Gitty UP N git'R'done with UR #Stampede Get Up

 

"Courage is being scared to death .... and saddling up anyway" 

 ~JOHN WAYNE

The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth goes on in Calgary!  After devastation, evacuation and rejuvenation, the 101st Calgary Stampede 2013 is happening.  Here are the “must-haves” and “nice to haves” to fit in with the locals while in Calgary for Stampede July 5 to 14^th .

 

DO Dress Up … don’t be caught off guard like many visiting businesspeople do every year coming to Calgary during Stampede – wearing a business suit and sticking out that practically screams “not from these here parts”.  It is the one time of the year when a CEO looks like a Cowboy, and visitors blend in with local citizens.  What you need are the basics:

a.    Cowboy Boots – not everyone gets the royal treatment like 2011’s Parade Marshalls Prince William and Princess Kate or this year’s Chris Hadfield’s custom boots.  The best place to find them is The Alberta Boot Companyhttp://www.albertaboot.com/ For 34 years, Alberta Boot Company has outfitted Royalty, movie stars, entertainers, celebrities, athletes, public figures, religious leaders, and ordinary people from all over the world who are intrigued by the mystique of the Wild West!

 
b.    Jeans – Levis, Lee, Wrangler or designer jeans – whatever is your taste.  The best place to find that worn in look is at any of the 4 Value Village locations in Calgary,  Hours: Mon-Sat 9-9 | Sun 10-6.  Besides finding hoot’n’hollerin duds, you are supporting charities:  Cerebral Palsy, Diabetes, and Canadian Living Foundation http://www.valuevillage.com/

           

                      

  i.    104-58th Ave SE

   ii.    3405-34th St NE

 iii.    5720 Silver Springs Blvd NW #28

 iv.    Unit #1, 240 Midpark Way SE 

 

c.    Cowboy Hat – It doesn’t matter whether you don a Fedora, Stetson, Straw, or Canvas Hat, one size does not fit all!  They’re handy to have to ward off the heat or rain showers and the best place to find yours is SmithBiltHats http://www.smithbilthats.com/.  One of the biggest honors bestowed upon visitors and a symbol of Calgary hospitality is the “White Hat”  Ceremony.  The white hat has been cheered along with numerous celebrities and dignitaries on their visits to the city since the 1950s.  To book your white hat ceremony, email whitehat@tourismcalgary.com or look up the website http://www.visitcalgary.com/meetings/how-we-can-help/white-hat-ceremony

 

Adopting the hat as your signature piece, also means you must accept the responsibility of hat etiquette. Your uniqueness extends not only to you choice of headwear, but to mind your manners as well.

         

i.    Promptly remove your hat upon entering an elevator, restaurant, or someone’s home.

ii.    Never wear your hat during a meal.

iii.    Touch the brim of your hat lightly when greeting a friend.

iv.    Raise the hat by the crown when meeting a female friend in public.

v.    Remove your hat during the national anthem and place it over your heart.

 

d.    Belt Buckle – You don’t need one to blend in, however, it is nice to know the significance of the Belt Buckle as you see them as a fashion statement or a statement period.  Cowboy belt buckles originated in Hollywood, California and they weren’t worn by the cowboys on the range, they were worn by the cowboy stars of the silver screen during the 30s and 40s while Westerns were one of the most popular movie genres.  One famous cowboy in particular, John Wayne, was given one to him by director Howard Hanks for his performance in “Western Red River” (1948). 

Trophy belt buckles first appeared in the 1920s and were awarded as prizes.  Eventually, they became the rodeo equivalent of an Olympic Medal.  Over the years they got more valuable and elaborate with the event name, year and winner’s name engraved on them.

"Fashion is about dressing according to what's fashionable.  Style is more about being yourself."

~OSCAR DE LA RENTA

 

   e.    ENSEMBLE – If you don’t have time to shop or less inclined to, there are western retailers to help you giddy up with yur get up!  The most well-known is Lammle’s Western Wear with six locations Calgary :https://www.lammles.com/index.php/osCsid/fe8qcgdi99062bmt6n87p1pp05

 

i.      Downtown (Stephen Avenue Mall) –       211 – 8^th Avenue S.W.

ii.    Chinook Center – 6455 Macleod Trail S.

iii.    Willow Park Village - #3 575 10816                      MacLeod Trail S

iv.    Shawnessy – 230, 350 Shawville Blvd S.E.

v.    Crowfoot Village -- Unit 6, 98 Crowfoot Terrace NW

vi.    Market Mall -- 3625 Shaganappi Trail NW

 

 f.      LADIES: For you Buckeroos that want to help your Cowgirl put a stomp on fashion, help is on the way.  Like the previous advice, you can stampede your way and fit in splendidly.  However, most women like a feminine approach that both blends in and stands out.  Yeesh, says the fellas.

