Optimist Charter Press Release

I am so honored to be a charter member of the Optimist Club of Hazelwood/Florissant. I created the logo, designed and produced the invitations for the charter banquet, solicited donations for the event and wrote the following press release:

New Optimist Club Chartered in Hazelwood/Florissant with goal of providing hope and positive vision in the community!

ST. LOUIS—Local community members participated in an April 3 banquet at the US Bank Conference Center to form The Optimist Club of Hazelwood/Florissant and name the club’s charter officers.

Officers for the Optimist Club of Hazelwood/Florissant look forward to impacting the community through service programs. The Club is a member of Optimist International, one of the world’s largest and most active service Club organizations. With more than 115,000 members in 3,500 Optimist Clubs across the United States, Canada, and other nations, Optimist Clubs conduct a wide range of positive service projects reaching more than six million young people each year.

Major Optimist programs include substance abuse prevention, the Optimist Oratorical Contest, the Optimist Essay Contest, the Communications Contest for the Deaf and Hard-of- Hearing, Youth Appreciation Week, the Optimist International Junior Golf Championships, and many others.

The Optimist Club of Hazelwood/Florissant’s first planned community service activities include helping to pack backpacks for distribution to children affected by domestic violence, and reading to children at the Blossom Wood Day School in Florissant.

These projects are part of Optimist International’s goal to be recognized worldwide as the premier volunteer organization that values all children and helps them develop to their full potential.

At the charter banquet, Don Sievers, Optimist International President-Elect tasked the group with the mission of living one tenet of the Optimist creed each day. Governor Charlie Harrison of the East Missouri District inducted the Charter president Jim Walker, President Elect, Ken Monschein, Secretary-Treasurer, Stephanie Monschein and the additional 26 Charter Members so that they may join together to serve the youth of our community.

Organizations that contributed to the success of the evening’s event include: US Bank, (www.usbank.com), Sweet Picks Pastries (www.sweetpickspastries.com), The Melting Pot (www.meltingpot.com), Top Graphics (www.topgraphics.com) and The Optimist Club of St. Louis, which sponsored the new Hazelwood/Florissant club.

The Optimist Club of Hazelwood/Florissant meets the first and third Thursday each month at Deaver’s Restaurant & Sports Bar located at 2109 Charbonier Rd. in Florissant.

For more information on becoming involved, contact:
Stephanie Monschein, Director of International Programs & JOOI and Secretary-Treasurer of the Optimist Club of Hazelwood/Florissant at (800) 500-8130 ext. 261

Must read article

I read this article and found it very interesting…. it is a must read for sales professionals.

A sales principle that leads to wealth: It’s all

about them.

Think about the way you sell, and the way you present your product or service.

How many times do you think you use the word “we”?

My bet is hundreds.

How many times SHOULD you use the word “we”?

My answer is ZERO.

Everything you do or say is in “we” format – especially if you have a marketing

department.

Does the customer care about you or themselves? Obvious answer. So why do you

“we-we” all over them? They don’t care about you. UNLESS you can help them.

The key to mastering any kind of sales is switching statements about you, how great

you are, and what you do, to statements about them, and how great they are, and how

they will produce more and profit more from ownership of your product or service

HERE’S THE SECRET: Take the word “we” and delete it. Delete it from your slides,

your literature, and ESPECIALLY from your sales presentation. You can use “I” but

you can’t use “we.”

HERE’S THE POWER: When you stop using “we,” you have to substitute it for the

word “you” or “they” and say things in terms of the customer. How they win, how

they benefit, how they produce, how they profit, how they will be served, and how

they have piece of mind.

“We” is for selling. “You” is for buying.

MANDATE FOR UNDERSTANDING: Go through your entire presentation and

record it. Listen to it actively — which means take notes. Count the amount of times

you use the word “we.” Take out the “we,” and begin to make value statements

instead of selling statements.

Here’s the reality in plain English:

1. The buyer, the prospect, and the customer expects you to have knowledge of their

stuff, not just your stuff. To transfer that knowledge, the prospect needs to

understand and agree with your ideas, feel your passion, feel your belief, and feel your

sincerity beyond the hype of your sales pitch.

