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 When people first meet me, (or you for that matter), they immediately start making one of three decisions. This begins with the very first impression. Face-to-face or through technology.
They choose: 1. No, I’m not on the same page with you. 2. Yes, I get you and your message and we ARE on the same page and I want to know more. 3. Maybe, I need more time to get to know you, your information and what you’re all about. Many people that know me know that I, rarely if ever, have a bad day. Seriously. Now I know what some of you are thinking while you’re reading this. “Marvin, don’t give me that “PollyAnna” crapola, (one of Gitomer’s favorite words) that all is right with you and your world. We know better. We know you have problems.” My answer: well of course I have “stuff”. We all have “stuff”. We always WILL have “stuff”. But, how quickly you MOVE ON from one pile of “stuff” to the next is my secret life weapon. That weapon – that unique ability that I have developed, (beginning in 1978) is how I overcome and overachieve. What I EXPECT is what I GET. I EXPECT much out of myself and I get much out of myself. * I’m not blessed with height. (I’m a short, round Cajun.) * I’m not blessed with good looks. (I had the biggest ears in my 4th Grade Class and the picture is on my Facebook to prove it) * I was not highly educated at Tulane or Harvard. (But I bleed LSU purple & gold) What do you EXPECT out of yourself? Are you GETTING what you EXPECT? Are you GIVING what you EXPECT? I will definitely admit that I do have bad “moments” in my days, but I don’t have bad days. On Oct. 20th of 2007 my daughter & I were riding my Honda Goldwing. It was a gorgeous, sunny, dry day. We decided to take the scenic River Road out of LaPlace, Louisiana (Hwy.44) – instead of taking the interstate. We were listening to Buddy Guy on my iPod. And then in a flash, we were catapulted directly over the front of my Goldwing. A careless, elderly driver had “T-boned” us. My daughter lay motionless, face down on the asphalt in the lane of oncoming traffic. Immediately I looked down to see the bones in my right wrist displaced and broken from the impact. We both went over the top of his car. We both were heavily armored with proper bike wear. Besides some lower back pain that my daughter had, she is fine. I incurred 32 stiches in my wrist and 2 screws (my joints tell me when it’s going to rain.) The elderly driver is no longer with us. But here’s the real point. That was NOT A BAD DAY!!! WHY? Because we still made it home in time to watch LSU beat Auburn!!! 30-24(LSU had the ball in field goal range at the end of the game, but did not use its remaining timeout, instead calling a pass into the end zone, which went for the winning TD with 1 second left, keeping our national championship hopes alive. By the way, we won the National Championship in 2007 beating Ohio State 38-24. That was the night that the Buckeyes couldn’t spell O-H-I-O with their big flags. My daughter and I were there. That was NOT A BAD DAY, now was it?) Now — stop and really hear me. IT’S WHAT YOU FOCUS ON THAT MATTERS!! IT’S what you CHOOSE to think that matters! Quit obsessing about what you don’t have. And start obsessing about what you DO HAVE. Start obsessing about what your OPPORTUNITIES are that you can capitalize on. If you’re in a bad work relationship or you’re in a bad personal relationship, make a MOVE!!! This thing called “LIFE” is not a dress rehearsal. Make a MOVE and stop BITCHING!! Hug the people you love and mean it!! Tell people you love them and mean it!! Well Marvin, you don’t understand my circumstances. Really? Well then let’s talk about it. No, really. I’m serious. Let’s set an appointment. 15 minutes. And after 15 minutes, you can make one of three decisions about me. Yes, No or Maybe. We’ll both be better people after the 15 minutes are completed. Some homework before we talk. ** What specific tools or skills are you lacking that keeps you “stuck” too long? ** Do you honestly believe that things can change for you without you changing? ** Who do you have in your life that is an Accountability Partner that keeps you moving in the right direction? PS: Did you know that you can leave your comments and opinions and feedback about this blog right here at the site? Please do it. For the benefit of others. We really want to hear what you have to say.
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 Please enjoy this guest blog by Laura Stack.
