Today is the last of the series in which I say what I would do differently if it was 2007 and I was starting out as a financial planner again.
10 more things I would do differently:
1. I listened to a CD about making appointments and the gentleman on the CD suggests cold calling between 8am and 10am. I think he gave these times for a couple of reasons, first of all, a lot of the gatekeepers are not at work and you can get through to the people that you want to talk to, and secondly, I think for most salespeople cold calling is the most unpleasant thing to do so if you do you calling between 8am and 10am you eat your frog so to speak. That is the worst thing is out of the way and you can concentrate on your sales calls and follow ups.
2. I would certainly try to look the part by buying quality shirts and suits. There is a temptation to buy cheap stuff until you make some money so you can reinvent your wardrobe. This just makes you look cheap and why should someone who looks cheap be telling me about my investments?
3. I would try to get to know some of the other financial planners in the other companies in Tokyo. I think you can learn from them both what to do and what not to do. They are a resource for continuous improvement so why not sit down and have a chat? I would especially like to chat with some of the more successful ones.
4. I would join some kind of club. What I mean by this, in Tokyo there are clubs that wealthy expatriates join. These are great sources of networking opportunities. Of course I have to make some money first and if I can join these clubs then I know that I have done quite well and if I play my cards right, business opportunities should eventuate.
5. I would use Sunday evenings to plan my week ahead. This was one of my biggest problems in that I wasn't doing any planning and then on the rare occasions I did, I wouldn't work it. It is all very well having a plan, but if you don't work it then you might as well go and do something else. Tending bar for example.
6. At the start of my career as a financial planner, I consistently got to the office at 7am and did some study for two hours. I can imagine doing that again, maybe incorporating my one hour of reading into the morning schedule. It would a great way to start the day and you would feel like you have accomplished something before you picked up the phone to make your first cold call.
7. I would work on Saturdays consistently and also on Sundays. I think a financial planner's work is 24/7 so you should be available to talk on the weekends. I didn't mind working weekends and I would do more of it. I think a lot of prospects would be more receptive on the weekends and because they are giving that time up, you would think that they are serious about going through the process.
8. I would, before I started, do a thorough inventory of my strengths and weaknesses. I wouldn't worry about my weaknesses and then identify my strengths and compose a sales process that highlighted my strengths.
9. This is a little difficult but I would try to find people that are similar to me to sell to. Of course you are going to run into a whole bunch of characters but as they say you sell to people who are like you so it would go without saying that I look for them. That's easier said then done and they would take some gentle coercing, I tell you.
10. One of the major themes has been my half-assedness. How can I overcome this? I think that I have to concentrate on what I am doing and concentrate on that activity until done. So, for example, when my friend gave me this challenge with the blog, the tendency would have been to get to day 14 and then give up. But I have tried to stick to it to prove to myself that I can do things to completion and to 100% commitment.
Wednesday, 31 October 2012
Tuesday, 30 October 2012
Back to the Future Part Two
Yesterday I talked about ten things that I would do differently if knowing what I know now I returned to that start of my financial planning career in 2007.
Today I would like to talk about ten other things that I would do differently:
1. I would strive to have a meeting by 10am every Monday morning in my schedule. I don't mean set a meeting at that time, what I mean is meet a prospective client. I think that this is a great way to start the week and gives you momentum of the rest of it. Most people are busy at this time preparing for the week and having meetings etc. I think if I had this meeting then I would know that the prospect is half interested and I may be onto something.
2. I'm learning at the moment that I can start up conversations with total strangers. It is all about noticing something about them. Being observant and commenting on it. This goes back to that rejection things that we talked about yesterday, they might not want to talk to you but that's fine. You tell yourself that they maybe are having a bad day or are concentrating on something and it's got nothing to do with you. It is amazing how many times you start talking to someone about something relevant and their face lights up and you can't stop them. It is because you made the effort. As a salesperson you have to be talking to everyone, no matter how grumpy they look.
3. I was told early on, that sales is about scripts. You can't fly by the seat of your pants. You have to have some kind of prepared speech that you use in your sales call. I knew this but I never did actually write down my scripts word for word or in fact practice them. You know those standup comedians who sound as though they are just having an ordinary conversation with the audience, well in fact they have been practicing that for months. My friend told me about Jerry Seinfeld's first six minute appearance on the Johnny Carson show. Apparently Seinfeld had been practicing for six months. The rest now is history. What is he worth now? About $800 million?
4. I think I would watch my weight more closely. I don't think that it is a big thing because I know of some morbidly obese salesman who do OK but sometimes with some people it is a problem and could affect your sale and at the end of the day you are looking after yourself. What is more important than your own health?
5. I would spend a set amount of time each week to learn the products. I mean really learn them. Not the half-assed way that I did. (Here we go again, here is that half-assed theme again.) I found out that during initial meetings with prospective clients that you would get asked questions about what have you got. These initial meetings are not just about collecting information so you go back to give them a presentation next time, they were sometimes giving them a presentation straight away because you may not get a second meeting. You had to have all the toys before you arrived in other words.
6. I believe in 2012 that your use of social media for your marketing is another must. I never worked that out properly how you do that but I did write a blog etc but like everything in my life it was a half-assed. (I've said it once I'll say it again, are you sensing a pattern here?) The use of blogs, Facebook, Twitter is very useful in today's age but it shouldn't just be your be all and end all. It is just part of your marketing system.
