Upward Trends

What does your Sales Trend look like?

Up? Down? Flat?

Often, there is a little of each in a sales chart... but that was not the question. One of the problems of "being young" is the fact that it is wasted during our youth.

I love word association games. Brain teasers. Music. but I digress...

I was trying to ask what your TREND looks like. A trend has one and only one direction. Sales may rise or fall weekly (if not daily), but trends do not. They have a singular direction. At Throughput Press, we are busy. But that is not the same as making sales (and therefore money).

But you gotta sow in order to reap...

Few can look at a freshly plowed field and envision the bumper crops due at the proper season. Those that can are gifted in a very unique talent. Take one of my heroes, Jack Nicklaus, and his ability to see that approach shot stop within two feet of the cup. Before he selects the club. Speaking of "back chaining," what if he envisioned that perfect shot, then while enjoying the moment (still day dreaming), he looks at the club in hands (in the vision) in order to actually select it? Wow!

Now do you understand why I blog?

Not quite clear enough? At least not yet?

Stay tuned. "Things have changed" as Dylan says.

The other evening I broke bread with one of my dearest friends. It was an incredible experience. Religious. We have not had much interaction in the last few years. My mistake. No more.

Among the topics, business. Relationships. Life 101. Trends.

Maslow modified his hierarchy of needs, yet most of us still use the outdated version (five levels). As I recall, the sixth level was about "Transcendence needs". Helping others to achieve self actualization.

To prevent anyone from going away unsure why I blog (I am a master of vague), let me spell it out:

• I have profited from reading the blogs of others
• Often Blogs are 'personal' reflections
• Want to know me better, read my blog
• I blog, therefore I am (sorry, could not help myself!)
• We all have a civic rent to pay
  

The first step in correcting your sales trend, is to determine its present state.

It's one and only state.

Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah
www.ThroughputPress.com

P.S. Need help? Call me.

tag: Upward Trends
(c)Copyright 2007, Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey.
All rights reserved.

Back Chaining

Planning 101

Tony Rizzo brought this concept to my attention... basically, it is planning backwards, from the desired result, back to the present moment. What "chain" of events are required to create the future you seek?

Then comes the application of the Logical Thinking Process.

Finally, the Purple Curve Effect.

Uncommonse sense.

Simple? Yes.

Easy? Hardly!

Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah
www.ThroughputPress.com

P.S. Get your own copy of Purple Curve Effect for just two bucks! Buy Now.

tag: Back Chaining
(c)Copyright 2007, Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey.
All rights reserved.

Re-Thinking Out Loud

Thinking Out Loud with a Twist

The brothers Hayes have this blog, and one of the blogs that one of them (or maybe both) read, is my blog. Of all the blogs in the world... wow.

And those that have read my book know about "thinking out loud."

And that I am an Apple Mac fan...

And that I am a Starbucks customer. Usually twice a day.

This post from the Paradigm-360 site is right on the money. But it does not go far enough. I have spent time in numerous Starbucks. I have been a repeat guest in many of those stores, in a diverse collection of locations. Like Hollister, CA. Canton, OH. Ft. Lauderdale, FL. And Hilton Head Island, SC. Other than Hollister, my visits at the "same store" sites have covered more than a year.

There is no place like the south end Starbucks on Hilton Head Island. At least for me. I remember when it opened. No drive through. Today, I applaud that fact. It changes the whole mood. But I digress...

"It's relationships, stupid!"

I tell myself that every morning. After reading this post from Paradigm-360, I may have to work in that concept of "experience" into my mantra.

Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Publisher
www.ThroughputPress.com

P.S. Thanks for the link guys... I got a hit from Wyoming via your site!

tag: Paradigm-360
(c)Copyright 2007, Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey.
All rights reserved.

Books are Powerful

Marty M. Fahncke I could not agree more with Marty's recent post on books. We need more printed sources of inspiration. I know a great publisher that is willing to help. {grin} -ski tag: Marty M. Fahncke

H William Dettmer

H. William Dettmer
Joins Boyd Speakers Bureau

The man that introduced me to the work of John Boyd, has joined our Boyd Speakers Bureau. Bill and I met in 2001, and the next year I completed (learning never is, or should be, complete!) training in the Logical Thinking Process under his watchful and diligent instruction.