2. You have to know their industry, not just your product.

3. You have to know their business, not just your product.

4. You have to know what’s new and what’s next, not just your product.

5. You have to know the current trends, not just your product.

6. You have to know their marketing, not just your product.

7. You have to know their productivity, not just your product.

7.5 You have to know their profit, not just your product.

Are you getting it yet?

Here are some classic examples of we-we thinking:

• We have to educate the customer. Do you really think any customer on the planet

WANTS your education? I can just picture your top 25 prospects sitting around doing

nothing and saying, “Boy, I sure hope those people over at Acme come over here and

educate us, ’cause we’re pretty stupid.”

• You feel like you have to tell the prospect all about you, your company, and

your product. Three things that are guaranteed to put any prospect to sleep.

• We offer solutions. Hey Albert Einstein, do you think I’m just sitting here all day doing

everything wrong, HOPING that you will come along and rescue me with your “solution.”

Solutions are an insult to a prospect. Answers are better, and more partnership and

relationship driven.

• You compare yourself to the competition, rather than differentiate from

them.

You’re still selling your features and benefits. More we-we. I don’t want features; I

want value. I don’t want benefits; I want value.

• You have a PowerPoint presentation that brags, rather that proves. This will

not put a prospect to sleep. It will put them in a DEEP sleep.

What were you thinking? Oh, you were thinking we-we.

Assuming they have a genuine need or strong desire, all you need to make a

sale is:

1. Answers they need.

2. Ideas they benefit from.

3. How you differentiate from the others.

4. Value they perceive.

4.5 Trust they perceive as a result of all the other elements being in place.

Meanwhile the customer is qualifying you. They are forming a perception of you

as you present. They are evaluating their risk of buying and doing business with you.

They are formulating barriers. They are aware of their urgency of need, or not. They

are doing a mental comparison between you and the others. They are thinking, and

their thoughts will become your reality.

RISK REALITY: In sales, it’s not what you say, it’s how the customer or prospect

perceives what you say. If the prospect perceives that it’s all about you, then there’s

going to be a higher chance for unspoken risk and a lower sense of urgency on their

part. If they perceive the presentation is about them, they understand it, and they

need what you’re offering, then their barriers and risks will be lowered or

removed. Paving the path to purchase.

There’s an old song titled, “Take the ‘L’ out of lover and it’s OVER” from the early

’80s by a group called the MOTELS.

Paraphrase: Take the “WE” out of selling, or it’s over. For you.

I have a few more ways to take the we out of selling. Go to www.gitomer.com,

register if you’re a first-time visitor, and enter the words WE WE in the GitBit box.

Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Little Red Book of Selling. President of Charlottebased

Buy Gitomer, he gives seminars, runs annual sales meetings, and conducts

Internet training programs on selling and customer service at www.trainone.com. He

can be reached at 704/333-1112 or e-mail to salesman@gitomer.com

© 2008 All Rights Reserved – Don’t even think about reproducing this document without written

permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer • 704/333-1112 

Expose Yourself…

I recently went to an awesome seminar by Scott Ginsberg, The Nametag Guy and one of the many points/suggestions in his seminar is to start a blog. He proclaims “Writing is the basis of all wealth”. In his seminar he explains the power of blogging and I agree which is why I started blogging. (by the way I highly recommend checking out www.nametagtv.com… It’s good stuff!!)

Then, yesterday I met with a gentleman who probably gave me one of the best pieces of insight and advice I have ever received- not just with regards to writing but with regards to living life!

We were talking about writing and I was saying how I am not a writer and that blogging has really changed the way I think about things and I commented on how hard it is! He said writing isn’t hard because it’s hard to write… writing is hard because you are putting yourself out there for everyone to see and judge.

You are exposing yourself….

Think about that for a second…. everything you write reflects who you are, what your values, ideas and opinions are. That is a scary thought! However, I have found that by putting it out there… being yourself… Exposing yourself you are starting the relationship process. What a beautiful thing…

Indigo is the new Green

Working for printing companies most of my adult life- being green has been discussed numerous times but all I ever heard about was paper….