7. They say you only have one chance to make a first impression. One of the important things in a sales job is your dress. I spoke with a financial planner in Palmerston North who dealt with a lot of farmers and he told me that if he turned up to a sales call in suit and tie, he would be kicked off the farmer's property as people want to deal with people who are similar to them. In saying that, in Tokyo you have to turn up in suit and tie. That is the uniform for men in that city and anything else is displaying your personality which you don't want to show until you know the person you are calling on.
8. I believed that there were markets outside of Tokyo that were good prospects for the services I was offering. I did have a couple of areas in which I could have done something in and I had the help of people that were going to help me which was great. I believe that is the value of networking in which you meet people and if you make the right impression then you can call upon them on a later date. So, if I were to start again I would investigate those markets and make a concerted effort to enter them. This is another half-assed thing that I did.
9. I think if I was to start again I would make the whole job a game. I'm not being frivolous when I say that but I would make sure that I do the required amount of activity before I went and had a beer for instance. Don't get me wrong, I think that I progressed as a person greatly during those five years, both socially and intellectually. However, I was too eager to have a beer when I should have been doing some work, or should have done work that would have made me deserving of that beer.
10. I would try to improve my sales skills on a regular basis. About three years ago, my friend and I started an activity which we still do to this day. The who idea was to read for an hour a day in your field. The idea been with the knowledge that you obtain with your reading that you become an expert. I think that I would concentrate on sales skills and financial literacy. In the past I have read other subjects, which is fine, but I need a concentrated burst of reading on those subjects.
There you go, part two. Tune in for part three tomorrow.
Today I would like to talk about ten other things that I would do differently:
1. I would strive to have a meeting by 10am every Monday morning in my schedule. I don't mean set a meeting at that time, what I mean is meet a prospective client. I think that this is a great way to start the week and gives you momentum of the rest of it. Most people are busy at this time preparing for the week and having meetings etc. I think if I had this meeting then I would know that the prospect is half interested and I may be onto something.
2. I'm learning at the moment that I can start up conversations with total strangers. It is all about noticing something about them. Being observant and commenting on it. This goes back to that rejection things that we talked about yesterday, they might not want to talk to you but that's fine. You tell yourself that they maybe are having a bad day or are concentrating on something and it's got nothing to do with you. It is amazing how many times you start talking to someone about something relevant and their face lights up and you can't stop them. It is because you made the effort. As a salesperson you have to be talking to everyone, no matter how grumpy they look.
3. I was told early on, that sales is about scripts. You can't fly by the seat of your pants. You have to have some kind of prepared speech that you use in your sales call. I knew this but I never did actually write down my scripts word for word or in fact practice them. You know those standup comedians who sound as though they are just having an ordinary conversation with the audience, well in fact they have been practicing that for months. My friend told me about Jerry Seinfeld's first six minute appearance on the Johnny Carson show. Apparently Seinfeld had been practicing for six months. The rest now is history. What is he worth now? About $800 million?
4. I think I would watch my weight more closely. I don't think that it is a big thing because I know of some morbidly obese salesman who do OK but sometimes with some people it is a problem and could affect your sale and at the end of the day you are looking after yourself. What is more important than your own health?
5. I would spend a set amount of time each week to learn the products. I mean really learn them. Not the half-assed way that I did. (Here we go again, here is that half-assed theme again.) I found out that during initial meetings with prospective clients that you would get asked questions about what have you got. These initial meetings are not just about collecting information so you go back to give them a presentation next time, they were sometimes giving them a presentation straight away because you may not get a second meeting. You had to have all the toys before you arrived in other words.
6. I believe in 2012 that your use of social media for your marketing is another must. I never worked that out properly how you do that but I did write a blog etc but like everything in my life it was a half-assed. (I've said it once I'll say it again, are you sensing a pattern here?) The use of blogs, Facebook, Twitter is very useful in today's age but it shouldn't just be your be all and end all. It is just part of your marketing system.
7. They say you only have one chance to make a first impression. One of the important things in a sales job is your dress. I spoke with a financial planner in Palmerston North who dealt with a lot of farmers and he told me that if he turned up to a sales call in suit and tie, he would be kicked off the farmer's property as people want to deal with people who are similar to them. In saying that, in Tokyo you have to turn up in suit and tie. That is the uniform for men in that city and anything else is displaying your personality which you don't want to show until you know the person you are calling on.
8. I believed that there were markets outside of Tokyo that were good prospects for the services I was offering. I did have a couple of areas in which I could have done something in and I had the help of people that were going to help me which was great. I believe that is the value of networking in which you meet people and if you make the right impression then you can call upon them on a later date. So, if I were to start again I would investigate those markets and make a concerted effort to enter them. This is another half-assed thing that I did.
9. I think if I was to start again I would make the whole job a game. I'm not being frivolous when I say that but I would make sure that I do the required amount of activity before I went and had a beer for instance. Don't get me wrong, I think that I progressed as a person greatly during those five years, both socially and intellectually. However, I was too eager to have a beer when I should have been doing some work, or should have done work that would have made me deserving of that beer.
