Author Archives: philipstalnaker

Power Talk Live Profits from their Passion with Pro/Vision Coaching, Inc’s Philip Stalnaker

Originally posted at Pro/Vision Coaching.

I was once told that it is better to be poor and happy than rich and depressed. It makes perfect sense, but I have always wondered why someone couldn’t be rich and happy? And if it is possible, what is the key?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=PO9z8b3mrMo

Karen Floyd came to us a business owner who was not enjoying her trade. Unfortunately, not only was she not happy in her business, but she also wasn’t getting the revenue she needed. In the process of developing a Guerrilla Marketing program with her, we discovered that her pre-supposed target audience was not who she wanted to be around, let alone sell to. The need to sell her business amongst people who she did not feel comfortable with was causing angst and providing negative results.

As a business coach, there are few things that make me feel better then when the light comes on for a client. Karen realized through the coaching process that the target she was reaching for—even if they bought from her—was not going to get her to her goals. In order to sell to her original target, she would have only been able to sell one of her many services – the one she happened to enjoy the least.

Though it was a significant stretch for her, she decided to reformulate her services, change her target, and pick the people she wanted to sell to. Before then it was like playing a symphony, but missing the middle notes. Now she was playing the right notes, and it all came together very quickly after that.

She is now deeply rooted in her passions and loving her role as the business owner. And her joy and passions are able to bring her profit now that she knows exactly who her target is and that they want the full breadth of her services.

To learn more about Karen and her services, visit her at Power Talk Live.

The Mantra of a Man

I’ve often closed my eyes and pictured myself in my father’s place huddled inside a bunker under enemy fire during the Tet Offensive of early 1968. I can visualize, as if I were there, the barracks, the hangars, and the tool box my dad worked out of as an enlisted mechanic. I could probably make the argument I was there – biologically, at least – but obviously have no idea what his eyes truly witnessed. I’ve made up scenarios and situation that made him out to be the hero I always pictured, but I’ve always been good at embellishing what actually happened; and truthfully, I am embellishing my interpretation of his stories of what happened, so as in the game of telephone, I am probably much father off than I think, but oh well.

I’m not a sappy person; I usually am the guy who makes fun of people who boldly share their heart. Having a cynical nature can be freeing that way. The truth is, my father does not talk much, especially in matters of the heart. He is not the father that never said, “I love you”; in fact, he has never been afraid to say that at all. He has also been clear that he supports me and is proud of me. He just keeps a lot of things inside, and it can be hard to read him, or to really know what’s going on.

I may be the only person who thinks this about their dad, but it is hard to see my father as aging. Even though his hair is grayer (what’s there), there are more wrinkles, and he complains a bit more about his back pain, he still looks to me the same as he did when I was five and he wasn’t that much older than I am now. Because of that, it can be very hard to accept his limits.

I have been up to my armpits in home improvements, renovations, car repairs, and all the other manual labor-type activities that all us husbands live with, and—as per the nature of our family—I don’t like to work alone. With my dad in the same city, he makes an easy candidate to ask for help. Not so much that I need his strength in tightening a bolt, or arm length to reach something high up, but I like having him around. His wisdom (a lot of these type projects are new to me) and experience are nice qualities to have around while I am trying to take off a water pump for the first time, or lining up exactly where I’m going to hang the kitchen cabinets.

Don’t get me wrong, he has his faults. He has been known to gripe on occasion, and has the tendency to get annoyed when things don’t work the way they are supposed to (a trait DEFINITELY passed on to me), and sometimes he gets focused more on getting the job done, thus lending him to take the job over and do it for me. Again, these are traits I share too – but this is the one I truly hope has passed on – he is willing to admit that he made mistakes and is open to change. When confronted with that exact take over mentality last week he quickly recanted and was a great team player.

Ok, so I’ve shared some of my father’s weaknesses, but that is not the reason for this. What I hope comes through this LOUD and CLEAR is that my father has always been there. Never once has he declined to help on a project, regardless of how much pain he may be in, or the fact that he just spent all day at my brother’s house doing the same thing for him. Whether it was a swim meet, a ride to youth group, money for a trip, working on the car, etc… He has always jumped when asked, and never turned any of us away while in need (even when we only THOUGHT we were in need).

