There Is No Adversity Without A Solution… None!

Having worked at success for the past 35 years I’ve helped many people from many different walks of life embrace the idea of “massive imperfect action.” Some refer to this as fake it until you make it… I don’t agree. Even before I opened my initial chiropractic office I knew I wanted to be unique in my approach along with the level of success I enjoyed.
          Early on when I was seeing very few patients every week, I acted as if I was seeing many more. In my mind I figured out what it would take to move from treatment room to treatment room and take films, do a report of findings, adjust my patient and take chart notes while still doing the other things required to build a bigger practice. My goal was to deliver a certain dollar level in services annually with a 35% overhead and do it all without advertising. I accomplished this and never quit growing. I eventually exceeded 300 patient visits per week in 21 hours. Keep in mind this was accomplished without advertising and was 100% referral based.  In 1995 I injured myself in a permanent manner and sold my practice in 1996.
          Times were not always great. There were times when I focused 100% on the internal aspects of my practice while placing the external aspect on the back burner. There were also times I placed things on the back burner longer than I should have and I paid that price as well. That doesn’t happen any longer. When I see it happen with a marketing client or a coaching client we come to an agreement on either discipline or justice. Discipline are actions you take on yourself. Justice are those actions done to you from an external force. Justice is when you’re caught speeding and get a speeding ticket. Discipline is when you notice you’re speeding and slow down on your own. 
          When a marketing or coaching client leaves things on the back burner for too long a period of time for any reason or they’re looking for a period of extreme growth in their business I help them with a plan to REACT to the reality they created. This plan is not one size fits all. This plan has yet to fail myself or anyone else. I shared this plan with my personal coach to use on me. I learned about this plan in a book titled “Overcome” by Jason Redman. Lieutenant Redman is a retired Navy Seal with multiple awards who was severely injured in the line of duty. He and his family have seen a side of hell most of us cannot imagine. 
          The willingness to walk down difficult roads requires the willingness to think like an adult and in an intellectual manner. This is only for those who demand results and don’t have a pre-designed back door they can escape out of such. Back door escape hatches appear as a rich family or someone who has a pile of money and they are willing to spend what they need to live on. Creating, implementing and living a plan like this requires courage.
          What’s your current plan?  I’d be honored to talk with you. Pick a time at www.speakwithsteven.com and let’s connect!      


Dr. Steven Clauson
916-230-0176
steve@stevenclauson.com 

Ps: If you don’t already know, I help business owners and entrepreneurs get where they want to be and have a life in the process. If you’re already taking action the next question is what’s next and what actions should you take to create an even greater impact. 

Pps: How can I help you?  Anyone who has a plan and implements that plan will lead the pack.  Planning, preparing to win and taking appropriate action means you hear the word “YES” more than ever. If you’re one of the few willing to take action, do what’s required and play full out are you’re likely to hear the word yes more often.  People hearing the word “YES” are winners on the playing field because they play full out and dominate.  For these people results matter. Tired of results less than you know you can produce?  Call me at 916-230-0176 or schedule time with me at www.speakwithsteven.com 