I branded his amazing 8 day instructional approach Jonah3+3™ and started the marketing machine to alert the world. As I have mentioned before, we have a number of graduates helping to make the world a better place.

If you are involved in event planning on most any level, lets chat about having Bill keynote your next event.

Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah
www.ThroughputPress.com

P.S. Dettmer's Strategic Navigation is a "must own" for business leaders, and a great way to learn about the Logical Thinking Process and Constraints Management Model (CMM).

tag: H William Dettmer
(c)Copyright 2007, Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey.
All rights reserved.

Stephen Covey

The Eighth Habit, by Stephen Covey Reading in Made to Stick, there is a reference to Covey's research based on thousands of surveys of people working in businesses, perhaps just like yours (but not mine), where he makes "dry and boring" statistics come alive, by relating them to a soccer team. A snippet of that example is online in the form of this post by William Frank Diedrich. Which is slightly off-topic. But not by much. I read the whole article and was impressed by the call for action, and his reference to Jim Collins. But I digress... In the Covey example, raw numbers in the form of percentages simply numb the mind. Cut to the chase: If your business were a soccer team of 11 players, "Nine of the players would in some way be competing against their own team." Have you communicated your goals to your team? FYI: Most have not. Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Publisher www.ThroughputPress.com P.S. Break out of your comfort zone and take charge of your business. Before it is too late. tag: Stephen Covey (c)Copyright 2007, Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey. All rights reserved.

Relay Race

A great example of team building

The Relay Race.

Or the weakest link. I was the slow kid. Too tall. Too thin. Just not much of a runner. Well in gym class, where everyone must participate regardless the particular talents (or lack thereof), there was only one way for my team to win.

Overcome the weak link. Me.

Yes, I wanted to perform better. No, I would never be fast. Giving it "all my best" was not good enough. How many parents tell their kids that line, "just do your best"? If I did, I have blocked it from my memories. I recall telling them "I expect A 100s." Often. When ever the subject of school performance arose. On tests. On report cards.

Did it work? I will submit better than the more popular approach.

If you do not know the goal, how good are the odds that you will hit the mark? Yes, talent and ability are huge factors. If you get A's in History and C's in Math, knowing that the goal was A's in all subjects, AND you gave it your best, AND you had a tutor in Math, then the C is fine.

In business, as in relay teams, one can overcome weak links. But the first step is always defining the environment and the important goals. Only then will the various options for improvement make sense.

Once some amount of time was spent on helping me learn to run faster, it was time to turn attention to other team members. In order to make up for my short comings. To minimize my impact on hindering the team from reaching the finish line first.

Same concept for business. If the assembling department in building Six is the weakest link, then what is it going to take to reach the corporate goal, given that fact? However, few understand that 80% of the time, it is a stupid policy that prevents them from achieving the required throughput.

Yes, policies are the largest source of bottlenecks in most businesses.

TQM tried to teach us that lesson decades ago. Failure to understand the past, often causes one to experience it over and over. Every system has one weakest link.

Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Publisher
www.ThroughputPress.com

P.S. Once you define your environment and the goals, then seek your weakest link.

tag: Weakest Link
(c)Copyright 2007, Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey.
All rights reserved.

Tax Day

Tax Day

When I finally mail off the income tax returns.

It helps to take a load off, and watch the tide rise and fall. Somehow the sounds and smells of the ocean help the stress just drift away.

I am always happy to have this event behind me for another year.

-SKI

Hospitality 101

Greetings to our WIWIH readers We recently were picked up by the newsfeed on WIWIH and would like to say, "Hey." Hospitality is one of my favorite industries. I got "up close & personal" with it in 1997 when I first moved to Hilton Head Island, SC. One favorite assignment in Myrtle Beach for an oceanfront condo and motel complex, led to some of my best work ever. As part of the consulting gig, I served as the Sales & Marketing Director for 90 days as I re-engineered the approach. Shortly after the events of September 11th. No one in hospitality needs reminded how ugly it got. The Chamber was wanting us to re-join. And with the unfair pricing structure based on room count, we could not afford the dues. Plus, the bigger problem was the fact that the Chamber was pushing a destination, and we had almost 200 rooms to fill each night. A huge "disconnect!" Those that know me, know that I am one of the biggest supporters of Chambers of Commerce. But when one is in survivor mode, that is the wrong time to expect their efforts to bail you out of any short-term emergencies. Holistic (aka systems) thinking is the key. Back to the "four Ps" of marketing. Product, Price, Promotion and Place. During the boom years in hospitality, it was easy to take one's eyes off the target. After 911, not so much. But I digress... Struggling? Get my book, Purple Curve Effect. It is that good. Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Publisher www.ThroughputPress.com P.S. The PDF is available for just $2 for the conservative among our new readers. tag: Hospitality 101 (c)Copyright 2007, Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey. All rights reserved.

