "Managing Your Customers' Journey". The course is designed to set up systems and processes within your business to reduce and eliminate errors and problems. I believe that if you control every aspect of the customer's journey and manage their responses, you will make more money, have happier customers and get more referrals. Disney World does an excellent job of managing your journey and the way you respond. Think about it, you spend over $100 per person to go stand in line in the heat, pay way too much for food and drinks, stand in another line, take a bunch of pictures, get exhausted, stand in line again and eventually pass out in your room, then brag to everyone about what a great time it was. A few years later, you go back. Walt Disney was a genious and knew how to manipulate his customers and make their experiences worth it. My recommendation is to make sure that someone in your organization regularly searches the net looking for negative reviews. They will tell you a lot about what you are doing wrong too. Also, set up a system to keep your customers from going on line and venting to the population of earth about you. I recommend you send them to your own review site and let them vent there. Yes, here comes my commercial. . . I run a business called Customer Care Plus. We measure customer experiences for you using the most powerful and cost effective system anywhere. You get instant feedback and have the ability to resolve issues before they get out of hand. All of this with limited effort on your part. How much? Only $99 per month! Want more information? Go to Customercareplus.net or just call me at 888-538-5383, and we can have you up and running within a few days. Don't lose control of your customer experiences. Keep them from going online and complaining and turn them into referral machines who keep bring you more business.

Stop Whining and Get to Work!

Why does there seem to be this stigma about someone or a company making a profit? Don't these morons realize that the higher the profit, the higher the tax revenue? Isn't The Untited States the place where you can go and realize the dream of becoming successful and rich? That is why my family came here. I'm sick and tired of hearing people whine about how someone else is doing well and how they need to spread the wealth and it is not fair! Here is a concept you may not understand . . .How about creating your own wealth and coming up with something that people see as usefull and valuable? If you can do this, you can be wealthy too. Whining, complaining, blaming others for your failure and sitting on your ass is not anything that creates wealth nor is it anything that anyone else is willing to pay for. So, shut the hell up and get to work and stop taking money away from people who worked hard for it!

Getting Out of the Funk . . .

It happens to everyone. We develop a feeling of complacency, laziness, attitude of negativity. We just don't care anymore. Yes, this is absolutely normal, and the longer you've been doing something and working in the same job, the more often it happens. Even professional sports players get caught up in the occasional "funk". People pay big money to performance coaches trying to get a superstar out of his or her "funk". For the past 12 months, I've been in a major "funk". Finding out I had prostate cancer, having back problems, losing a parent and realizing I can't do all of the things I used to do proficiently 25 years ago. All were contributing factors to increasing negativity and the feeling of hopelessness in my life. I felt like I was running out of time, yet I was doing nothing about it. I'm sure most of you can relate to everything I just described and have encountered a similar "funk" yourself. At this moment, I'm sure you're thinking "So, is this whole column designed to get everyone depressed and feel sorry for Frank? Well, no actually, it is written to get me and anyone else who may be in a "funk" out of it. Here we go. 1. Make a plan of action with some short term goals a. Figure out something that you know needs to be done, that you like doing and do it! It will make you feel better, instantly. b. A short-term goal will head you in a direction that makes you feel good about yourself and what you are doing. c. Reward yourself when you have reached the goals with an experience that you really enjoy, like dinner at your favorite restaurant. 2. Organize your life a. Nothing gets me more in afunk than feeling like I have lost control. b. Schedule at least 30 minutes each day on cleaning off your desk, making a calendar of targets to reach for and rewards you will give yourself. c. Use technology. There are so many time management and priority management systems available. Try them out! 3. Ask for help a. One thing I hate more than anything else is going through my mail. Why? I have no idea, so I ask my wife to go through it first and she organizes it for me. Now I can handle it. b. You are not Superman or Superwoman. You can't do everything so find someone who is better than you and pay them to do things you aren't so good at or hate doing. c. Talk to someone. It could be a best friend, your spouse, co-worker or whoever may be able to give good feedback. Sometimes another brain is all you need to get you back on the right path. d. I don't consider myself a very religious person but God has played a big role in my life. Sometimes just realizing there is a higher power available to talk to helps immensely. 4. Make some long term goals a. Begin with the end. If we were building a house we wouldn't just start digging a hole and figure things out as we go, we would have someone lay out a floor plan and draw a picture of what it will look like when finished. Once you have this picture, you may now begin building a foundation. Life isn't much different, you need to know what things are going to look like before you start building, otherwise you may not have the final product built as intended. b. Involve your loved ones. They need to have input since they are there with you. c. Be realistic. Winning the lottery to retire is not a reality. d. Help others reach their goals and they will help you reach yours. 5. Realize there are things you have no control over. a. Worrying about things that are out of your control is a waste of our brainpower, time and talent. b. Spend your brain time wisely. Yes, there is a wide variety of issues we can all get together and complain about. How much influence do we really have? If you have no control over it, don't worry about it. c. Accept things for what they are, now how you wish for them to be. 6. Be Positive and do it! a. Getting depressed by spending my time thinking about how things suck adds no value to anything. b. Set a roadmap for positive things to happen and start heading in the right direction. c. Nobody likes a person who has only negative things to say. So stick with the positives. Go out of your way to find people doing something well and do it as often as possible. You cheer others on and they will cheer you on. 7. Avoid people who drag you down a. I've seen many intelligent, motivated and potentially very successful people ruin their lives because they've surrounded themselves with negative people. b. Look for happy and successful people and spend time with them. Success breeds success. 8. Become more physically active a. When you have anxiety or depression, exercise often seems like the last thing you want to do. But once you get motivated, exercise can make a big difference. b. Exercise helps prevent and improve a number of health problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes and arthritis. Research on anxiety, depression and exercise shows that the psychological and physical benefits of exercise can also help reduce anxiety and improve mood. In conclusion . . . Yes we all get into those days, weeks and sometimes even months of "Funk". It doesn't have to be. Don't let yourself get dragged into the sludge of depression because a few things aren't going your way. Look at the situation, decide if there is anything you can do, decide if you need help or not and head into the right direction of working through it and reaching your goals, no matter what!

