This is part one of a three part series of ideas to simplify and grow our home and business lives.

Fires rage, winds bellow, floods torrent, and the earth shakes. Nature simplifies the environment through a seasonal system of change. We can use a similar system to simplify our lives.

A simplified life means eliminating all but the essential, trading chaos for peace, and spending time doing what’s important to you. It also means getting rid of some of the things you do so you can spend time with people you love and do the things you enjoy. It means getting rid of the clutter to focus on what you value.

However, getting to simplicity isn’t always an easy process. It’s a journey, not a destination, and it can often be a journey of two steps forward, one step back. Here are some simple ways to jump start your life in 2011. Once you simplify this part of your life, you can move forward with parts II and III that will follow later.

Identify what’s most important to you. What do you value most? What 4 or 5 things do you most want to do in your life? Simplifying starts with identifying these core priorities so you can make room in your life for time for these things.

Organize your time. Keep a schedule to make the goals you just identified happen. Learn to say no to demands on your day that don’t align with these goals. You’ll be less frantic and have more time to do the things that energize you. 

You’ve got a friend. Find a supportive social circle, even just one close friend or partner to be accountable to and lean on in times of crisis. With this sounding board, you’ll enjoy a healthier, less stressful life and have more fun living life! 

Be imaginative. Spend some time with yourself each day. Some quiet time alone gives your mind the opportunity to renew itself and create order. Imagine who you want to be in life. If you can imagine it in your mind, you can do it. 

Speak and act honestly. Are you able to stand behind what you do and say? If not, reexamine your words and learn to articulate your thoughts in an open and honest way. This helps eliminate mistakes and misunderstandings down the road.

Learn from your mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. We usually make a lot of them during our lifetime. As long as they aren’t repeated and are looked at as learning experiences, they can, in fact, be a good thing.

Give it 24 hours. Give yourself 24 hours to digest an upside down situation, conversation or important decision. By giving yourself some time, you’ll find a solution. By not overreacting immediately, you avoid drama that may follow later. 

Laugh out loud. Don’t take yourself so seriously. Humor is a positive coping mechanism that not only improves your mood, it builds self-esteem. Learn to laugh at yourself.

Helping others. Be a volunteer in your community. Helping others is a rewarding way to get something more out of life. When you give, you get back tenfold.

Waiting to exhale. Stress can have a huge effect on your productivity levels. When stressed, I personally forget to breathe! Take the time to breathe deeply and improve the oxygen flow to your brain.

Simplify your wardrobe. Choose solid colors that complement you. This makes it very easy for you to mix and match your clothes – it keeps things nice and simple. 

Find something you like to do. We all need something that takes us away from our daily routines. It could be as simple as walking your favorite pet around the block or reading a book. Try a massage or pampering yourself in some way. You’re worth it! 

Take care of your body. If your body is healthy and in good repair you’re better able to handle any stress in your life. However, an unhealthy body can cause great amounts of additional stress. Eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, drink plenty of water and get enough sleep. These are all ways to take care of your body and make stress management easier.

Renew your spirit. Read daily inspirational thoughts that motivate you.

Always ask: Will this simplify my life? If the answer is no, you need to reconsider it. If the activity doesn’t help you accomplish your goals, don’t do it. If a relationship doesn’t work for you, change it. If you haven’t used it in six months, get rid of it.

Follow nature’s lead and you will soon be on your way to living a simpler, more fulfilling life.

Published: Apartment News Magazine – January/February issue 2011

In these difficult economic times, people are trying to find a magic wand to help improve their businesses. They’ve realized that nickel and diming their customers must be replaced with personal touches that emphasize how important the customer is not only to their bottom line, but also to their very survival. Business has always had at its base the people to people relationship.

One of the most important lessons we try to impart to our new franchises during their two-week on the job training with us here in Albuquerque is that customer service is perhaps the single factor that will make them successful. Sure, they can learn to be great technicians so that applying our product becomes something they can do in their sleep. But caring for the customer is something that everyone must attend to every single day. In fact, I would venture than 80 percent of any businesses success is how people-focused the customer service is.

Still, it amazes me when I experience businesses where the customer is seen as an annoyance rather than the reason for being. In our training program we teach franchisees to answer their phones, and if they can’t, to return calls immediately. We teach them to have business cards, and to keep them handy, because anyone is a potential client. We teach them that wearing clean, company logo clothing makes a professional impression. We teach them to make sales calls, and not just when business is slow. It’s the one-on-one interaction with a current or potential customer that will remain in the customers’ minds at decision time, not pricing.

Today’s marketplace is full of cost saving tools for both businesses and customers. Ordering a product from a website is quick and efficient. But what happens when there’s a problem with the product or service? Customers will pay more for a product when they know that exceptional customer service comes along with the price. When the customer in customer service is lost, people go elsewhere. They go where they are treated well, even if the product or service is out of warranty. When businesses with lousy customer service are long gone, those with great service reap the rewards.

Though they are not automatic, here are five simple things that will delight customers and show them you care about them:

1. Greet them with a smile. First impressions are extremely important. It costs nothing to be pleasant and you can do it over the phone, too. A genuinely friendly greeting shows customers that you are happy they are there, that you’re excited to give exceptional service. It tells the customer how we feel about our job and ourselves.

2. Focus on them. It’s not about you, your problems, or your next sale. It’s about the problem you can solve for the customer. Your full attention is key, and the courtesy of your attention is the single most important behavior a customer expects.

3. Make it easy for them to do business with you. Make your process easy. Be organized in your thoughts. Keep your customer area organized and tidy. Have a toll free phone number for out of area callers. Write your contracts in plain English and make them easy to read. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope or website link for customer surveys.

4. Be honest and sincere. Nothing will spoil a relationship faster than getting the runaround or being lied to. So never promise something you can’t deliver, and never make up an answer if you don’t know what the answer is. When you tell customers you’ll call them by a certain day or time, do it, even if you have nothing to report.

5. Thank them. Express heartfelt appreciation for their patronage. Be gracious, and not only if they buy something from you. Treat people better than you treat your family and guests. Showing thanks is often the difference between a return customer and a one-time sale. It is the end of the interaction that leaves the biggest impression.

Exceptional customer service can make the difference between surviving and thriving in this competitive marketplace.

Published: New Mexico Business Weekly – Viewpoint, May 28 – June 3, 2010

http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/
VIEWPOINT – Five customer service musts to thrive in any economy

Published: Apartment News Magazine – September/October issue 2010