10. I would try to improve my sales skills on a regular basis. About three years ago, my friend and I started an activity which we still do to this day. The who idea was to read for an hour a day in your field. The idea been with the knowledge that you obtain with your reading that you become an expert. I think that I would concentrate on sales skills and financial literacy. In the past I have read other subjects, which is fine, but I need a concentrated burst of reading on those subjects.
There you go, part two. Tune in for part three tomorrow.
Monday, 29 October 2012
Back to the Future Part One
At the start of 2007 I was teaching English in Japan. I really was enjoying my time in Japan and the work was OK but nothing too exciting. I would teach at secondary schools in the day time and then work at companies in the evening time. I would also work on the weekends as well. I would work all day on Saturdays and sometimes on Sundays.
One day I decided that I needed to do something else although I wasn't sure what that was. I knew that my friend was doing something but I wasn't 100% sure what that was and I made some enquires. It turned out he was working for an international financial planning company. I was told what he did, and I didn't really understand but I decided to give it a try anyway.
As it turned out, I didn't do a very good job. I had no idea what I was doing and in the end I didn't attain the required result and left the company to come back to New Zealand.
I was thinking the other day if I was to be time traveled back to 2007 and was starting again and knowing what I know now what would I do differently as in all honesty I only gave it a half assed effort, which is what I do with everything actually.
Lets imagine that it is 2007, what would I do differently? Here are ten things:
1. I would have had a good think about it. I would have worked through my thought processes in a systematic way and tried to come up with reasons why I should change my job. What characteristics I have that make me a good teacher and what characteristics I have that make me a good financial planner. I would also come up with a list of at least 20 ideas about why I want to change and then make the decision from there.
2. I would do some research to what exactly is a financial planner. Do you know that when I changed careers I had no idea what I was going to be doing and went in blind. Admittedly that is OK in that industry but it didn't do my confidence any good. For the first two years I had no idea what anyone was talking about. In other words I would do my homework.
3. Lets say for argument's sake that I have decided to change careers and have entered the company as a financial planner. I would be prepared. At the very least, up to 2 weeks before starting my job I would have been collecting names of prospective clients. I would be collecting their contact details and be prepared for day one. From memory I went in with nothing and stuffed around all day. Not a great start and it only got worse.
4. I would cold call. I think that it is a legitimate part of the salesman's prospecting arsenal. I believe at the very least, doing it would give me confidence for everyday life and it would allow me to experience what every great salesman experiences and what we should be experiencing in everyday life, that is rejection. I remember listening to an Anthony Robbins recording in which is said the key to success is massive rejection. We as human beings try to do everything to avoid being rejected when in fact we should be embracing it. Counterintuitive I know, but that is the way it is.
5. I would organise my time better. I am absolutely crap at this, even now. I know that if I just sit back for five minutes and think about what I am doing then I know that I will get a great deal more done, rather than do something, get bored with it, try something else, the do a half assed job with that and then try something else. It is just a never-ending circle of nothingness that accomplishes not much.
6. As I said before I would organise my time better. This means organising my days, weeks, months. I never did have a viable plan, a business plan if you will and everyday I was literally flying by the seat of my pants. I must admit though, that coming up with these plans are all very well, it is working those plans that I bet most people have difficulty with. Having the discipline to follow them and change them if needed is the hard bit.
7. I certainly would be more creative with my networking. As you can imagine in a big city like Tokyo, there are events going on most days and nights. I tended to attend things that were very well known throughout the expatriate community and so this would attract, of course, all sorts of sales people and you would meet people who had their guard up from "hello." Of course this could have been in my head.
8. To continue on in the theme of been in my head, the internet had proliferated a whole bunch of new industries and one of those is the PUA industry. For those of you who don't know what I am talking about, this is the community of guys ( and a few women) who sell a whole bunch of products and books about seducing women. One of their big themes is the idea of 'inner game.' This is when you are approaching a woman your inner mind is telling you that you shouldn't do it, you will get rejected etc. So, in other words your confidence is at low. I think if I was to go back to the financial planning industry I would work on my confidence and my own self esteem as well as my thinking of networking. Sometimes I was not comfortable networking as I felt cringy and I didn't know what I was talking about half the time.
9. On that note I would do a lot more reading of newspapers, magazines and online articles. Try to get a thorough understanding of the marketplace. I would also listen to the webcasts on a regular basis. I studied a couple of papers at Massey University during my working time and I did these as you would expect half assed. I think that I would continue studying these papers as it is a good thing to have on your business card as it gives you credibility and extra knowledge is not a bad thing. In fact it is an asset in any field.
10. This kind of job is a lifestyle. You should be living it 24 hours a day. I believe that the best salespeople, whether they be financial planners or real estate agents etc are living their jobs 24 hours a day. By that I don't mean that they are at their desks until 5am, have one hours sleep and go back by 7am, I mean they are fully engaged. When they are at work they are working. They are doing everything to get the sale. They are in the present. This is something that I have heard a great deal recently. Finally I would give it 100% effort. No half assed anything. Blair as a half-assed being needs to be assigned to the garbage bin.
I had a great opportunity to make something of myself and to a certain extent the whole experience wasn't wasted but I could have done a lot better. Now I have to decide whether I want to try it again. If I do I will be going through the above ten points thoroughly this time trying to improve on past performances.
One day I decided that I needed to do something else although I wasn't sure what that was. I knew that my friend was doing something but I wasn't 100% sure what that was and I made some enquires. It turned out he was working for an international financial planning company. I was told what he did, and I didn't really understand but I decided to give it a try anyway.