A Business Without An Active Mailing List Isn’t

      If you’ve been in business more than a few hours and still don’t have a mailing list you’re using at least twice every month I wonder what you’re waiting for. After the start of this pandemic I was getting calls from business owners I’ve met with who poo pooed the value of a mailing list…. who all of a sudden wanted to create a database really quick without the raw material to do so. A truly heartbreaking case was a family owned restaurant with great food and a not so great location. When we initially met a couple of years earlier they didn’t want to bother with a mailing list or an active social platform (which could work as a secondary mailing list). Today they have closed their doors permanently and filed bankruptcy. The reason he didn’t want to take the time or spend the money to create this list is they were “too busy” and based on the level of business it wasn’t needed. 
     I’ve seen so many businesses spending money on advertising to get a new customer then balk at spending less money to keep the customer they already have. If a business makes a sale to their customer twice a year on average and they increase that average to three times per year they have increased their business by fifty percent (50%)… How would accomplishing this be a bad thing? People who already buy from you know what it’s like to do business with you and are the easiest to get a return visit from. These same people are easier to get an increased dollar value sale out of as well.
     Few owners make the connection between the value of their business and how it relates to having a database. True Story…  Several years ago I was working with an HVAC company who maintained their customer database within their billing system. They weren’t using the database for marketing purposes. Everything was kept on a tape back-up which was left in the back-up slot in the office computer. Nothing was ever taken off site. I suggested they learn how to restore from a back-up and also recommended the back-up be taken off site. A tragic fire happened late on a Sunday night several months later (not suspicious in any way) and the physical business burned to the ground… A complete loss. Some technicians took their vans home and they were unaffected. Monday morning I had them go to a local office supply store and buy a computer with a tape back-up already installed. They went about restoring the data. By a little after 11 am that same morning they had their database reinstalled along with their A/R and A/P and due to remote call forwarding were already taking calls for service. They had a database, knew how to restore it, knew how to use it and leveraged that information. They continue to use it even today and most of their marketing is driven from their internal database.
     How do you use your database? There are several businesses who have already come out of this and doing better year over year compared to 2019. Great! Top Of Mind Awareness is critically important right now. Create, use or enhance what you have and you can move from a market participant to your market leader. Being the leader is what this is all about! I have a few suggestions so you can move in that direction!        
 If I you want to talk let me know at www.speakwithsteven.com

Why The lowest Paid Employee Could Have More Influence Than The President

 I called the “customer line” instead of the ‘back line” of a new client yesterday. What I heard horrified me. I’m 100% certain its costing them money in many different ways. The person answering the phone was overly distracted and had no way of knowing if the person I wanted to talk to was even on-site. I asked a friend to call them a little later and their experience was much the same. My friend was of the opinion my client needed a new person on the phone. I dug a little deeper. The companies initial training plan was to give the receptionist/admin an anchor and ask them to swim. This plan is used far more often than most want to admit!
     The real issue that has to be dealt with is training, standards and follow up. Typically the lowest paid person in an office is the one answering the phone. This person is the first voice representing the company callers hear. For many of these staff members their entire training program boils down to “Here is the phone. When it rings answer it!” That completes all the training you will have now good luck!  Heck, these team members often aren’t even invited to attend the staff meeting/complaint sessions the company has! This happens when we fail to inspect what we expect.
     Just imagine your favorite NFL team designating the center as the lowest paid and least valuable member of the starting line-up. The center touches the football more than the quarterback who is typically the highest paid member of the team. The logic defies explanation and yet it exists. I often hear the argument “if I spend money training them I’m afraid they’ll leave” and the most useful response to that is “if you don’t train them I’m afraid they’ll stay” and that is a far greater risk.
     Little hinges swing big doors is a phrase I’ve said for years. An untrained, overworked and forgotten receptionist/admin may be the best example yet and one that consistently proves the point. When your home is for sale you spend time and money to improve your homes curb appeal to entice them to look deeper. For many businesses the person answering the phone is their curb appeal.  
 If I you want to talk let me know at www.speakwithsteven.com      
     

The World Has Changed… What Skills Will You Need Moving Forward?

For many people in the pre-pandemic workforce required skills boiled down to remaining relevant. Could you do those things that were minimally required of someone in your position? With the overly stressed labor pool that existed in 2019, if you were minimally competent you were pretty well set. It was Woody Allen who so accurately said that 80% of success was just showing up. My suspicion is the post pandemic world will change a lot of that.

The shift for many from in-office work to working from home sounds great on the surface and it also brings with it the statement “Be careful what you wish for.” Working from home while being both productive and busy will be a real test for most people. Learning to do a Zoom meeting is just the beginning. Being comfortable with new tech will be critical and self-learning will likely define tomorrows leaders in these new and uncharted waters. The rules will be made as we go along and unless you’re one of the lead dogs the view will never change…. Neither will your paycheck!

Self-learning will not revolve around watching a YouTube video or Ted Talk. Self-Learning for many will come down to a return to reading and starting to re-invest in your personal education along with the development of a personal library. Books will once again matter in my opinion the sooner this starts the better. You can either resist this shift or embrace it but make no mistake the shift is happening as we speak. What’s your plan?