Sales 101 (Part II)

George Murray
BostonLinkedIn

Over on LinkedIn, George posted a great question about going into business for one's self, and what was the most challenging part of the experience. I responded slightly off topic with an impassioned plea for people making that first plunge to understand the importance of revenue.

My response (as a unix programmer, I compose most non-official emails in lowercase):

george

great question. how do i flag it as such? {grin}

i have been at this all my life... mentored a fair number of folks like yourself... and it always comes down to one thing:

sales. selling. producing income. generating revenue.

given enough cash flow, all other problems can and will be addressed. one of my mentors (a life insurance agent), made calls every saturday morning. period. understand that sales alone increases the bottom line, everything else eats away at your bottom line and your ability to survive. another mentor, after having went through chapter 11, created a report called the "Cash Inventory." he treated cash like the asset it is: the most important asset in any business.

when the cash is gone, "game over."

someone mentioned "income" and investors. bogus. that was one of the biggest factors in the "dot com meltdown." idiots confused "cash" with revenue or income. it is not. only SALES produce income. investments are debts to be repayed, one way or another.

if you cannot pick up the phone and make enough calls to produce enough sales, do not attempt to go into business.

respectfully,

Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah
Serial Entrepreneur

Can you tell that I am passionate about the success of others? Need a mentor that has "been there" and "done that?"

Call me. Right after you read my book.

Then, I will know that you are serious.

Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah
www.ThroughputPress.com

P.S. Warning: Summer is fast approaching (which equates to more motorcycle riding, and less 'free' time) so act quickly!

P.P.S. George recently launched BostonLinkedIn... check it out if you are in that part of the country.

tag: Sales 101
(c)Copyright 2007, Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey.
All rights reserved.

Happy Easter

Vinnie Mirchandani

Vinnie talks Customer Service

Some months ago (who knows, maybe even a year or so ago) I discovered Vinnie's unique talents... it is a blog worth skimming. Not a daily habit, but when I have a few minutes. Like today.

I wrote about Starbucks and Kinkos in Purple Curve Effect. Then FedEx bought Kinkos. Not good. It should still be possible to tell whether the employee helping you was pre-merger, and which company they hailed from... too bad.

At least Starbucks still understands that it is the front line employee that delivers the most important product: Customer Service.

That is a truism that few companies understand.

Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah
www.ThroughputPress.com

P.S. Had a great customer service experience? Share it with the rest of us!

P.P.S. I love the story Les Brown tells about a lady starting a business, who mentioned that she was interested in providing customer service that would AMAZE her clients.

tag: Vinnie Mirchandani
(c)Copyright 2007, Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey.
All rights reserved.

WyoSpace

Systems Thinking from the Equal Rights state

Another one of those long winding adventures of the internet kind, lead me to this blog post about the importance of holistic thinking. Colonel Bruns got it right: you should not double production without a plan to double sales!

Might I suggest that to WyoSpace that our Boyd Speakers Bureau comes complete, with three masters at systems thinking. H. William Dettmer will be added to the roster soon. In fact, he might just be the perfect keynoter for your September 2007 Idea Expo. Dettmer wrote the book on Eli Goldratt's holistic methodology known as the Theory of Constraints.

Of course, Dan Hanlon might be a great fit as well. His dream led to the Excelsior-Henderson Motorcycle Company. Several years of planning and raising over $100 million gave birth to an American icon: the Super X.

Better still, might be Dr Lisa Lang. Her Mafia Offer Boot Camps have saved businesses from extinction for the very reason Colonel Bruns mentioned: the disconnect between Sales and Production. And the lack of cash flow.