Despite the many arguments to the contrary, stress isn’t necessarily bad for you. A little stress forces you to get off your duff and try to improve your life. Every good thing that humans have accomplished—from starting fires, to figuring out how to break rocks to make stone tools, to traveling to the moon—has been triggered by a form of stress, whether environmental, physical, or mental. Psychologist call positive stress eustress. What really hurts us is strain: too much stress forced on us too quickly for too long, without let-up. That’s what causes people to break. This does not mean, however, you should invite stress when you can avoid it, or take on more stress just for your own good. Most of us already have enough stress in our lives. If you can dial stress down, then you can focus more of your energy on efficiently and effectively doing your work,() striving for peak performance without having to divert some of your energy to mere survival. Let’s take a look at five things you can do at work to decrease stress. 1. Run away! A “running” joke in the cult classic film Monty Python and the Holy Grail is Brave Sir Robin’s method of dealing with danger: “Run away!” In all seriousness, this isn’t a bad idea for stress. When a stressful situation rears its ugly head, step out of the room and avoid it if you can, especially if it doesn’t directly impact you. Go back to your workspace, put on your noise-reduction earphones, and dive into your work. 2. Singletask. Multitasking doesn’t work well for most of us, though it might be workable for the post-Millennial generation as they adapt to constant noise and distraction. I often recommend singletasking, because it really works. It’s amazing how much you can forget about something when focused on something else. When you can focus like a laser on one thing either until it’s over or you’ve put it away for the day, you’ll inevitably benefit. Even when you’re overwhelmed, single-task. Worrying about all you have to do won’t help you, it’ll just paralyze you—and if you keep doing one thing at a time, you’ll eventually get out from under anyway. 3. Take a walk. If you feel stress overwhelming you, take a break. Leave the building and walk around the courtyard or the block. If you work in a large building, you can stay inside and simply walk around the building, or up or down the stairs. Or get in your car and go run some errands. This may not be an option for everyone, but most of us aren’t chained to our desks, and it’s healthy to get in some physical activity while trying to temper the stress in your mind. 4. Face and overcome your stressor. Sometimes, the best way out is through. Face your stress head on and try to work it out, especially if it’s a person you work with regularly. Express your perspective and make a direct request for what you want. Most people never discuss the issue bothering them directly with the perpetrators. Though it’s not always a fun conversation, you’ll feel a vast sense of relief and pleasure at having dealt with the issue. If not, you’re probably no worse off than before. 5. Prepare a soothing drink and breathe. While I doubt your office has a fully stocked bar, it’s likely to have a place where you can prepare a nice cup of coffee or herbal tea to help you keep your cool. It’s up to you to decide whether to have it hot or iced, but if the weather is contributing to your mood, then cool down your drink on hot days, and warm it up for autumn and winter. A few moments away purposefully preparing and sipping your drink will give you distance from your stressor. Close your eyes and take a long, deep breath for five seconds, hold, then exhale for an equal amount of time. Do this for a few minutes, holding off additional thoughts, and you’ll likely feel better. Mellowing Out As we’re bombarded with constant annoyances and distractions in the modern, open-plan office, it’s easy to lose track of what really matters and allow stress to overwhelm you, blotting out productive practices. Since you can’t afford to let that happen, stop and make a deliberate effort to dial down the stress so you can continue to reach toward your productive peak—and so you can spend your non-working time in peace, not jittery worry. © 2016 Laura Stack. Laura Stack, MBA, CSP, CPAE is an award-winning keynote speaker, bestselling author, and noted authority on employee and team productivity. She is the president of The Productivity Pro, Inc., a company dedicated to helping leaders increase workplace performance in high-stress environments. Stack has authored seven books, including Doing the Right Things Right: How the Effective Executive Spends Time (January 18, 2016). She is a past president of the National Speakers Association, and in 2015 was inducted into its exclusive Speaker Hall of Fame (with fewer than 175 members worldwide). Stack’s clients include Cisco Systems, Wal-Mart, and Bank of America, and she has been featured on the CBS Early Show and CNN, and in the New York Times. To have Laura Stack speak at your next event, call 303-471-7401 or visit her website.  The following is an email I sent to my team members about how we can use social media more effectively.
Team, This is a follow-up about the importance of you spending 20 minutes nightly or outside of work building our social media presence. Purpose: To generate buzz, and develop better and more meaningful referrals at a cost much cheaper than an ineffective Internet lead. Action: What we do need is for you to constantly “share” or “like” the approved, compliant posts that we broadcast weekly on our business page. Social media tip – If you only “share” and “like” the approved, compliant posts, you’ll never be out of compliance and you will be helping to grow our reach through your social network. Don’t talk price or product – ever. Social media is about relationship building. If you’re building someone’s interest, get their contact info and respond to them offline via phone. What we most want to do on social media is to listen. What are we listening for? Listen for things that are relevant to our business. Life events that may mean a need for or change to insurance. Life events such as:
You are talking to them when they are more likely to be in their “itch” cycle for your particular product or service. For example: A young couple recently married is more likely to see the need for life insurance than a young single person. So make a casual call. It will probably lead to you asking, “When can we sit down and have a cup of coffee?” Most people will appreciate that you reached out to them. And you reached out to them just at the right time. It’s a simple program. That’s where the genius is: in the simple stuff. Social media is the new cold call and it is not a fad. Work the system and the system will work for you. If you use any of this and it works, be sure to tell me what you and your team implemented. We all can learn from another good idea, strategy or tip. Remember, there’s no one right way to find success.  One day all the employees reached the office and they saw a big sign on the door on which it was written “Yesterday the person who has been hindering your growth passed away. We invite you to join the funeral in the room that has been prepared in the gym.”
