Get Where You Want to Go

Get Where You Want to Go, David M. Mastovich, Page Publishing, 2010

The author runs a business consulting company in Pennyslvania. The book contains tips to help any sort of business to prioritize the work flow, and to help any owner or manager to get the most out of their resources, human and otherwise.

Poor service is a big problem these days. If you tend to keep missing goals, whether it's reaching your monthly sales figures or messing up a customer's order, the circumstances are less important than the fact that you are not delivering what you are promising. Admit it, and honesly work to fix the problem. A boss, or customer, will be a lot more forgiving toward someone who admits that they made a mistake, and is trying to fix it, than someone who is full of excuses.

Consider deliberate practice of presentations, sales calls, etc. It can be repated many times, it is designed to improve performance, it's mentally very demanding and continuous feedback is necessary. Usually, the difference between good and great performers is due to something like practice and preparation.

It's not enough to have a "great" product or service, and expect the world to beat a path to your door. You have to find your target audience (please be a lot more specific than, say, "women 25-54"), come up with a central idea or slogan, and tell your audience about it, many times. How will "it" save your client time or money, or otherwise make their life easier? It's all about the customer, not about you.

Has a salesman ever gone on and on to you about how wonderful their product is, without giving you a chance to tell them what you want? Don't do it to your clients. Learn to ask the right questions, and listen to their answers. They may just tell you exactly how to sell to them.

Why do some messages stick, in an ocean of messages that don't stick? The message has to be simple, it should be explainable in human terms, it needs to be believable, and it has to capture people's attention. Does your message fit any of those conditions?

This book covers a number of other subjects, and it is a gem of a book. It is recommended for all sorts of businesses, including schools and health care facilities, and is full of real world examples. This should be on the reading list of all managers and business owners.