But I digress... if your organization needs a world renowned speaker to help draw participants, and you understand the value in great stories of success from people that have led multi-million dollar efforts, then you should visit the speakers bureau.

Then call me for scheduling.

Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Publisher
www.ThroughputPress.com
(330) 432.3533

P.S. I would assume that Colonel Bruns has heard of Colonel John Boyd. Have you?

tag: WyoSpace
(c)Copyright 2007, Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey.
All rights reserved.

Gambler Luke Short

Elijah Wood considered for the part of Luke Short

A colleague runs Luke Short's blog, and is looking for suggestions for actors to play the gambler. Got someone in mind? Let him know.

tag: Luke Short

Survivor Tools (Part III)

There are survivor shortcuts...

Let us talk of the individual that is going to launch their own private "Brand You" business venture around a given talent. I trust that I have made it clear that the book, Purple Curve Effect is the first survivor tool.

Second Tool: Marketing Outrageously by Jon Spoelstra

Why? Simply put, this book helps the new entrepreneur come "face to face" with the biggest obstacle on that pathway to success: themselves! Jon's "What's It Gonna Take To Dominate?" approach goes several steps beyond my book's call for action. He will also point out the fact that it does not take a lot of money to market yourself. Of course, when you have finished the book, you too will understand how stupid it was of Circuit City to fire the salespeople. But I digress...

Once you are armed with these two tools, and have read them thoroughly, let me know. Together, we can quickly map your quickest route to success.

Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Publisher
www.ThroughputPress.com

P.S. The synergy from the messages in these two books will amaze! Consider this brain twister:

tag: Survivor Tools
(c)Copyright 2007, Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey.
All rights reserved.

Kirk Kerkorian

Kerkorian makes another run at Chrysler

I would love to see this happen. When Ford was hinting at going private, although not a Ford fan, I was hoping against hope that it would.

The necessity of hitting quarterly numbers, just for the sake of hitting those oft damaging numbers, is stupid. A holistic approach to running Chrysler as a privately held firm without the vagrancies of counter-productive quarterly numbers should prove refreshing.

Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah
www.ThroughputPress.com

tag: Kirk Kerkorian
(c)Copyright 2007, Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey.
All rights reserved.

Break time

"That can't be right. Is it?"

Looking back at some twenty plus years, some very good and some, well, let's just call them educational. As in, "the school of hard knocks."

Ever hear the story of Bubba? Yea, a "good old boy" from Ohio, actually. Small town. Good student, for the most part. Bit of a class clown. Went off to the Marine Corps, and came back home different somehow.

Well he had this unusual ability, how should I say it? He could work flat out like you wouldn't believe, and yet at other times, could lay right down next to a big old pile of work, and fall right to sleep. Yep, either going mach two with his hair on fire, or catching up on some apparently much needed rest.

Some of you guessed correctly, some sooner than others, that I am "Bubba." Recently, on a news group for Harley vRod owners, someone was complaining that oft times we vRodders get called names by the 'other' Harley owners. The ones that still rely on air to cool their engines (the vRod is the only Harley-Davidson to use a water-cooled engine). I mentioned that I call myself names for riding a Harley!

I like the name Bubba. For me, it is a handle of respect. Yes, a lot of people jump to conclusions when they hear the name. Not my fault if for some, it is a negative image. I think of the simpler things in life. Work hard and play hard. Or, sit down on the river bank and watch time slowly drift by, without so much as one care in the world.

After the events of September 11th, I realized that life is too short.

So I made some changes.

Did you?

Among my discoveries, I determined that my definition of success was wrong. Or at least no longer valid. I was describing my new found understanding to a client a couple of years ago, and he felt that I had simply given up.

Not true. I had wised up! Instead of trading my energies for dollars, then trading most of those dollars for things like housing or food or whatever, I retired. No more rat race. No longer a keen interest in making more money, mostly for the sake of simply "making more money!"

There I was, living in a nice (and almost new) condo, right on the ocean, for free. As in, "no charge!" Not even a utility bill! That had been a life dream since discovering the ocean thirty years earlier!

Guess what?