My name is Steven Clauson.  I coach people who want help getting where they want to be.  The people I coach are typically already taking action, getting results and ask what’s next and what actions to take to make an even greater impact.  They aren’t afraid to ask for help.  How can I help you?  What actions are you taking?  Those who have a plan and implement that plan lead the pack.  Planning, preparing to win and taking appropriate action means you hear the word “YES” more than ever. Only if you are  one of the few willing to take action, do what’s required and play full out are you likely to hear the word yes more often.  People hearing the word “YES” are winners on the playing field because they play full out and dominate.  For these people results matter.  Tired of results less than you know you can produce?  Call me at 916-230-0176 or visit www.stevenclauson.com

Most People Work On The Symptom Not The Problem…

I spoke to a business group recently and ended by taking questions. This was a group of legal and accounting professionals and their questions were many of the same questions general contractors ask. All questions were symptom related and avoided the actual problem. A symptom question would be “How do we get busier?” and a problem question would be “Our director of outreach is getting more potential customers in the door and I want to know how to change the demographic they are reaching?” Symptom as opposed to problem.

To make the shift from symptom to problem requires better questions. Great questions define the actual problem. Poorly framed questions produce only tactics. Tactical answers don’t have the ability to change the result but make you feel like progress is being made toward a worthwhile goal.

Here’s cheat sheet on asking better questions. Start with a question that outlines the actual thing you need to repair. Once you have a clear and true understanding of the actual thing work on simplifying the thing to the greatest extent possible. The last action is to expand the different ways you can get there. In 1958 Dr. Robert Schuller needed to raise $1 million dollars to build his church and that was a lot of money in 1958. If he could find 1 person with $1 million it would be easy… Finding that 1 person would be very difficult. Then he looked at 2 people at $500,000 which was still hard and he finally settled at $100 from 10,000 people. He outlined what he needed, simplified what was needed and expanded the possibilities until he got the right answer.

What is your right answer and how much more time will you spend asking the wrong question?  

My name is Steven Clauson.  I coach people who want help getting where they want to be.  The people I coach are typically already taking action, getting results and ask what’s next and what actions to take to make an even greater impact.  They aren’t afraid to ask for help.  How can I help you?  What actions are you taking?  Those who have a plan and implement that plan lead the pack.  Planning, preparing to win and taking appropriate action means you hear the word “YES” more than ever. Only if you are  one of the few willing to take action, do what’s required and play full out are you likely to hear the word yes more often.  People hearing the word “YES” are winners on the playing field because they play full out and dominate.  For these people results matter.  Tired of results less than you know you can produce?  Call me at 916-230-0176 or visit www.stevenclauson.com

If You’re Motivated By Weekends And Vacations Something is Missing!

When you start Monday looking forward to Friday something is missing. Time off is great until that’s what driving you. When that happens everyone knows it and can feel it. It’s the feeling you get when you talk with someone who must make a sale to stay alive.  

I was promoted to foreman for Home Building Center in 1978. The person whose position I was promoted to left behind a sign that said “If you want to kill time try working it to death.” Like so many people who are initially hired to do a job I was unqualified. I knew it was up to me to learn as much as possible as quickly as possible. I spent evenings in the local library reading books on project management and logistics. This made for long weeks and weekends. I looked forward to Friday to arrive because I had the weekend to immerse myself in what I was going to implement on Monday. This drove me and motivated me to want more. This was time well spent. Within just a few months I was driving a new car and my sales numbers were the best the company had ever had.

Fast forward to 2020. I see too many uninspired people largely just going through the motions. Long ago they decided to quit reading, they decided to quit challenging themselves and in many respects they decided to just give up. It appears that some of the people get out of bed to share their defeat with others… no need to keep their level of sadness and defeat to themselves when we we’re all told that misery loves company.

I spend my weekend with friends doing what’s important to me. I read every day to sharpen my axe and never turn off my cell phone. I’ve learned to either fix most any problem comes up or who to call if I can’t get the job done myself. What motivates you and actually gets you out of bed? If you aren’t excited when your feet hit the floor we need to talk!