 

     i.  CASUAL:   Halter top, T, jean shorts and cowboy boots and hat.

     ii. FEMININE:  Flowered dress with jean jacket, cowboy boots and hat.

                 iii.  ADORN: Put the glitz hats, boots with sequins, studs, lace and feathers to make a personalized statement!

                 iv.  GUYS:  Impress her with a turquoise set of earrings, bangles, necklace or ring (bonus points: ALL)

                   v. MORE IDEAS:  Check out my Stampede 2013 Board on Pinterest for many more style options: http://pinterest.com/optioneerjm/boards/

 Now folks, you are all ready to hoot’n’holler with the best of them there Calgarians -- disguised as cowboys and cowgirls!  http://cs.calgarystampede.com/

"I want to be a Texan 24 hours a day"

~JAMES DEAN

 

 

 

Social Media and Devastation make IMPACT!

 

"We’re Calgarians. We’re going to make it work.  The show will go on."

Calgary Mayor Nenshi
@MayorNenshi

 

It is hard to believe that just two short weeks ago, my family and the entire nation were glued to the tube watching our wonderful city in a state of emergency, evacuation and devastation while #ABFloods took over social media.  Unbelievable, likely.  I was texting my best friend continuously after her and her family had to be evacuated from their home for 5 days and camped at Canada Olympic Park in their tent trailer which was reserved for memorable family summer vacations.  Memorable, certainly.

 

 

 

In the midst of downtown and many other areas in the city’s power shut down, a hero was emerging from a political figure who was not a first before – Mayor Nenshi, 41-- a first-term mayor who gained national attention when his civic  campaign was orchestrated heavily by social media to beat the perceived front-runners and international acclaim when he became the first Muslim leader of a major Canadian city.

Superman status was solidified for Nenshi who worked tirelessly for 43 hours straight as the Bow and Elbow rivers that run through Calgary surged over their banks and swamped the downtown and low-lying neighbourhoods – damaging the homes and livelihoods of thousands of his citizens.  Add to that:  cheerleader, director, benevolent scolder:   “Help your neighbours,”  he exhorted, “be it with a shovel or a ride. Hug your emergency providers”

Nenshi communicated with his citizens and championed his team of firemen, police and volunteers by tweeting, imploring, directing, assisting, cheering on and cheering up residents who saw homes ruined and possessions literally float away.  Community spirit, definitely.  Recovery, eventually.

How befitting that the 101^st Calgary Stampede’s Parade marshal after such devastation, a symbol for Canadian pride, would be Chris Hadfield.  Hatfield was the first Canadian astronaut to live aboard the International Space Station.  Born August 29, 1959, in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, Hadfield enthralled novice space enthusiasts with his Twitter feed, offering insight into his life aboard the station while also taking and sharing stunning images of the universe around him.  He inspired youngsters around the world to be curious, think about science and dream big.  Canadians and Calgarians especially were thrilled that the official invite would be navigated through Twitter:



@Cmdr_Hadfield Parade Marshall, Stampede 2013

@calgarystampede : Hey @Cmdr_Hadfield, that’s a great looking pic of Calgary you took in April, but we think Calgary’s at its best in July. #Stampede101

Chris Hadfield        ✔ @Cmdr_Hadfield .@calgarystampede Calgary in July sounds lovely! Anything worth coming to see that time of year? #Stampede101

11:02 AM - 8 May 2013

 Calgary Stampede @calgarystampede  Well @Cmdr_Hadfield you will just have to come visit to find out. What do you think about sitting in a horse saddle at full gravity?

Chris Hadfield        ✔ @Cmdr_Hadfield  @calgarystampede Space suit, white hat, cowboy boots – I’ll be ready to ride anything that stays below 8km a second.

7:03 AM - 9 May 2013

Calgary Stampede @calgarystampede  Yahoo! @Cmdr_Hadfield we’d love you to be parade commander at The Greatest Outdoor Show On EARTH!