Today, seems you do not have to plan very hard to become retired. Early buy outs. Down sizing. Restructuring. I recall when Eli Goldratt retired at age 50. I was excited to beat my mentor by retiring at age 47. Now, people wake up 'retired' with absolutely zero planning.

So?

Retirement no longer makes sense. For one thing, there is too much that needs done. Time to wake up America. "Hey Bubba! Shake off the Ides of March and get moving!" In fact, time to again drop the good old boy nickname. Call me SKI. Or call me Jeff. But call me if you need help picking up the pieces and making something happen.

That's right America, break time is over.

Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Publisher
www.ThroughputPress.com

P.S. At Throughput Press, we are putting together a toolkit for survivors...

tag: America: Get'r Done
(c)Copyright 2007, Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey.
All rights reserved.

Survivor Tools (Part II)

There is hope Lay offs, mass firings and down-sizings are most important when one is directly affected. At the height of my IT/IS career, while working for a small privately held firm, I was laid off. Not fun. But it prepared me to offer help to others. Wisdom is learning from the lessons that others have bought and paid for! To my knowledge, no one from Hoover or Circuit City attended my Purple Curve Workshop last Friday, March 30th in Canton, Ohio. Too bad. But not too late. Three things you can do TODAY if facing unemployment:

1. Buy Purple Curve Effect
2. Read everything on my blog
3. Write me

There is no better book available on producing results (like finding a new job, or launching your own business) than Purple Curve Effect. What are you waiting on? Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah www.ThroughputPress.com P.S. Yes, believe me, I understand that money will be tight. Hence the PDF of my book is only two bucks! And I ship in via email within 24 hours. All major credit cards accepted. P.P.S. For those really concerned, it would be possible to have read my book, applied the message, and working for a new employer within seven (7) days. Yes, within a week. Of course, there are no guarantees in life (or books)... so again, two bucks is not much to risk. tag: Purple Curve Effect (c)Copyright 2007, Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey. All rights reserved.

Hoover Company

North Canton, Ohio plant to close

Over 800 jobs to vanish.

tag: Hoover Co.

Circuit City

Circuit City fires 3400 employees

The good news: they can apply for their old jobs, at the new (much) lower pay rate.

tag: Circuit City

i2 Planet

Retailers on hand for i2 Planet 2007

tag: NASDAQ ITWO

Made to Stick

I just finished thoroughly reading: Made to Stick It will be the very next book I read. Next to Marketing Outrageously and Purple Curve Effect, it is my favorite marketing book. Are you into "story telling?" Remember those brain twisters like the husband and wife found dead, in a cabin, in the woods, on the side of a mountain? There is a reason that you do. The Heath brothers give us the "rest of the story" on stickiness as introduced to the world by Malcolm Gladwell in The Tipping Point. I loved the story of the mess hall in Iraq. During my tenure with the USMC, the chow exceeded my expectations. I remember at Camp LeJeune being offered omelets in the morning. If you do not own it, consider making it your next purchase. Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Publisher www.ThroughputPress.com P.S. But only if you have goals to accomplish. tag: Made to Stick (c)Copyright 2007, Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey. All rights reserved.

ACCEL Motorcycle

Joe D. to spearhead ACCEL effort

Congratulations Joe! There is no one in this industry that I respect more. Like James Brown, Joe gets my vote for the "hardest working" person in his field.

Joe understands throughput. If you are a dealer, builder or distributor seeking to make money (yea, we all know about lifestyle and other non-cash rewards; but when you are ready to open the throttle on cash flow!) or make a lot more money, call Joe.

He is that good.

Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah
www.ThroughputPress.com

P.S. Now, if ACCEL only gets excited about more components for my vRod...

tag: ACCEL Motorcycle
(c)Copyright 2007, Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey.
All rights reserved.

Morgan Pressel

Pressel wins the LPGA at age 18

" Pressel closed with a 3-under 69 at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, playing the final 24 holes without a bogey." -AP

If you are like me and only watch the LPGA occasionally, you probably never heard of Morgan Pressel. She broke 80 at age 9! I have yet to do so (at many times that age!).

Congrats Morgan.

Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Publisher
www.ThroughputPress.com

tag: Morgan Pressel
(c)Copyright 2007, Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey.
All rights reserved.