He has been instrumental in projects that I gladly take applause for – the basement, the kitchen, etc…and he would never even dare to take the limelight, for that was never his mantra. His mantra, was, is, and will be always to roll up his sleeves and make sure that those he loved had everything they needed. For that, Dad, thanks. I love you.

Don Stalnaker in his early 20s after enlisting to go to war in Vietnam.

Dangerous Distractions | Small Business Owners and Technology

Originally posted at Pro/Vision Coaching.

Since we are a firm of business coaches, I feel a burden of responsibility to warn you all of potential threats to your business. Our goal is to ensure the longevity and success of each small business owner with whom we work, and because of that, there is a vital news item that I must warn you about.

I have become convinced recently that the game Connect 4® is evil. You may think I have completely jumped off the cliffs of reality here, but do you know how many grams of carbohydrates are in each piece of that game? Ok, seriously, it is evil, and not just for the carb content. The effects of that game pull itself out of the fun and light-hearted past and into the scary present of the adult world in which we live and work. Take the story below about a guy named Rod Jones-Swatrzburg from West Spencer, Virginia, as published in the Secret Adult Gamer’s Monthly Circular.

“The online app version of Connect 4®, known to smartphone users as link4® has become quite a crazed sensation. With the ability to play games against live opponents any time of the day or night, countless people have succumbed to its temptations. At the center of our story is former business owner Rod Jones-Swartzburg. He started a fly-fishing business five years ago, specializing in fancy lures. His business was surviving, despite his self-admitted ability to market, and he was even getting close to being ready to hire his first employee. That is, until he downloaded the link4® app on his phone. Though the games only last a minute or so, he found himself losing hours at a time on his device. Hours turned into days; days turned into weeks; and unbreakable habits formed. Before long, no more lures were being made, supplies dwindled, and his store closed down. When interviewed next to the cardboard box he currently calls home, his only reply was, ‘May I borrow your phone for a minute?’”

This is obviously a tragic story of senseless over-obsession is a smart phone, but the temptation is real. The scariest part is that game is known as a “gateway game”. In other words, people that participate in the link4® world very easily find themselves deeper than they ever imagined, some even going all the way to the World of Warcraft® stage. According to a local gaming-health expert, “If a person walks through the online gaming door, it is rare that they are able to go back. There is a reason why the gaming community is growing exponentially (and gets used), while gym memberships grow exponentially, but never actually get used.”

Time is a precious thing, and it’s only worth spending in the right ways. It’s not renewable (such as money, carpet stains, and Charlie Sheen’s temper tantrums) and therefore must be treated with respect. Guard yourself, keep a constant watch on your profits, and never turn down a free apple pie. For these are where the rewards come.

That’s interesting, I just got a notification on my phone that someone wants to play a game…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Oyfvj5rkteE

Being Organized is for the Birds

Originally posted at Pro/Vision Coaching.

A crumpled piece of paper sits quietly on the floor, its jumbled words holding a message of deep significance, yet silenced by a single hasty act. My dastardly scheme is succeeding; as long as it can survive in its spot until 5 o’clock, the paper’s message will be forever destroyed at the hands of the night-time clean-up crew.

Who am I? I am disorganization, your single greatest enemy to profitability. It is my goal to keep your business down, your efforts up, and your profitability in complete disarray. I keep you from putting away your files, from cleaning up your workspace, and from systematizing your production. I work alongside my good friends distraction, hurried, and anxious. The longer you keep from paying attention to the growing pile of stuff sitting in front of you, the stronger I become, and the longer it will take to put me down.

I thrive in environments of low accountability, low visibility, and low commitment. And it doesn’t take much to get me started. All I need is for you to leave that one item un-dealt with, giving me just enough space to flex my muscles. Oh, and no one is immune. I can break into any safe or any system you put up to protect against me. Why? Because I already live inside you.

I have one weakness and one weakness only – constant vigilance. A plan that you are completely committed to that does not allow for one thing, item, or piece of information to be left out of place. You may think you are a “natural organizer” or admit to obsessive compulsive behavior – but both of those are fallacies – obsessive compulsivity may lead you to clean up a lot, but that has nothing to do with organization. Good organization is not needing to constantly clean up your desk, as it stays clean through continual acts of organization.