My name is Steven Clauson.  I coach people who want help getting where they want to be.  The people I coach are typically already taking action, getting results and ask what’s next and what actions to take to make an even greater impact.  They aren’t afraid to ask for help.  How can I help you?  What actions are you taking?  Those who have a plan and implement that plan lead the pack.  Planning, preparing to win and taking appropriate action means you hear the word “YES” more than ever. Only if you are  one of the few willing to take action, do what’s required and play full out are you likely to hear the word yes more often.  People hearing the word “YES” are winners on the playing field because they play full out and dominate.  For these people results matter.  Tired of results less than you know you can produce?  Call me at 916-230-0176 or visit www.stevenclauson.com

You Can Only Learn When You Listen

Who loves to learn? Who loves to listen? I’d argue fewer hands went up with the question about listening. One of my best friends has an alphabet soup of degrees from Associates to Bachelors to Masters to Juris Doctor. His education level is almost intimidating. When he talks I listen. He has a wealth of information in many areas and he’s willing to share what he knows, what he learned, how he applied the information  and how it shaped him as a man and as a professional.

Who can you learn from and what can you learn? I have learned from my wife to be less serious and more fun. From my children I learned patience and that they will surprise me more every day. I learned unconditional love from my 3 dogs. I learned to ask for help when I hit a roadblock. In asking for help I’ve learned I don’t know everything.  

I know business owners and entrepreneurs tend to ask for help when their car breaks. I’ve also learned they will call a roofer to repair a leak. Sadly, many owners have too much self-esteem to ask for help with their business. Many think it’s simple or easy and they can do it alone. I have a friend who is a cardiac surgeon who specializes in bypass surgery who swears what he does is simple. I’ve watched him do 4 surgeries and it appears simple. Bypass surgery is simple if you know what you’re doing. He knows. What are you oversimplifying and how can I help?    

My name is Steven Clauson.  I coach people who want help getting where they want to be.  The people I coach are typically already taking action, getting results and ask what’s next and what actions to take to make an even greater impact.  They aren’t afraid to ask for help.  How can I help you?  What actions are you taking?  Those who have a plan and implement that plan lead the pack.  Planning, preparing to win and taking appropriate action means you hear the word “YES” more than ever. Only if you one of the few willing to take action, do what’s required and play full out and you likely to hear the word yes more often.  People hearing the word “YES” are winners on the field playing because they play full out and dominate.  For these people results matter.  Tired of results less than you know you can produce?  Call me at 916-230-0176 or visit www.stevenclauson.com

What Do You Need To Stop Doing To Get The Things You Want?

The majority of instruction I’ve read about how to be more successful and how to get more of what you want center around things you need to do. These are well intentioned and helpful to a selected few already inclined to take massive action. We love these people and want to be more like them. The reality is most people aren’t. If you’re in the group that won’t add something to your to-do list there may be a better way….

Take a minute and ask yourself what you need to stop doing in order to have the things you really want? Eliminating something is much easier for the human brain to understand. The brain provides less resistance to eliminating an action. If you feel sluggish in the morning try eliminating overeating and eliminating going to bed late. Eliminating just these two things will tend to help you lose weight and get sufficient sleep.

If you want to have a better frame of mind during the day eliminate watching the Evening News and instead turn on a mindless sit-com. My drug of choice is Two And-A-Half Men. I watch a few minutes every night. There is very little other than bad news on the Evening News and eliminating this has been a net positive for my clients and myself. The occasional person I work with who still watches the Evening News has yet to tell me what they get from the News that’s a net positive or instructional.

If you want to stop losing money or market share in your business eliminate complaining about how bad things are. Just eliminating complaining is a big win for your brain chemistry. When you replace complaining with Massive Imperfect Action you may become a force to be reckoned with. While complaining, overeating, being depressed from the News and not getting sufficient sleep may seem easier you need to know there is a better way. If you want my help just let me know!

My name is Steven Clauson.  I coach people who want help getting where they want to be.  The people I coach are typically already taking action, getting results and ask what’s next and what actions to take to make an even greater impact.  They aren’t afraid to ask for help.  How can I help you?  What actions are you taking?  Those who have a plan and implement that plan lead the pack.  Planning, preparing to win and taking appropriate action means you hear the word “YES” more than ever. Only if you one of the few willing to take action, do what’s required and play full out and you likely to hear the word yes more often.  People hearing the word “YES” are winners on the field playing because they play full out and dominate.  For these people results matter.  Tired of results less than you know you can produce?  Call me at 916-230-0176 or visit www.stevenclauson.com

How Accurate Are You Thinking?