It started with “Make sure you are using recycled paper” and then it was FSC certified papers, then it became about the energy required to run HUGE printing presses, or the emissions put out by all the fleets of trucks delivering large shipments of paper produced from trees in the forests that are being pillaged…. and all of these are great ways to be green! But I believe there is more to being green in the printing industry!!!! It has as much to do with your marketing program and marketing department as it does the actual printing process.

Don’t produce paper and marketing material or mailings that just get mass produced and shipped to thousands of people who will instantly throw it in the trash (double no-no environmentally!) You can produce a much more targeted campaign, which will result in producing less pieces and each piece will be more likely to get a response rather than being thrown in the trash.

This is where Indigo comes in!

The HP Indigo is a digital printer that specializes in producing short run printing and utilizes variable data. This machine allows for the economical and environmentally friendly production of marketing materials.

Here is an article from HP that was published in DScoop Quarterly about the Indigo:
————————————
Typical offset printers have more components that result in higher waste quantity and waste disposal cost than digital printers. When speaking to new and existing clients, mention the following green-friendly technical aspects of the HP Indigo press.

WASTE:
While HP Indigo products generate some wastes that are regulated for disposal, these wastes are not categorized as hazardous according to Federal Regulation 40 CFR 261. Note: Some state and/or local authorities may have special requirements for compliant disposal. Our customers are encouraged to engage licensed waste haul-away contractors for compliant disposal of waste, including waste ink cans, imaging oil bottles, oil filters, chiller filters, and waste oil.

AIR POLLUTANTS:
None of HP Indigo’s process ink colors, including HP Electro Ink 4.0 and other supplies, contain substances listed on the federal list of hazardous air pollutants established under Section 112 of the Federal Clean Air Act.

VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUND (VOC) EMISSIONS:
VOC emissions levels from printing on an HP Indigo 5000 sheet-fed press are approximately 0.23 lb per hour for an average coverage hob when operated in accordance with the manufacturers instructions. The source of VOC emissions from the press is imaging oil and the emission level is lower than levels associated with a typical offset press.
————————————
In addition to using the Indigo as a more eco-friendly means for producing your marketing material take time to go through your mailing list (if you don’t have time to do this we can do it for you!!). Really define who you are sending your information to… does your marketing piece fit each person. Personalize each piece- increase their attention and in turn your response rate. Direct mailing is an effective way to market; just make sure your target isn’t just throwing away your mailer!!!

Top Graphics prints using 2 HP Indigo’s. For more information on how to use variable data to create a more targeted marketing approach and help save the environment please contact me!

Best Regards,

Tabetha Koenig
TOP Graphics
658 Fee Fee Road
St. Louis, MO 63043
Direct: 314.218.2071
Cell: 314.517.2168
tabetha@topgraphics.com

We’re the printer that does the stuff the other printers don’t do!

The Power of Positivity

Have you ever talked to someone and you walk away totally drained. You are left feeling tired and ho, hum?

Conversely, have you ever had a conversation with someone and you walk away feeling engergized and revitalized?

That my friends is “Energy”! Call it what you will…. a positive attitude, a higher power, energy I don’t care! But what I do know… and notice it more now than ever… is that everything happens for a reason!

Energy, your higher power, your attitude- whatever you call it will give you exactly what you need exactly when you need it. Have you ever done a project and not had a clue what you were doing, so you spent a bunch of time doing research and figuring it out and then sometime just a day or 2 later you find that you need that knowledge again. Or have you ever been listening to the radio and heard some tidbit of information which you didn’t think much of and then later at dinner that very topic comes up and you can speak knowledgably about it because of what you heard earlier that day?

This happens to me ALL the time! And I have come to realize it has always happened to me… I just never paid attention to it! Until recently. I had the honor and pleasure of meeting a group of inspirational women through the networking organization ESPW- one woman in particular named Erin Murphy really had a big impact on me. Erin does energy work and when I first heard what she did I kind of thought Yeah right energy mumbo jumbo! Then I got to know her better and attended some of her seminars and what she made me realize has really opened my eyes. It has really changed my perception of everything.