I’m not worried. Very rarely do I come across someone who has the will to defeat me, which is probably a good reason why many small businesses fail, they just don’t do what it takes to stay organized. And how can they? They are probably taking too long looking for stuff, too busy catching up on work they under quoted, or too frayed because they are trapped under a pile of junk.

You think you want to fly? I keep you from walking. Besides, I can’t imagine why anyone would want to fly anyway; leave that for the birds. They don’t have to be profitable.

Phil Stalnaker, VP of Business Development for Pro/Vision Coaching, Inc. Earns Certification as a Guerrilla Marketing Coach

Posted on Pro/Vision Coaching by Doug Christy.

I am proud to announce that our VP | Business Development, Phil Stalnaker, has received his certification as a Guerrilla Marketing Coach.  Certification is a lengthy 4 month process which culminates in successfully completing a written marketing campaign for our firm.  Phil chose Pro/Vision Coaching’s entry into the Greater Seattle Area market for his campaign, for which we are currently experiencing the fruits of his labor. Phil’s 4 month journey in certification tracked closely from market due diligence to grand opening of our Bellevue, Washington office.

Pro/Vision Coaching realizes the importance that a focused, low-cost marketing campaign means to our small business clients.  Most of our clients, very shortly after engagement, start their coaching journey with marketing.  The majority of our clients have relied on “word of mouth marketing” for their growth.  In today’s economic and competitive environment, they realize “word of mouth” simply isn’t enough.  Phil is now able to coach a small business owner from start to finish through a guerrilla marketing campaign.  He also lends assistance to our head business coaches with his special expertise in social media marketing, systematization and branding.

Congrats Phil on a job well done.

Business Networking | A Huge Waste of Time, or Humanity’s Greatest Hero?

Originally posted at Pro/Vision Coaching.

A lot of people blog for their businesses simply to get better SEO (search engine optimization) for their website, thus leading to a higher search engine ranking and more clicks to their site. This is not a bad practice, whether you are in Omaha, Nebraska; Seattle, Washington; or anywhere else in the world. It is obvious (and truthfully, good practice) to make sure your business is known publicly and easily assessable. And as a business coaching firm, we would advise you to do just that. The world of the internet is a great way to make that happen (and also to sneak in wonderful keywords in THIS blog entry), but not the only way to get known and make your business successful.

Sometimes you just have to stick your face out there and be seen. Or do you? History has been faithful in teaching us that if you stick your face in front of a fan it might get cut off, or if you step out on a road you may get run over. Is growing your business really worth that risk? In the online game of Second Life—one of the fastest crazes to die in the last 10 years—you create a personal avatar (that can be you, or anyone you want to be) and go through “life” in the digital world. You are even able to buy products for your Second Life home, such as a TV from the Best Buy store in the game (which costs REAL money, by the way), or you could commit a crime inside the game and do hard time.

–Funny YouTube Clip on SecondLife–

If you are not like the 2 current members of the worldwide Second Life community, you prefer to live your life in the real world – and take note – that’s a good thing! But even so, many people are still uncomfortable with the idea of face-to-face business networking, and some of you may not even know what it is. Here are some questions I am often asked about the subject:

Q: Is it true that if you try to sell at a networking event, you will be captured and tossed into a dark cave beneath the Chamber of Commerce with a lonely, starved tiger? A: No. Ever since the Michael Vick dogfighting scandal, all the underground Chamber tigers have been released into the wild. Last I heard all but three tigers were accounted for at local area zoos.

Q: Ok, so they may not throw you to your death, but is it a bad idea to try and sell at a networking event? A: Yes. Even though your life should NEVER be at risk during networking, the goal is for you to build relationships with other networkers, thus building a community. People who come in and try to sell their wares right off the bat often miss out opportunities for future business growth.

Q: If I am allergic to shellfish and go to a networking event that serves it, should I eat it anyway and hope for the best? A: Do you always carry an EpiPen with you? Q: No. A: No. Allow me to say again that your life should NEVER be at risk during an event.

Q: Really? Last week I walked past a booth at a trade and they were literally shoving fried shrimp down my throat. Though I was able to run away, I lost my bag of goodies from the show. I think they were a rogue group of ___________________. (Mad Libs: Name an Industry of Your Choice) A: Seriously? That’s pretty crazy.