In the beginning, they all got sad for the death of one of their colleagues. But after a while they started getting curious to know, who was this man who hindered the growth of his colleagues and the company itself? The excitement in the gym was such that security agents were ordered to control the crowd in the room. The more people reached the coffin, the more the excitement heated up. Everyone thought, who was this guy who was hindering my progress? Well at least he died. One by one, the thrilled employees got closer to the coffin and when then they looked inside it they suddenly became speechless, they stood nearby the coffin shocked and in silence as if someone had touched the deepest part of their soul. There was a mirror inside the coffin. Everyone who looked inside it could see himself. There was also a sign next to the mirror that said, “There is only one person who is capable to set limits to your growth. It is you.” Your life does not change when your boss changes, when your friends change, when your parents change, when your partner changes, when you company changes. Your life changes when you change, when you go beyond your limiting beliefs. Examine yourself. Watch yourself. Don’t be afraid of difficulties, impossibilities and losses. Be a winner. Build yourself, and build your reality. It’s the way you face life that makes the difference. Peace, Love and Gumbo~ Marvin LeBlanc  Today, our special guest blogger is the great Inbound Marketing and Social Media Expert, David Newman. David is the owner of Do It Marketing. More importantly, (at least to me) David is a friend and one of my trusted advisors on my MasterMind Advisory Board. And today, appropriately, he is going to show YOU how to DO IT!! How to DO the important stuff and FINISH by 3pm! (I'm not kidding) Peace, Love and Gumbo Marvin LeBlanc, LUTCF CNP I had a high-output day today after hearing my friend, personal productivity and goal achievement expert Michael Gidlewski present a seminar yesterday. By the time you're done reading this post, you will get the secrets to create your OWN high-payoff productivity burst any time you wish. But it takes more than wishing - it takes resolve and action. One hint - It is simple but not easy. Back to today. What made it so special? Imagine having a day where...
After Michael's executive workshop, I got a better handle on what my key high-payoff activities TRULY were. I then put them on my calendar in specific time slots. And the screen that was under my nose all day was my CALENDAR, not my email INBOX. Quick tips for you: 1. Plan your day - what MUST get done and WHEN? 2. Chunk your day down into blocks and assign specific tasks to those blocks - Phone calls, emails, client tasks, whatever it is YOU want to do that will move you closer to your GOALS. 3. Keep that damn calendar under your nose. All day. Make it your default screen. Hide, minimize or (gasp) close your email until "check email" pops up on your calendar. 4. Make note of COMPLETING your high-payoff activities. Check them off your task list or change their color on your calendar so you have a visual roadmap of achievement for your day. So what's the big deal? What did I get done?
** NOTE: You may have noticed that my second item was to respond to a LinkedIn request that came in via email. The reason I was able to do that was because of point #5 in this post - I did a "Money Pass" through my email inbox and the new prospect inquiry from LinkedIn QUALIFIED as a high-payoff activity so I proactively added it to my day in real-time. The short lesson is: Live Out of Your Calendar and NOT Out of Your Inbox!! p.s. For a smart support system and specific tools on HOW to do precisely that, check out my pal Marsha Egan's awesome program called INBOX DETOX. Please share this blog with your friends, colleagues and network. I love feedback and comments and welcome the opportunity to work with your group!  Much has been written about the power of tapping into your personal passion in business and in life. Whether the message is around small business leadership or small business sales, as a professional speaker on both those areas of expertise, I have a surprise for you - passion is overrated. And we're often passionate about the wrong things at the wrong time. In essence, what I'm talking about is a Passion Trap - and you may find yourself stuck in it more often than even YOU might realize. Now here's another curve ball in exploring the passion trap, marvelous people - As you mature and develop, your passions change. What you FELT was so important in your 20's is no longer that central to you in your 30's. You can do the math for your 40's, 50's and 60's too. And passions don't only change over the decades - they can change over a matter of years, months, or even weeks. Remember to be patient with yourself when your passions & interests change. You are an ever evolving being, so it is only natural that your passions & interests will evolve – as you do so, many people will find fault with your ideas, your plans, and the chosen “movement” you've decided to start. Maybe it's a movement to make the world better, safer, cleaner, healthier, better managed, more innovative... there are as many "movements" as there are small business owners, professionals, and corporate leaders to lead them. You start thinking and talking too big - and yes, my friends, there will always be someone (usually more than you expect) ready to shoot you down or label you as a "dreamer" or a "rebel" or a "nut." Why? Because your movement affects their social or financial well-being, because they may be more fearful of change, because they'll lose something in their relationship with you because of your transition. Your personality may see this change as exciting and it might make you feel alive with new perspectives and experiences. Their personalities might view you as a fool or as a risk-taker. "Why would you change careers when you already know how to do well in this one? Why would you innovate a new sales process when we've always done it this way? Why would you invest in becoming a talent-driven organization when we're hurting for money as a company right now?" Here's my final tip about harnessing the power of passion: People really don't care how passionate you are about your products, your services, your job, your company, or your career. You know what beats that out by a mile? Tapping into what THEY are passionate about. If you can deliver on the value where those two passions meet, look out - marvelous results are in your very near future!  For all businesses, employee performance is the integral factor and perhaps the building block that leads to their success. Employee performance can be greatly improved with the right kind of leadership.