I asked a client why they hired me to drive their company’s revenue. They gave me the most terrifying answer I’ve ever heard. They hired me because I’m a positive thinker. He went on to tell me I was a positive thinker about everything and he liked being around that. I felt sick to my stomach for the rest of the day. I am not a positive thinker… I’m an accurate thinker. Give me accurate any day of the week.

Positive thinking destroys businesses and families. Think positive all you want and unless you’re accurate about what’s going on it won’t end well. Think positive about having a few hundred dollars in the bank and you’ll eventually get very hungry.

When you read the book “Think And Grow Rich” you learn there was a lot of action happening within that thinking. Hill was a very accurate man and took a lot of action. The book he wrote next was “Grow Rich With Peace Of Mind.” Even Hill thought it was a better book. Most readers of the first book have never heard of the second book.

How accurate are you thinking right now? Are you thinking you need to lower your expectations for the second half of the year? Is that accurate? They’re now telling us we’re officially in a recession. Are You? I’m not and I’m not planning to be. I’m thinking and acting my way through this and so are my clients. In fact one of my clients has created an income with a minimum of 200% over the first half of 2019 in what he was told was a “non-essential business.” He thought he was essential. His bank account certainly agrees with that. Think about calling me… Here’s a link to my calendar. My name is Steven Clauson.  I coach people who want help getting where they want to be.  The people I coach are typically already taking action, getting results and ask what’s next and what actions to take to make an even greater impact.  They aren’t afraid to ask for help.  How can I help you?  What actions are you taking?  Those who have a plan and implement that plan lead the pack.  Planning, preparing to win and taking appropriate action means you hear the word “YES” more than ever. Only if you one of the few willing to take action, do what’s required and play full out and you likely to hear the word yes more often.  People hearing the word “YES” are winners on the field playing because they play full out and dominate.  For these people results matter.  Tired of results less than you know you can produce?  Call me at 916-230-0176 or visit www.stevenclauson.com

Are You Tough Enough?

If you’re reading this you’ve been here or someplace like this before. You went through 911… Still Standing. You survived the Dot Com meltdown… Still Standing. You outlasted the 2008 mortgage melt down and lived to tell… Still Standing! While you’ve been wobbled more than once you made it through. You paid attention and as a result each one of these made you smarter, wiser and stronger. I’ve had the same experience as many of you. If you haven’t given yourself credit for surviving the time is now! You’re overdue.

Pastor Robert Schuller used to say “Tough Times Don’t Last But Tough People Do!” I suspect the last few weeks have measured your toughness. Still Standing? You’re certifiably tough. What’s your plan to remain tough? Mike Tyson was the first to say “Everyone has a plan until they get hit in the mouth.” We’ve all been hit… response means everything and determines what’s next.

A client from about 10 years ago called to tell me how bad things were. He’d been knocked down. I told him to Get Up! He misunderstood me so I said it again… Get The Hell Up! His words and actions during what may well be the fight of his life were crippling him and I heard that in his voice. When I asked what he’s done since the shelter in place order he said “everything’s shut down… What can I do?” I gave him a list of 10 things to do that day before he went to bed. I then got his wife on the phone to keep him accountable. I got off the phone with him 9 days later and things are much better while still under the shelter in place order. He has a new plan now.  

This will eventually end. Many businesses, even some of your competition, will simply wait this out. That’s never the way to respond to any threat. If you’ve read the “Art Of War” you know to attack when the enemy is weak. There’s more weakness than I’ve ever seen. I promise I will survive this Pandemic both personally and professionally… I will emerge stronger. You will as well. Those who don’t take and maintain decisive action are bound to suffer the consequences. That result is sad and predictable. We’re in this together. We’re going to thrive together!     

My name is Steven Clauson.  I coach people who want help getting where they want to be.  The people I coach are typically already taking action, getting results and ask what’s next and what actions to take to make an even greater impact.  They aren’t afraid to ask for help.  How can I help you?  What actions are you taking?  Those who have a plan and implement that plan lead the pack.  Planning, preparing to win and taking appropriate action means you hear the word “YES” more than ever. Only if you one of the few willing to take action, do what’s required and play full out and you likely to hear the word yes more often.  People hearing the word “YES” are winners on the field playing because they play full out and dominate.  For these people results matter.  Tired of results less than you know you can produce?  Call me at 916-230-0176 or visit www.stevenclausoncom