After all is said and done, if you go to a networking event with a sincere desire to meet people, learn about their businesses (first!) and then, when given the opportunity, share about how yours can be a benefit to people, you will do well. You may not end up being the hero networker, but it certainly won’t be a waste of time. Just keep an eye out for wandering tigers if you live in ___________________, __________________, or ____________________ (Mad Libs: Names of Cities).

Marketing 101 | Reach Your Customers through Their PAIN

*Originally posted on March 15, 2011 by PhilStalnaker at Pro/Vision Coaching.

Recently, I was delayed (when I say “delayed” it was more like an effort on the airline’s part to force me to move to Chicago permanently) and hunkered down at an outlet near a credit card kiosk. As I charged my phone, I couldn’t help but watch the two sales people try relentlessly to capture the attention of the hurried passers-by. The incentive they offered was actually a good deal—a free flight after the first swipe—but no one was interested. Why not? If we were to put their success rate into numbers, it would have to be less and a half percent success rate.

Let’s break it down: at Midway airport, there are 6 gates at the end of the concourse set in a semi-circle. The kiosk was perfectly located at the entrance to the semi-circle, where at least 10 flights per hour were shuffled through (coming AND going). At the average of 135 passengers per flight (according to the airline), over the course of 8 hours, that puts the foot traffic at around 21,600 people during their 8 hour stretch. FYI, I started watching during the last 30 minutes of these particular salespeople’s shift. I inquired how many credit card apps they had sold, which they embarrassedly answered “2”. That means, they literally succeeded at a rate of .000093%.

What was so wrong? Who would not be willing to take a free flight that literally took nothing from them? I say that, because I had already taken advantage of that deal and had acquired the free flight myself. Despite how friendly the salespeople were, no one cared. Curious to find out why, I interrupted a conversation between one of the salespeople and a lady who was overly against this deal. As an objective third party, I asked her why she was so against the deal. Her answer was blunt and honest, “I hate this credit card company”, she said. “They worked me over before and I won’t forgive them.”

“Makes sense to me,” I said, but quickly responded with another question. “Why not sign up, use your swipe to buy a gallon of milk, get your free flight, and then discontinue the card? You would be out nothing, but would have successfully enacted revenge on the company you are angry towards, and you are taking the flight from them.” Without hesitation she turned, filled out the application with a smile, then walked over to me after and thanked me for my help.

5 minutes later that exact same situation repeated itself with a married couple. Again I interrupted the conversation (I also had to include some advice on where to find the pizza that everyone else had while walking around), and again the result was exactly the same. These salespeople, in the last 5 minutes of their shift signed 2 credit card applications from people who were audibly NOT fans of their company. All they had to do was speak to their pain. I’ve already typed over 500 words at this point, so hopefully the lesson is evident, as I doubt I can make the next 500 interesting enough for you to read. Of course, this could never have happened if my flight wasn’t delayed for over 5 hours…

By the way, the credit card companies have no problem with giving people easy ways to opt out after getting the incentive, because statistics show that less than 5% of people will actually go to the effort of discontinuing the card. Laziness, and the credit card companies, win out in the end.

I’m also posting a picture of the shirt that the sales people gave me as a thank-you for getting them those sales.

Challenges Increasing for the Small Business Owner

Originally posted at Pro/Vision Coaching.

What exactly is small business? I’ve been pondering that question since joining Pro/Vision Coaching, as our target is clearly stated as a firm that coaches the “small business owner”.  One of the recurring themes in the answers I’ve found is that a small business is not necessarily able to fight for itself. Big business has its corporate lawyer divisions with lobbyists and special interest groups making sure that the interests of the company have every chance of succeeding. Even medium sized companies have that kind of ability—if not on the national level, then on the state and local levels—and every small business I find is without a doubt unable to force what’s best for them into being.

The SBA (Small Business Administration) has been one of the key players in the fight for the little guy. Their focus on helping small business and providing the small business owner the tools needed to survive in this marketplace has been has been the sling in this ever continuing David vs. Goliath struggle. Here is the truth: “small businesses have created 65 percent of all the new jobs in the past 17 years and employ half of America’s private-sector workforce” (AOL Small Business). As the backbone to the American economy, there is no doubt of the importance of organizations such as the SBA play in the lives of people all over this country.