Here are the 5 fundamentals I believe are essential for building performance. All leaders must practice the following fundamentals with unyielding determination: • Commitment to showing others their due respect. Leaders always value the opinions of their teams and followers. Why? The answer is that it gives them a sense of contribution and a feeling that they are important members of any team. • All successful leaders put in hard work and long hours more so than everybody else because they have a greater calling i.e. a responsibility to make sure everyone is on the right path and working towards goal achievement. The leadership goals to effectively manage a team like, planning, organizing, directing, controlling, and administration take a lot of perseverance. • Individual goals take a backseat in relevance with the goals of the team because it is only through teamwork i.e. cooperation and co-ordination can organizational goals be achieved. The basic goal of a leader is to ensure that everyone is working in harmony towards the achievement of the organizational goals rather than individual tasks. • A leader never slacks off. Leaders never make excuses not to do a work or for not having to fulfill an objective. They work relentlessly day in day out until they have achieved what they had set out to do. And that is the key to successful leadership. Not giving up and ascertaining goal achievement is bred into the minds of leaders. • Leaders take full responsibility of whatever they direct their teams to do and however they plan to carry out tasks for goal achievement. They are willing to be held accountable for any consequence of the actions that they prompt, and that in fact is what inspires their team to follow them unquestioningly. Peace, Love and Gumbo, Marvin LeBLanc, LUTCF, CNP  For all businesses, employee performance is the integral factor and perhaps the building block that leads to their success. Employee performance can be greatly improved with the right kind of leadership. Here are the 5 fundamentals I believe are essential for building performance. All leaders must practice the following fundamentals with unyielding determination:
• Commitment to showing other the due respect. Leaders always value the opinions of their teams and followers. Why? The answer is that it gives them a sense of contribution and a feeling that they are important members of any team. • All successful leaders put in hard work and long hours more so than everybody else because they have a greater calling i.e. a responsibility to make sure everyone is on the right path and working towards goal achievement. The leadership goals to effectively manage a team like, planning, organizing, directing, controlling, and administration take a lot of perseverance. • Individual goals take a backseat in relevance with the goals of the team because it is only through teamwork i.e. cooperation and co-ordination can organizational goals be achieved. The basic goal of a leader is to ensure that everyone is working in harmony towards the achievement of the organizational goals rather than individual tasks. • A leader never slacks off. Leaders never make excuses not to do a work or for not having to fulfill an objective. They work relentlessly day in day out until they have achieved what they had set out to do. And that is the key to successful leadership. Not giving up and ascertaining goal achievement is bred into the minds of leaders. • Leaders take full responsibility of whatever they direct their teams to do and however they plan to carry out tasks for goal achievement. They are willing to be held accountable for any consequence of the actions that they prompt, and that in fact is what inspires their team to follow them unquestioningly.  “True genius is when you can do a simple, repeatable tasks and accurately track the results”. - MarvinLeBlanc.com
For those that want to grow their referrals through the help of your existing customers here is what you need to do: “What if you emailed just 5 or 10 customers daily, directly from your customer data base. (Some call it your CRM – Customer Relationship Management software) That it! That’s the tip. 1-Don’t call them. 2-Don’t assign this task to a team member. 3-Your EXTREMELY short email will ONLY soft sell for your next visit with them. 4-Soft ask for the Referral. Why? Because you must either you do all the talking and asking for your referrals or you can commit to enlisting the help of your customers to talk for you. You need to understand that you must ask your customers to help you. Would you please ask for help? Do not just try to generate all your referrals without the help of those that already trust you. Belive it or not, your customers don’t naturally think about constantly giving you referrals. THEY MUST BE REMINDED – CONSTANTLY. So REMIND THEM! Without beating them up! Remember, you’ve EARNED the referral. How do I know that? Because they are already your customers, so obviously there’s some level of trust already established. Oh and by the way, the 10 minutes you spend a day on this task is surely a lot less expensive than a bus bench, bill board or other traditional advertising channels. Try it. Think about it. The 10 minutes you waste on the internet can be used to generate referrals that come from people that already own your product. Peace, Love and Gumbo Marvin LeBlanc |
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