Doing the impossible

Sometimes we need to think differently about the challenges we face. And we needn't be intimidated by the enormity of them. As an example, take a look at this amazing video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRRDzFROMx0

Now what was that problem you faced??

The poultry industry's secret ingredient

The March 16th edition of FORTUNE Magazine has a suggestion for coping with the recession:

"Sanderson Farms had to make a crucial decision last year about corn feed, one of the poultry seller's major costs. Chairman and CEO Joe Sanderson looked at several metrics, then had "a big prayer meeting" about whether or not to lock in feed prices, which had then skyrocketed to $8 a bushel.

Sanderson decided not to lock in prices - and now corn is $3.50 a bushel.

That decision, along with a $300 million credit line the Laurel, Miss.-based company took out last May, helped it avoid the fate of its more secular competitor, Pilgrim's Pride, which filed for Chapter 11 last fall.

Fittingly, Sanderson (SAFM) president and COO Lampkin Butts opened the company's annual meeting in February with a prayer, a long-standing tradition. "Thank you, Father, for this company and the many lives affected by the operations of Sanderson Farms," he said.

Of course, Sanderson is also running a good business - but it's not the only faith-filled poultry purveyor doing well. Chick-fil-A, a chain known to many a Southerner as "God's chicken" because it's closed on Sundays, reported that "God has blessed our results," in the words of President Dan Cathy.

Same-store sales for 2008 rose 4.6%, and the chain grew by 83 stores, including one in New Jersey, where many of the chain's disciples camped out all night before it opened. The camp-out is a tradition for all Chick-fil-A openings - Cathy typically camps with them, too - and the first hundred in line get all the chicken-biscuit sandwiches they can eat for a year. Turns out it's good to have religious customers, too."

Maybe a recipe for success .........

Make a Referral ...

Did you know that "Make a Referral Week 2009" is March 9-13? This is an attempt by John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing to make a dent in this recession by encouraging small business owners to help each other.

Details at http://cts.vresp.com/c/?DuctTapeMarketing/a08acad9f3/4f887459b5/25fe77f214
- and it sounds like a good idea. Maybe there are folks in your office park whose business you could encourage. Or your local store on your way to work ...

Let us know if, as a Saelig customer, you have a product we can recommend and refer others to. In turn, if you would be so kind as to refer others to our products (http://www.saelig.com/miva/merchant.mvc) we'd be most grateful!

Life is Sales ...

"The fact is, everyone is in sales. Whatever area you work in, you do have clients and you do need to sell." - Jay Abraham, marketing expert

"Life is sales. If you're not selling, you're buying." - Ross Perot, business executive

It strikes me that this would be a good topic for a core curriculum at school or college. We are all in sales, whether we like it or not. If you're trying to persuade someone to go to the movie/vacation/concert you like, you're in sales. If you're asking your boss for a pay increase, you're in sales. If you're asking your employees to make extra efforts, come up with ideas, you're in sales. If you’re pastor wanting your congregation to change or tithe, or pray, you are in sales. If you want a customer to buy from you rather than the competition, you’re in sales. If you want your teenager to behave, or be home by midnight, you're definitely in sales!

In business, sales is not just selling your product or service. Jeffrey Gitomer addresses this in his latest “Sales Caffeine 380” (www.gitomer.com):

There are meaningful uses of selling skills that permeate every facet of the entrepreneurial process. Here are a few of the sales jobs that fall under the definition of selling that a small business owner must perform:
• Getting credit from a supplier - Convincing your suppliers that you're credit worthy is sometimes as good or better than a bank loan.
• Getting a loan from a banker - A true sales job. You have to convince your banker you deserve the loan and can repay the debt.
• Getting small favors from employees - Work overtime, work weekends, work more productively, change work processes.
• Getting something delivered on time - Sell the supplier that delivery is imperative to serve your customers or grow your business.
• Satisfying a disgruntled customer - You don't want a bad experience to cost you a customer, so you sell acceptable solutions.
• Getting payment for an invoice - It's Friday. Payroll is due. You have no cash, but you do have receivables. You must collect that check to pull it off.

Time to get better at sales!