Who exactly is the little guy? Defining the criteria for this sector is a vital process, as separating out who needs the help – and it is traditionally defined by amount of yearly revenue and number of employees. “The SBA sets its cutoffs based on either the number of employees or average annual receipts. Previously, $7 million in annual revenue was the cutoff for most industries” (Entrepreneur Daily Dose). What this cutoff does is protect the small businesses inside that range by providing resources and a voice, as the larger companies have the resources to accomplish it themselves.

What if the larger companies were privy to the resources and help that the small businesses were? Herein lies the danger for small business. If Goliath were prepared with his shield to protect from a projectile attack (and the respect for his challenger), the outcome could have turned out far worse for David. This is a danger that every small business must now prepare for, as “the SBA boosted that cutoff to more than $35 million for some business types. The result is that 18,000 more businesses now can seek help from SBA in obtaining federal contracts and loans” (Entrepreneur Daily Dose).

If a bigger business has the resources to take care of those needs, yet are able to save their own resources and use the SBA it causes to ripples of effect: 1) big business has even more resources with which to defeat their smaller competition, and 2) small businesses have much less. Imagine taking away David’s sling and giving it to Goliath – not a pretty picture.

It is not the purpose of this article to guesstimate as to why the SBA is making such drastic changes to the businesses they help – there are both positive and negative aspects to this decision. The challenge, however, is clear – small business just got thrown into a larger pond with bigger fish and less total resources to go around. Be prepared to get less help from Uncle Sam next year.

So What? I Enjoy Hitting Myself on the Head with a Hammer! | Why Do It Yourself Websites Don’t Work

Originally posted at JM Web Designs.

As much as I would enjoy writing another column focused on undergarments, there is only so much material I can cover. Underwear, as one might say, is only part of the outfit. The question is, do you dress yourself, or does someone else pick out your clothes for you?

Actually, that is not the question at all. Today’s question is directed at those “so-called” home improvement experts that believe you can hang your own drywall, even though the only help you have is your wife who is just over five feet tall trying to hold the drywall against the ceiling while standing on a swivel chair. Don’t worry, mine had only six weeks of rehabilitation after the accident.

What exactly is the point? There is a reason people go to school and train to be good builders – THEY ENJOY THE WORK. I don’t and yet I do it anyway. If we are honest, how many of us figure that if we do certain tasks ourselves, we can save money by not hiring a professional? Allow me to tell you a story.

I thought it would be a great idea to renovate my basement. 1970s paneling was still a few years away from coming back into style and I wanted to make sure I was trendy, so I decided one day to pull off the paneling and re-finish my basement. That was ten weeks ago and I have not had a good Saturday since. Smashed thumbs, dust filling up my lungs, the gentle aroma of the landfill – all things I could have lived without ever experiencing are now my normal weekend routine. Why? Because I was greedy and wanted to save cash. Thankfully, the only people that are forced to look at my basement are my wife, myself, and the friends that I tricked into helping me paint.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZxh8rZ3rWA&feature=player_embedded

This analogy holds true when building a website. In fact, there are a lot of similarities between home and website construction. For example, do you want one person building an entire home? [No one is allowed to answer, “Yes! Bob Vila!”] There are lots of different specialties that go into building a house – architectural designing, framing, plumbing, electrical engineering, etc… A properly built website requires designers (graphic artists), coders, developers, researchers, marketers, and programmers (guys who sit in the dark and chug Code Red Mountain Dew all day long).

Now, there are people who are better at working with their hands and for most projects a little “imperfection” is acceptable, but not always. When publicly presenting your company do you want to put your best foot forward or allow your potential customers to see the cracks in your drywall? A poorly constructed website can actually cause more damage to your company image than not having one at all. Are the few dollars you might save by constructing a website yourself worth the headaches, frustrations, and eventual throwing of the keyboard?

As my television mentor (Homer Simpson) once said, “If at first you don’t succeed, stop trying.”

NET Radio Features JM’s Phil Stalnaker on Internet Marketing

Originally posted at JM Web Designs.

At last week’s MarkeTech Conference, hosted by GROW Nebraska, JM’s VP of Marketing and Sales Phil Stalnaker spoke on Internet Profitability.  He was able to draw from his seven-plus years of marketing experience to teach small businesses how to maximize their presence on-line.

NET Radio took an interest in this conference, as well, and interviewed Stalnaker after his seminar. Check it out!