As it turned out, I didn't do a very good job. I had no idea what I was doing and in the end I didn't attain the required result and left the company to come back to New Zealand.
I was thinking the other day if I was to be time traveled back to 2007 and was starting again and knowing what I know now what would I do differently as in all honesty I only gave it a half assed effort, which is what I do with everything actually.
Lets imagine that it is 2007, what would I do differently? Here are ten things:
1. I would have had a good think about it. I would have worked through my thought processes in a systematic way and tried to come up with reasons why I should change my job. What characteristics I have that make me a good teacher and what characteristics I have that make me a good financial planner. I would also come up with a list of at least 20 ideas about why I want to change and then make the decision from there.
2. I would do some research to what exactly is a financial planner. Do you know that when I changed careers I had no idea what I was going to be doing and went in blind. Admittedly that is OK in that industry but it didn't do my confidence any good. For the first two years I had no idea what anyone was talking about. In other words I would do my homework.
3. Lets say for argument's sake that I have decided to change careers and have entered the company as a financial planner. I would be prepared. At the very least, up to 2 weeks before starting my job I would have been collecting names of prospective clients. I would be collecting their contact details and be prepared for day one. From memory I went in with nothing and stuffed around all day. Not a great start and it only got worse.
4. I would cold call. I think that it is a legitimate part of the salesman's prospecting arsenal. I believe at the very least, doing it would give me confidence for everyday life and it would allow me to experience what every great salesman experiences and what we should be experiencing in everyday life, that is rejection. I remember listening to an Anthony Robbins recording in which is said the key to success is massive rejection. We as human beings try to do everything to avoid being rejected when in fact we should be embracing it. Counterintuitive I know, but that is the way it is.
5. I would organise my time better. I am absolutely crap at this, even now. I know that if I just sit back for five minutes and think about what I am doing then I know that I will get a great deal more done, rather than do something, get bored with it, try something else, the do a half assed job with that and then try something else. It is just a never-ending circle of nothingness that accomplishes not much.
6. As I said before I would organise my time better. This means organising my days, weeks, months. I never did have a viable plan, a business plan if you will and everyday I was literally flying by the seat of my pants. I must admit though, that coming up with these plans are all very well, it is working those plans that I bet most people have difficulty with. Having the discipline to follow them and change them if needed is the hard bit.
7. I certainly would be more creative with my networking. As you can imagine in a big city like Tokyo, there are events going on most days and nights. I tended to attend things that were very well known throughout the expatriate community and so this would attract, of course, all sorts of sales people and you would meet people who had their guard up from "hello." Of course this could have been in my head.
8. To continue on in the theme of been in my head, the internet had proliferated a whole bunch of new industries and one of those is the PUA industry. For those of you who don't know what I am talking about, this is the community of guys ( and a few women) who sell a whole bunch of products and books about seducing women. One of their big themes is the idea of 'inner game.' This is when you are approaching a woman your inner mind is telling you that you shouldn't do it, you will get rejected etc. So, in other words your confidence is at low. I think if I was to go back to the financial planning industry I would work on my confidence and my own self esteem as well as my thinking of networking. Sometimes I was not comfortable networking as I felt cringy and I didn't know what I was talking about half the time.
9. On that note I would do a lot more reading of newspapers, magazines and online articles. Try to get a thorough understanding of the marketplace. I would also listen to the webcasts on a regular basis. I studied a couple of papers at Massey University during my working time and I did these as you would expect half assed. I think that I would continue studying these papers as it is a good thing to have on your business card as it gives you credibility and extra knowledge is not a bad thing. In fact it is an asset in any field.
10. This kind of job is a lifestyle. You should be living it 24 hours a day. I believe that the best salespeople, whether they be financial planners or real estate agents etc are living their jobs 24 hours a day. By that I don't mean that they are at their desks until 5am, have one hours sleep and go back by 7am, I mean they are fully engaged. When they are at work they are working. They are doing everything to get the sale. They are in the present. This is something that I have heard a great deal recently. Finally I would give it 100% effort. No half assed anything. Blair as a half-assed being needs to be assigned to the garbage bin.
I had a great opportunity to make something of myself and to a certain extent the whole experience wasn't wasted but I could have done a lot better. Now I have to decide whether I want to try it again. If I do I will be going through the above ten points thoroughly this time trying to improve on past performances.
Sunday, 28 October 2012
London's calling
One of my possibilities for next year is to go to London and have a go there. Since I have experienced living in Tokyo maybe it could be interesting to live in one of the biggest English speaking cities in the world. Of course the problem is what would I do there.
Today I would like to talk about 10 unique services that I could provide in London. Presently my friend is a weight loss doctor, predominately for women over the age of 40. Please be aware that I haven't checked to see if these services are provided in London or not. They are just ideas that I have and that I could provide.
1. Financial planning advice for New Zealand expatriates.
2. Financial planning advice for Japanese expatriates.
3. An all in one place for New Zealanders and Australians to come to to find out about accommodation, employment etc. I could also offer advice on places to go and avoid as well as where the gyms are etc.
4. In a continuation of the above theme, a real estate office that helps people from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, find accommodation. Whether it be flats, houses, even rooms in people's houses.
