I recently watched the movie “Groundhog Day” again, and if you’re not familiar with that movie, it is about a man (Bill Murray in weatherman role) who keeps waking up to the same exact day as the day before – and it keeps happening until he “gets it right”.
That is when I realized that we are in a kind of “Ground Hog Work Day” existence right now and have been for just short of six months!
We wake up and put on our “daytime pajamas”. The uniform is something that consists of making up the top half of us with a dress shirt and combed hair, and the bottom half, well… sweatpants, shorts and even pajamas for some. And what’s interesting, on our calls, most will admit to not having on shoes or socks, meaning barefoot at work has become a new norm. Instead of walking out the door in a hurry to drive to work, we walk to our makeshift desk/computer set up somewhere in our home and push the ON button and OFF the day goes.
Our situations are vast, as some have children in virtual school, a spouse working from home, babies crying or dogs barking while there are others who are simply alone. Most would agree, our cooking and baking skills have matured and well, for some, the frequency of happy hour has increased.
Our reality has changed! All of the in-person day to day things we took for granted in an office environment have disappeared. No more water cooler conversations, “drive-by” desk chats or break-room visits. Gone are the short elevator talks about everything and nothing. Now if we want to have even the smallest conversation, we schedule it on Zoom or Skype.
Yes, we have gotten to know our co-workers on a more personal level, since we have been able to see fragments of their home life through a webcam lens. We have learned more about our family members as well. We have never spent this much time together at home! We are saving money on gas, and possibly taking better care of our plants!
Maybe now that we have learned so much, we can take that knowledge and start a new kind of workday. A beautiful hybrid called Work/Life Balance. We always hear the words, but now we know what the potential meaning can be for us.
But if you have not noticed, Groundhog Day is still here – this repetitive day is still happening. And I’m wondering if we have yet to “get it right”, so let us take what we have learned, and design our day to be fulfilling and finds ways to connect, engage, and thrive.
Marketing and sales are crucial to the success of any entrepreneur. Whether you have a real estate practice, a contracting service company, or you are a franchise owner, knowing a few good marketing tips can take you from good to great as you set your plan for the next business year.
Do you ever procrastinate making that sales call? How often do you wish your rep’s would just “get on the phone”? Would it help to know how to make a cold call warm?
So where should you be when it comes to social networking? Start by talking to your current customers to find out what networks they use to build and maintain their business and personal relationships. Also ask where they go in order to educate themselves and learn about new products/services that can help them perform their own jobs better. Pay close attention to their answers, those are the networks waiting for you. The chances are pretty good that their partners (and competitors too) are on the same networks. Tap into those particular social networks to prospect for new business and continue to build relationships with your current client base and watch what your competitors do.
Peak Performance Solutions Blog 