Improve Your Processes = Increased Profits

Every time I turn around I see and hear how someone can get more customers with a new social media campaign or marketing program. I also see how it is possible to close more sales by going to a class and using great closing techniques, using the right words and so on. All of these are essential to business growth and increasing revenue. However, rarely do I see any solutions or methods to improve the overall way the business is managed and the processes in the business are measured and improved upon. In fact the only time I see anything close to creatively managing processes in contracting businesses is when the owner of the business decides he can't do it alone and eventually joins an outside national group to tell him how to run his or her business. This does work and has proven to be very successful for quite a few contractors. During my management days at General Electric, one of the things I did learn, that was essential to business success, is to have processes and systems that minimize rework, improve quality, increase productivity and eventually improve profitability. When I consult with a company, the first thing I do is analyze how they handle everything from answering the phone, taking a service call, dispatching, keeping records, communicate with customers and improve customer retention and get paid. I'll usually break down he entire process from beginning to end in pictorial form, similar to a troubleshooting chart. Once that is complete I can now breakdown each section and look for areas that have challenges, require attention and need improvement. I've realized that you may have some of the best sales people in the world, but if the systems and processes are not in place to make things run smoothly and efficently, your profitability, quality and customer experiences suffer. I am offering a workshop next week in Orlando at the ACCA 2013 National Conference that will give you the tools and information you need to improve your bottom line from within. You will leave this workshop with information that will make a huge difference in your bottom line.

You know just about every time I get on social media, check my email or open my regular mail, I find some sort of ad or information telling me how, with their system, I can increase my business by getting my phone to ring more with their new marketing strategy and so on. I also get bombarded with the guy telling how he can get me more sales by using certain secret tactics, word play and proven conversational sales and so on. Eventually leading the customer to buy something they don’t need or want and will regret later. But you know, you closed the deal and that is what matters right? . . . . .I don’t think so! I’m a customer, and I’m not stupid. So most of these gimmicks may work short term, but you know . . . I believe in a few fairly simple, important things that will increase sales and profitability, and guess what? They always work. Here they are: Number one: Location is everything! Be where the customers are. This includes social media, offering free advice. Get involved with local media outlets, churches, charities and other civic organizations. Number two: Have real people who are happy answering your phone. I will hang up on a recording, but I won’t hang up on a person. Number Three: Always show up on time. Always follow through on what you promised. Always call people back immediately. Don’t think someone will wait three days for a call back. Number Four: Since you have spent all of this time, money and effort trying to get into the customer’s home than don’t be in such a big rush to get out of it. Make it worth the visit and perform whole house checks. Both you and the customer will be happy you did. Number Five: Don’t be afraid to make money and raise your price. Everything costs your more doesn’t it? I meet so many contractors that are so afraid to lose business that they work for almost nothing. If you are going to make no profit, why work? Just go fishing or play golf every day, it is more fun, easier and pays about the same! Number six: It’s okay to fire a customer. Look at it this way . . For any of you who have gone through divorce, I’m sure you remember it being very expensive. You know why it is so expensive? Because it was worth it, that’s why! Firing a customer is sometimes like divorce, so don’t be afraid to spend money doing it. Number 7: Be worth it and believe it. Customers’ measure value on the experiences encountered and promised. Just because you can do the repair with your eyes closed doesn’t mean anything to the customer. It is a combination of every interaction they have had, are having, and will have with your organization that will either add to or detract from the overall perceived value. People go to expensive restaurants not because they are hungry and need food. They go because they expect an experience that makes it worth the investment. So make the experience worth it to them. Number 8. Integrity . . . Be upfront and honest in everything you do. This to me is a zero tolerance rule. For you and all of your employees. Number 9. Work as a team. Have rules, processes, procedures and policies in place that everyone understands. Make a plan for anything that could happen and write a policy or procedure on how to handle it. Sure you can bend the rules or change them occasionally but at least you have some basic guidelines to follow. Number 10. Educate, train and practice. Even sports professionals educate themselves and practice regularly because they want to be the best at what they do. Don’t get left behind. And Number 11. Keep score and set goals. If you don’t know how you are doing, how do you know what you need to improve on? Also, if you set no goals, it is kind of like having no destination on a trip . . . Odds are you will never make it. Hopefully you are or are planning on implementing some of these guidelines. If you have any questions or comments, please contact me directly. I am here to help.