5. Another service is as a travel agent so Kiwis etc can travel through out Europe cheaply and I have the tickets for them. I'm not sure if it still happens but I could be the middleman when people are looking for traveling partners when they go by combi van through Europe.
6. Helping Japanese tourists with what they should buy for presents for people back home is an interesting one. For Japanese buying for friends, family and work colleagues is a big thing, but what should they buy, where should they go. Enter Blair to help them take the anxiety out of those decisions.
7. Set up an English language school for Japanese students. I know many people come to the UK to learn English. Do they get all the service they need? I could give it to them.
8. Provide a service for Japanese tourists who wish to do home stays or even farm stays in the English countryside. I think these would be quite popular for the right price. It also depends on the quality of the stays. I could be the go between for the tourists and the people who are opening up their homes.
9. I could be a cricket agent. What I mean by this is have English cricketers, who wish to play in New Zealand during their offseason, come to me. Then I connect clubs in New Zealand with players in the UK. I could also do it the other way.
10. This is a bit of a different idea but I could be a personal shopper. What I mean by that is I tell people that I could do their supermarket shopping for them while they are at work. When they arrive home they have it waiting for them at the door.
These are just initial ideas and they can change or be added to in the near future.
Today I would like to talk about 10 unique services that I could provide in London. Presently my friend is a weight loss doctor, predominately for women over the age of 40. Please be aware that I haven't checked to see if these services are provided in London or not. They are just ideas that I have and that I could provide.
1. Financial planning advice for New Zealand expatriates.
2. Financial planning advice for Japanese expatriates.
3. An all in one place for New Zealanders and Australians to come to to find out about accommodation, employment etc. I could also offer advice on places to go and avoid as well as where the gyms are etc.
4. In a continuation of the above theme, a real estate office that helps people from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, find accommodation. Whether it be flats, houses, even rooms in people's houses.
5. Another service is as a travel agent so Kiwis etc can travel through out Europe cheaply and I have the tickets for them. I'm not sure if it still happens but I could be the middleman when people are looking for traveling partners when they go by combi van through Europe.
6. Helping Japanese tourists with what they should buy for presents for people back home is an interesting one. For Japanese buying for friends, family and work colleagues is a big thing, but what should they buy, where should they go. Enter Blair to help them take the anxiety out of those decisions.
7. Set up an English language school for Japanese students. I know many people come to the UK to learn English. Do they get all the service they need? I could give it to them.
8. Provide a service for Japanese tourists who wish to do home stays or even farm stays in the English countryside. I think these would be quite popular for the right price. It also depends on the quality of the stays. I could be the go between for the tourists and the people who are opening up their homes.
9. I could be a cricket agent. What I mean by this is have English cricketers, who wish to play in New Zealand during their offseason, come to me. Then I connect clubs in New Zealand with players in the UK. I could also do it the other way.
10. This is a bit of a different idea but I could be a personal shopper. What I mean by that is I tell people that I could do their supermarket shopping for them while they are at work. When they arrive home they have it waiting for them at the door.
These are just initial ideas and they can change or be added to in the near future.
Saturday, 27 October 2012
Hooray!!! It's the weekend!!!
It is interesting how some people will name the days of the week not by their proper names, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday etc. but by how many days to the weekend. For example, " only three days to the weekend."
Today is Saturday and after an interesting week of work I am enjoying a day off from work. It is so good that I have tomorrow off from work too. Lucky me!
I find that if I am busy I look to do other things as well, so after two 3am finishes in a row, I woke up at 6.30am to get in a car to travel to Paraparaumu and attend my first Toastmasters conference. As I write this my eyes are feeling a little heavy and I'm not sure how I'm going to get through the next part of the day but I should get into a state where I have an open mind and try and learn something.
This is an unusual weekend day for me so I thought that today I would discuss ten things that you can do that will make your weekend enjoyable, maybe even memorable. Lets go:
1. Improve yourself. As I said today I am at a Toastmasters conference. This is all part of my self improvement and a chance to meet lots of other people. Ordinarily I wouldn't do this and my first instinct would be to say no but I believe you have to to try these things before you say no, unless it involves a parachute or a bungee cord.
2. It is always nice to get away for a couple of days. Go away with someone special and just spend the time together. I like going to a lake or beach area. There are usually other people there but they are also away for the weekend so everyone is relaxed and it is a great chance to unwind.
3. Join a sports club. In Japan I played Touch on Saturday afternoons. These were largely pick up games and we had a big mailing list, so we would turn up at the ground and play and then sometimes afterwards we would have a beer or three. A great way to unwind and have some exercise. Of course Touch is just an example, I used to play cricket or hockey. My father plays golf. The possibilities are endless.
4. Call a friend you haven't seen for a long time and go and see them. Chances are they will be very pleased to hear from you and I can almost guarantee that they will say to you that they have been planning to contact you for quite some time but have never got around to it. Who knows, you may be able to reconnect and have another mate to add to your drinking buddies.
5. On the subject of drinking, is there nothing wrong about going out for a few? Maybe go to a couple of clubs and have a dance (although real men don't dance) and even brush up on your seduction technique. Sometimes people need blow off some steam and having a few pints is the perfect solution to that.
6. Test drive your dream car. My favourite car is a BMW so why don't you call up the local dealer and organize a test drive? You know that you have always wanted to get behind the wheel of that car so go do it. Of course the biggest problem is convincing the salesperson that you can afford it.