Chris Hadfield        ✔ @Cmdr_Hadfield  @calgarystampede I would be THRILLED to be the Stampede Parade Marshall! A great reason to come back to Earth!

12:14 PM - 9 May 2013

 

Chris Hadfield’s celebrity took another leap shortly before returning to Earth, when, with the help of his web-savvy son, Evan, Hadfield performed and produced a music-video tribute to David Bowie's "Space Oddity" aboard the Space Station. The video http://youtu.be/KaOC9danxNo was posted on YouTube, garnering more than 7 million views within just a few days.

 

"When a person of Shatner’s stature puts the time in to learn and live social media, his opinions there matter."

Forbes

Not to be outdone, another well-known Canadian and famous space captain edged into the action.  William Shatner, 82,  born March 22, 1931 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T. Kirk, captain of the USS Enterprise, in the science fiction television series, Star Trek, from 1966 to 1969 and in seven of the subsequent Star Trek feature films from 1979 to 1994.

 

@WilliamShatner

 William Shatner@WilliamShatner: @Cmdr_Hadfield Are you tweeting from space?

Chris Hadfield@Cmdr_Hadfield to @WilliamShatner Yes, Standard Orbit, Captain. And we're detecting signs of life on the surface.

Naysayers on Social Media aside, the importance of Social Media, has an important role in informing, teaching, engaging, and sharing  …. from earth and beyond.

Yes, the show did go on for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth!

@CalgaryStampede

A hero or a Cowboy or maybe Superman?  Nah .... simply a mayor with a huge heart who lead a city with civic pride.

Come Hell or High Water … The Greatest Show on Earth did go on!

 

In order to aid in the relief efforts to our fellow Albertans, proceeds from each “Hell or High Water” t-shirt sold will be donated to the Canadian Red Cross Alberta Floods Fund, which is actively providing relief to flood victims.  Available at http://store.calgarystampede.com/products/hell-or-high-water #ABFloods #YYC #Calgary

 

THREE TRAITS THAT TREND TO THE TOP

“There is no short cut to achievement.  Life requires thorough preparation…”

George Washington Carver

 

There are a lot of training programs out there that fill gaps in training techniques. However, I would say that the most successful sales professionals have inbred characteristics and habits that consistently get results from forming successful behaviours.  The following three are recommended to create maximum results:

 

1)  START AT THE TOP: Top achievers want to know who the decision maker is and start from there. Far too many reps have a comfort zone on hanging out with admin or middle managers – the folks that ask so many questions, stray reps think they are getting somewhere, when all they are doing is answering questions, researching to answer those questions, asking their boss how to find the answer. In other words, wasting everyone's time.  Speaking of wasting time, those that venture to the top typically have a compelling business issue they see that needs solving or a trend that would impact that prospect’s bottom line, attract investors, create matters outside their control.  One of the best question tip I was given was to ask “what keeps you awake at night?” to this VIP (very important person).  You should have lots of credible testimonials and examples of how you have solved similar problems with other clients (without divulging who or confidential specifics) by percentages or dollars on how it helped them that will trigger attention by the top decision maker.  After all, he or she is too busy to give you the time of day because they are swamped with these matters … alas, comes along someone who has ideas that may work to solve it!

                    “NEVER mistake activity for achievement"

                                                                                                        John Wooden

2)  ASK GREAT QUESTIONS:  Easier said than done.  The most competent sales professionals have developed the skill to ask great questions.  Guidance from responses from business issues surfacing uncovers real needs or opportunities. Great questions even helps those stuck in the middle to have themselves elevated to a higher decision maker if crafted artfully.   You may just want to know when a decision is being made, how it is being made, and by whom. At the very least, good questioning skills allows the rep permission to accept the fact that they may be spinning wheels and move on to greener pastures (more opportunities).  They can help create red flags that point to avoiding this prospect for now or forever.  They also notify when the occasion may be better in the future and provide a roadmap on how best to keep in touch for when that happens (articles, etc.)

3)  FINISH HOMEWORK: Research, research, research. These savvy pros know how to uncover information from Press Releases, Annual Reports, Business Periodicals and newspapers that allows them to have “business to business” discussions. If you want to look, think and act like you are more about solving needs or problems based on expertise, there are no short cuts. Here are some areas you can look at that should help understand a prospect betther:

         i.    Industry trends

         ii.   Governing regulations

         iii.  Who their customers are

         iv.  What the media is saying

         v.   Financial picture

Bare minimum, before a rep approaches a prospect, whether it be the decision maker or administrator (by phone, scheduled meeting), they should have a strong understanding of the company, its competitors, customers, industry, governing regulations before taking that first step.