Erin talks about your inner dialogue… that little voice in your head that is constantly talking… are you listening to you your little voice? Cause it is CRAZY what that little voice is telling you! For me, and for the majority of the people I have talked to about this- that little voice is very negative. It starts as soon as you wake up… ugh I don’t want to get up. I don’t want to go to work. Traffic is going to suck! And you get up and you are groggy and cranky and dreading the day ahead. You get in the car- hit every light are angry when you get to work and the day is just as dreadful as you figured it would be. Sound familiar? Are you tired of it?

Then try this for 3 days in a row and I guarantee you good things will start happening to you!

Every time you hear your voice saying something negative say (either in your head or outloud) CLEAR! Then replace that negative idea with a positive one. This is a hard exercise… but don’t give up! (is your little voice saying that’s stupid? I can’t do that? That won’t work!- if so say CLEAR and start thinking This can work… I can do this for 3 days! I’ll give it a try! What can it hurt!)

The more you practice “CLEAR” the less negative thoughts you will notice. When you are having less negative thoughts you will by nature become a more positive person and in turn convey a more positive energy and people will respond differently to you! They will want to talk you because they walk away energized. They want to be around you… they want to do business with you, be friends with you and want to help you out! That’s the Power of Positivity!

Purpose

What is the purpose of this blog?The purpose of this blog is to share my education and experiences but also to allow  you to get to know me a little better so I can serve as a resource for you! I am passionate about helping others.  If at anytime I can help my fellow man/woman I am happy to do so and I feel the best way to do this is to share my experiences. Take what you want from this site. Ignore what you don’t like! I am no self proclaimed guru! I don’t have a degree in public speaking or networking and I am certainly not a professional writer but what I do have is passion to learn and share what I have learned. I hope you enjoy the journey.

But you said you would….

Maybe I am having a quarter life crisis. Or maybe this is something that everyone deals with when they change jobs…. But recently I have had so many people ask “whats your passion?” or “How do you define yourself?” I struggle with these questions because I feel like I am so many things to different people!I am a daughter, a sister, a girlfriend, a teacher, a sales rep, a friend- so on and so forth… you get the point!

The one thing that is common amongst all of my rolls is “ACCOUNTABILITY”- doing what you say you will do!

I am sure this stems from one underlying cause- my fathers. Yes I said Fathers as in 2!

I was born to Michelle and Ron Williams but they split shortly after my birth. Ron wanted to be a father only when it was convinent for him. There were numerous times he would say… Oh lets go to Six Flags, or I’ll come get you tonight and you can stay with me for the weekend. I was about 5 and had the cutest little red suitcase that said “I’m going to Grandmas”. I would get so excited when he would say we were going to do something. I would pack my little red suitcase and sit on the front porch step awaiting his arrival. More that once I would sit out there until the moon would rise. My mom would come out and say.. Tab come on in… it doesn’t look like he is going to make it. And I would cry “But he said he would….”

This is where father 2 comes in! Bob. My mom got remarried to a fellow named Bob. Bob is just the opposite of Ron. Bob was always there for me and always followed through on what he said he would do.As I got older I became involved in all sorts of activities but I was a particularly good figure skater. I got the opportunity to be a voluteer teacher to 5 and 6 year olds first learning to skate. One afternoon during a class a little girl named Sara who really looked up to me said… after class will you teach me how to do the friendship spin I nonchalantely said yes thinking she would forget in 20 minutes. I was 15 and way too cool to be haning out with 6 year olds- I mean after all had friends to skate with. Class ended and I skated with my friends and when the session was over Bob came to pick me up as promised. We are standing in the lobby as I am taking off my skates Sara walks up to me with tears in her eyes and asks why I didn’t want to skate with her after class was over. Bob witnesses all this and when we get in the car starts questioning me… what was that all about. I explain and he says… “But you said you would….”I guess that is when it really stuck. I heard myself saying those words to my mom when I was 5 and now Bob reiterating that doing what you say you are going to do really has some value.

Today as a sales rep and even in my relationship I pride myself on doing what I say I am going to do.

What have you said you were going to do that you haven’t followed through on? Maybe you said you would call someone back and didn’t, or you would help with a project but got to busy…. Think about who you are…. What defines you? The defenition of me is ACCOUNTABLE! I am who I am and I do what I do because I said I would….