7. In Japan I used to like going to a hot springs place or one of those big spa places. Some of the big public bath houses are fantastic and you can easily spend all day in them and I did. Not sure what places near my current home that I can do that but it would fun trying to find one.
Today is Saturday and after an interesting week of work I am enjoying a day off from work. It is so good that I have tomorrow off from work too. Lucky me!
I find that if I am busy I look to do other things as well, so after two 3am finishes in a row, I woke up at 6.30am to get in a car to travel to Paraparaumu and attend my first Toastmasters conference. As I write this my eyes are feeling a little heavy and I'm not sure how I'm going to get through the next part of the day but I should get into a state where I have an open mind and try and learn something.
This is an unusual weekend day for me so I thought that today I would discuss ten things that you can do that will make your weekend enjoyable, maybe even memorable. Lets go:
1. Improve yourself. As I said today I am at a Toastmasters conference. This is all part of my self improvement and a chance to meet lots of other people. Ordinarily I wouldn't do this and my first instinct would be to say no but I believe you have to to try these things before you say no, unless it involves a parachute or a bungee cord.
2. It is always nice to get away for a couple of days. Go away with someone special and just spend the time together. I like going to a lake or beach area. There are usually other people there but they are also away for the weekend so everyone is relaxed and it is a great chance to unwind.
3. Join a sports club. In Japan I played Touch on Saturday afternoons. These were largely pick up games and we had a big mailing list, so we would turn up at the ground and play and then sometimes afterwards we would have a beer or three. A great way to unwind and have some exercise. Of course Touch is just an example, I used to play cricket or hockey. My father plays golf. The possibilities are endless.
4. Call a friend you haven't seen for a long time and go and see them. Chances are they will be very pleased to hear from you and I can almost guarantee that they will say to you that they have been planning to contact you for quite some time but have never got around to it. Who knows, you may be able to reconnect and have another mate to add to your drinking buddies.
5. On the subject of drinking, is there nothing wrong about going out for a few? Maybe go to a couple of clubs and have a dance (although real men don't dance) and even brush up on your seduction technique. Sometimes people need blow off some steam and having a few pints is the perfect solution to that.
6. Test drive your dream car. My favourite car is a BMW so why don't you call up the local dealer and organize a test drive? You know that you have always wanted to get behind the wheel of that car so go do it. Of course the biggest problem is convincing the salesperson that you can afford it.
7. In Japan I used to like going to a hot springs place or one of those big spa places. Some of the big public bath houses are fantastic and you can easily spend all day in them and I did. Not sure what places near my current home that I can do that but it would fun trying to find one.
8. Why not go and see a show that you may not go and see normally. I'm suggesting something like the opera. I know I wouldn't go. Make a night of it. Put your finest clothes on, go to a fantastic restaurant and enjoy the opera. Even if you don't like opera I'm sure that you will remember the event and maybe repeat in the near future.
9. Go to the supermarket and/or the local market and buy your ingredients, take them home and cook like you have never cooked before. This is your time to be creative, try that thing that you have always wanted to try and be a world famous chef for one night.
10. If you are living in a big city, why don't you pick an area that you don't know very well and go explore it. I know I did that a few times in Tokyo and it is amazing the types of places, shops and restaurants that you can find.
9. Go to the supermarket and/or the local market and buy your ingredients, take them home and cook like you have never cooked before. This is your time to be creative, try that thing that you have always wanted to try and be a world famous chef for one night.
10. If you are living in a big city, why don't you pick an area that you don't know very well and go explore it. I know I did that a few times in Tokyo and it is amazing the types of places, shops and restaurants that you can find.
Happy Weekend Everybody. Have a good one.
Friday, 26 October 2012
Is this working out for you?
Dear the manager of the Jetts gym in Palmerston North, New Zealand.
I have been a member of your gym for the past six months or more and because I didn't have to lock in to a contract or pay everything up front and because it is very cheap to use your facilities I have used the gym on a number of occasions and for what I wanted, it is fine.
However, no one or nothing is perfect so I would like to give you ten ideas in which I think that you can give users a better experience over all.
1. The showers need to be cleaned on a semi regular basis. I don't think they are disgusting they could just be that little bit cleaner. The shower curtain especially needs to be washed maybe every second or third day. It can get quite disgusting if people don't leave the door open or if it has high usage over the week.
2. I hate it when people use machines for seats. They do a set which lasts for ten seconds and then sit for three minutes. I know that I could just go up when I want to use the machine but you never know what reception you are going to get. Please police that better. I know that every gym in the world you will get people doing that so it's not a new problem but it would just be good if we can stop it.
3. The paper towels that you use for cleaning the machines are in my mind ridiculous. Is it not viable to provide towels at each station so that they can be cleaned down that way? Are you worried that they will be stolen by people? I suppose it is Palmerston North after all. We do have stupid people in this town.
4. The little cubby holes that you use for people putting their belongings in are not the best. These need to be lockers. I know that you have security cameras and things but one of these days, either something will be taken by mistake and that person may not bother returning it or something will be stolen. It is just a matter of numbers. Put in lockers in which you put your stuff in and get a key with a band around it so you can wrap it around your wrist.