 “Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement and success have no meaning.”

Benjamin Franklin

 

 

The Say it, Share it, Do it BUSINESS PLAN

I was recently asked what CRM system I would recommend for motivating and holding sales accountable.  My answer is simple.  Sometimes you have to revert to tried and true methodologies that have worked for years and there is nothing slick about it.   It is called a Business Plan.

1.  I recommend a business plan tailored to what you are asking for. There are zillions of BP templates out there...... however, give your team breadth to be innovative.

Sales-tude is Servitude

People who throw kisses are mighty hopelessly lazy. 

                           ~Bob Hope

I ran across a great article on PeopleFirst.com and agreed with the advice offered in "Is Humility a Liability in Sales?"

Unfortunately, it was right on:   Many sales managers and executives DO fall into the trap of thinking that they want the macho, superior, confident sales applicant.  From my own personal experience they rarely equal the loyal, detail oriented, employee.  The article took a bite from one of my most popular posts I wrote a while ago called "Hunter or Farmer" where I attempt to lay out what you may end up with.

It is proven  time and time again as a sales pro myself and a hiring manager:  HIRE "humility" over and over and OVER again! 

         Sales is servitude cloaked in disguise.       ~Jeannette Marshall

Why?  Sales is servitude cloaked in disguise.  If you are willing to "serve" your customer, truly understand them, that means putting "them" in front of "you".

Where ART thou? .... on Pinterest!

 “Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless, add what is specifically your own.”
~Bruce Lee

Enter the magical world of  Pinterest -- What is it?

"Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes.

 Our goal is to connect everyone in the world through the 'things' they find interesting. We think that a favorite book, toy, or recipe can reveal a common link between two people. With millions of new pins added every week, Pinterest is connecting people all over the world based on shared tastes and interests.” www.pinterest.com

However humble and simple that sounds, one cannot avoid the millions of followers who think it is a big enough deal to sign up within mere months after launching.  Most credible marketers are paying attention now:

 “Pinterest stands out in crowded social media field” An article from USAToday  stated “Some people in Silicon Valley believe Silbermann — who played cello for the Des Moines youth symphony; whose parents, Jane Wang and Neil Silbermann, are opthalmologists with a family practice in Urbandale; and who competed on the debate team at Roosevelt High School— may have founded the next giant social media website.  The soft-spoken 29-year-old believes Pinterest fills a need on the Internet for people to express themselves. You don't have to be witty, or a good photographer, or a good writer to use Pinterest, he says, you just have to pin your  interests to an online pinboard.”

Don’t be misled into believing it is only for crafters (that would probably nix serious professional social media marketers).  Delve further and deeper, you will see so much more!  Even the heartiest of Social Media Divas and Dons are scrambling to climb aboard.  Not even Klout or Empire Avenue, have  caught up … that is how fresh and unique Pinterest is.  Like many social media networks before it, Pinterest would never have predicted, I’m guessing, the ample opportunity in so many other ways.

The Godfather of Social Media: Josepf Haslam

Some folk still are of the opinion that Social Media is a time waster, for the lonely hearts, social animals or narcissists, while others are knowledge junkies who embrace it as a vehicle to subscribe to information at a speed they control how much they want to absorb.  Then there are the exceptions.  Those that are in “the know” or the ones who “get it”:  a world in which information, networking and socializing that break down barriers such as location, intelligence, color, religion, corporate, private, interactive, passive or active participation.  No matter where you sit, most everyone agrees today it a force with which resistance will leave you in its dust.

Once you break down your personal barriers or bias, you discover that there are some people that appear at every turn in the social media phenomena.  One such person is Josepf Haslam.  I coined him the “Godfather of Social Media” simply because he is an expert, personable and willing to lend an opinion, always.  Josepf Haslam is at the heart of Social Media.  Luckily, I was able to squeeze in time with Josepf while he “ went from Montreal to Kingston NY to Philly, last to see my girls 13/15 and then back to Kingston on Monday and Montreal Monday night”.  Whew. 

1.      How did you get into Social Media, why, and when?

 I have been involved with Social Media since 1979, we just didn’t call it that then!   As an early advocate of Social Media,  I helped implement a global infrastructure at DuPont along the way.  To me the reasons are obvious, collaboration, connections, relationships, and speed.