5. Are steppers out of fashion? Have those cross trainers taken over? In the past I have, I wouldn't say enjoyed them but have always got a good workout on them. Why are there none in our gym? You have the rowing machines, which I quite like by the way. I can see the benefits of them but no steppers. that I don't understand.
6. How well patrolled are the car parks for our gym? I know that Jetts has six car parks dedicated for the gym but I have seen many times people parking there and going off into The Plaza for a spot of shopping. Is it possible to get them towed or fined on a more frequent basis? People in the service industry have to realise that the whole experience is important. Just by asking, "how's your day been?" is not a great example of customer service.
7. I don't know the role of the people who work at Jetts but it would be quite nice if they are surveying the work out room occasionally rather than standing with their backs to the room using the computers. If I am doing something wrong on a machine it would be nice to know especially from a safety standpoint.
8. Is it possible to have the windows in the corner by the traffic lights to be blacked out? It can quite disconcerting if you are in that area and people are staring at you through the windows while you are doing your sit ups. It is nice to look outside sometimes but every Tom, Dick and Susan doesn't need to know what you are doing.
9. This is not a new idea but something like the boot camp that you had starting June was a good idea but I think that the price was quite prohibitive for a lot of the gym's members. Please do have something like that but keep the costs down.
10. Could you put a seat in the shower rooms? I know that there is not a lot of room in there but having something like that would make it a little bit easier for everyone. I know for certain I would be one of the first people to thank you if you did that.
I know that Jetts is a franchise system and you are dictated by what you can and can't do by head office but maybe you can take some of these ideas to the suits in Auckland or Australia or whether the decisions are made.
I have been a member of your gym for the past six months or more and because I didn't have to lock in to a contract or pay everything up front and because it is very cheap to use your facilities I have used the gym on a number of occasions and for what I wanted, it is fine.
However, no one or nothing is perfect so I would like to give you ten ideas in which I think that you can give users a better experience over all.
1. The showers need to be cleaned on a semi regular basis. I don't think they are disgusting they could just be that little bit cleaner. The shower curtain especially needs to be washed maybe every second or third day. It can get quite disgusting if people don't leave the door open or if it has high usage over the week.
2. I hate it when people use machines for seats. They do a set which lasts for ten seconds and then sit for three minutes. I know that I could just go up when I want to use the machine but you never know what reception you are going to get. Please police that better. I know that every gym in the world you will get people doing that so it's not a new problem but it would just be good if we can stop it.
3. The paper towels that you use for cleaning the machines are in my mind ridiculous. Is it not viable to provide towels at each station so that they can be cleaned down that way? Are you worried that they will be stolen by people? I suppose it is Palmerston North after all. We do have stupid people in this town.
4. The little cubby holes that you use for people putting their belongings in are not the best. These need to be lockers. I know that you have security cameras and things but one of these days, either something will be taken by mistake and that person may not bother returning it or something will be stolen. It is just a matter of numbers. Put in lockers in which you put your stuff in and get a key with a band around it so you can wrap it around your wrist.
5. Are steppers out of fashion? Have those cross trainers taken over? In the past I have, I wouldn't say enjoyed them but have always got a good workout on them. Why are there none in our gym? You have the rowing machines, which I quite like by the way. I can see the benefits of them but no steppers. that I don't understand.
6. How well patrolled are the car parks for our gym? I know that Jetts has six car parks dedicated for the gym but I have seen many times people parking there and going off into The Plaza for a spot of shopping. Is it possible to get them towed or fined on a more frequent basis? People in the service industry have to realise that the whole experience is important. Just by asking, "how's your day been?" is not a great example of customer service.
7. I don't know the role of the people who work at Jetts but it would be quite nice if they are surveying the work out room occasionally rather than standing with their backs to the room using the computers. If I am doing something wrong on a machine it would be nice to know especially from a safety standpoint.
8. Is it possible to have the windows in the corner by the traffic lights to be blacked out? It can quite disconcerting if you are in that area and people are staring at you through the windows while you are doing your sit ups. It is nice to look outside sometimes but every Tom, Dick and Susan doesn't need to know what you are doing.
9. This is not a new idea but something like the boot camp that you had starting June was a good idea but I think that the price was quite prohibitive for a lot of the gym's members. Please do have something like that but keep the costs down.
10. Could you put a seat in the shower rooms? I know that there is not a lot of room in there but having something like that would make it a little bit easier for everyone. I know for certain I would be one of the first people to thank you if you did that.
I know that Jetts is a franchise system and you are dictated by what you can and can't do by head office but maybe you can take some of these ideas to the suits in Auckland or Australia or whether the decisions are made.
Thursday, 25 October 2012
Am I a Bookworm?
Books! We have all read one, haven't we? I know I have. So far this year I have read 49 books. I'm quite pleased with myself there. I'm sure that I will read a further half dozen or so before the end of the year.
I'm sure, like me, you may have a few books that you want to read and for whatever reason you haven't. Today I would like to make a list of the ten books that I would like to read hopefully in the coming months.
1. Sweet Poison. I saw an article on the Sunday current events show. This piece was done by Peter Fitzsimmons and it talked about this book and how sugar is ruining our lives. I have an advanced sweet tooth and any sweet food that is in my vicinity will be consumed. I remember in 2002 I read Fast Food Nation and that put me off McDonalds for a long time and I must say that even now it isn't part of my diet. I have the odd lime shake from the place.
2. The Bible. I am not religious but I think that any good reader worth their salt should read this once in their lives. I'm put off by the length of it and all of the church stuff but I'm sure that there are a few good passages that are applicable to me.
3. Making a difference. This is a book written by New Zealand businessman, Owen Glenn. They say if you want to do things and be successful at it, you do what people before have done. So, I am interested to read how Owen Glenn got started in business and what are his secrets.
4. Jack Reacher. I have read a few Jack Reacher novels and have enjoyed all of them so far. I tend to get quite lazy when it comes to reading novels but with Jack Reacher books I should have no excuse. They are easy to read and they are written for people like me. On a slightly different topic, how did the people involved in the production of the Jack Reacher movie decide to cast Tom Cruise. Jack Reacher is just under 200cm tall. Tom Cruise is 170cm. Can you see why I am ranting?
5. Think and Grow Rich. This is a classic. I have read it a number of times and I have the electronic version. All of the get rich gurus that are out there today mention this book as something they read along the way or even an inspiration for them to do what they do. He talks about the secret in the book but when I read it I never found it. I think this time when I read it I will find it.
6. The Fan. I have seen this a couple of times on DVD and have enjoyed but like most book/movie productions I can imagine the book is better. This is book is set in the baseball world and is about the mad keen fans that follow the sport. Robert DeNiro plays the fan in the movie adaptation.
7. Fifty Shades of Grey. I have only just heard about this book. It sounds as though it is quite popular especially amongst women. So what better way to understand the mind of a woman by reading things that she will read too. I understand that there are another two books in the series.
8. The 4-Hour Chef. The new book by Tim Ferris will be out in November this year. I have read his second book but have started his first book but have not managed to finish it. I do enjoy his writing and I got some good ideas from his second book and I look forward to this one for getting good ideas for nutrition.
9. How I raised myself from failure to success in selling. I have attempted sales in the past and haven't done too well. It doesn't mean I want to give up on that career. This book is an oldie but a goodie and is packed with relevant information that will never go out of fashion.
10. Slim and healthy without dieting. This book is written for middle aged women who want to lose weight but in that book I hear that a lot of the tips the author gives are relevant for men as well. I look forward to reading this book and hopefully implementing some of the ideas.
There we have it 10 books. 3 fiction books, 6 non-fiction books and one book that I am not sure on. Lets just leave it at that. If anyone out there has any ideas I'm always open to them.
I'm sure, like me, you may have a few books that you want to read and for whatever reason you haven't. Today I would like to make a list of the ten books that I would like to read hopefully in the coming months.
1. Sweet Poison. I saw an article on the Sunday current events show. This piece was done by Peter Fitzsimmons and it talked about this book and how sugar is ruining our lives. I have an advanced sweet tooth and any sweet food that is in my vicinity will be consumed. I remember in 2002 I read Fast Food Nation and that put me off McDonalds for a long time and I must say that even now it isn't part of my diet. I have the odd lime shake from the place.
2. The Bible. I am not religious but I think that any good reader worth their salt should read this once in their lives. I'm put off by the length of it and all of the church stuff but I'm sure that there are a few good passages that are applicable to me.
3. Making a difference. This is a book written by New Zealand businessman, Owen Glenn. They say if you want to do things and be successful at it, you do what people before have done. So, I am interested to read how Owen Glenn got started in business and what are his secrets.
4. Jack Reacher. I have read a few Jack Reacher novels and have enjoyed all of them so far. I tend to get quite lazy when it comes to reading novels but with Jack Reacher books I should have no excuse. They are easy to read and they are written for people like me. On a slightly different topic, how did the people involved in the production of the Jack Reacher movie decide to cast Tom Cruise. Jack Reacher is just under 200cm tall. Tom Cruise is 170cm. Can you see why I am ranting?
5. Think and Grow Rich. This is a classic. I have read it a number of times and I have the electronic version. All of the get rich gurus that are out there today mention this book as something they read along the way or even an inspiration for them to do what they do. He talks about the secret in the book but when I read it I never found it. I think this time when I read it I will find it.
6. The Fan. I have seen this a couple of times on DVD and have enjoyed but like most book/movie productions I can imagine the book is better. This is book is set in the baseball world and is about the mad keen fans that follow the sport. Robert DeNiro plays the fan in the movie adaptation.
7. Fifty Shades of Grey. I have only just heard about this book. It sounds as though it is quite popular especially amongst women. So what better way to understand the mind of a woman by reading things that she will read too. I understand that there are another two books in the series.
8. The 4-Hour Chef. The new book by Tim Ferris will be out in November this year. I have read his second book but have started his first book but have not managed to finish it. I do enjoy his writing and I got some good ideas from his second book and I look forward to this one for getting good ideas for nutrition.
9. How I raised myself from failure to success in selling. I have attempted sales in the past and haven't done too well. It doesn't mean I want to give up on that career. This book is an oldie but a goodie and is packed with relevant information that will never go out of fashion.
10. Slim and healthy without dieting. This book is written for middle aged women who want to lose weight but in that book I hear that a lot of the tips the author gives are relevant for men as well. I look forward to reading this book and hopefully implementing some of the ideas.
There we have it 10 books. 3 fiction books, 6 non-fiction books and one book that I am not sure on. Lets just leave it at that. If anyone out there has any ideas I'm always open to them.
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