So here was my plan: I was going to get in touch with the local Police Department for advice on how to prove to guests that they are too far-gone to handle a vehicle. You know, things like ‘touch your nose’ or ‘walk a straight line.’ Naturally, if you need to ask, they probably are too drunk to drive, but convincing them of that is the issue.

When S/Sgt. Stephen Bishop of the Barrie Police Dept. got back to me (quite promptly, I might add), he said that such tests weren’t a good idea, since a seasoned drinker would have to trouble passing. Either way, the host is still legally responsible, and his summary was chilling: “You wouldn’t be the first to lose your house in a civil suit.”

So the best plan is what’s recommended on all the commercials: Transit, taxi, designated drivers, or just stay over.

We’ve come a long way in regards to responsible drinking, and most people will have a plan, or admit when they’ve gotten carried away. Let’s all help the upward-spiral, and be sure to have a safe holiday season for all!

You may remember being at Sunday School or Summer Camp and singing “Count your blessings, name them one by one…” Then we out-grew it. Years of conflict-entertainment and sit-com cynicism can leave one a little jaded. It can even get to the point where complaining makes for more entertaining conversation than the things that we may find uplifting.

But here you are, reading a Blog on how to improve your business relationships – Kudos! While we all succumb to the weight of bad moods and scoffing, there are those who are willing to spend their time trying to improve themselves, and you, dear reader are one of those.

So, off of the top of your head, what do you find enjoyable about your job? There are almost certainly some people who you are glad to work with, be they colleagues or clients. What is it about the service you provide that benefits your customers, and what about their experience with you will make them glad they chose to patronize your business?

And what about the simple pleasures outside of your employment? If the day’s getting you down, it may do you some good to think of something funny your spouse said, or when a child muddled some words to come up with something totally off-the-wall. Pets are great for this too – it’s hard to stay in a funk when a dog comes running to greet you.

The point is this; if you have an on-going appreciation for the little things life gives you, it will show. It helps to be a happier person, and it will show to all those you work with. It can make you more solution-oriented when you’ve conditioned yourself to find the Silver Lining, and people can’t help but be drawn to your positive attitude, and that’s just good for everyone.

In any industry, there are those names that are unknown outside of their circles, but when brought up to peers, they are spoken of as though they wear a cape and bring hope to Gotham.

Jeffrey Gitomer is one of those names. He is to sales, what Robert Kiyosaki is to entrepreneurship.  His site, www.gitomer.com lists ten books to his credit, and one co-written (with Nikita Koloff, of WWE Wrestling fame) including Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Red Book of Selling.

 If you take a quick flip through, it looks like it’s written for an 8-year-old, with large print, comics, and short segments. If you take another moment, you’ll find that it’s absolute gold, and its easily-digestible format is great, not only as a quick pick-me-up through the day, but for making his content easy to remember.

He writes with a voice that he describes as “In Your Face,” but who doesn’t? There’s no shortage of people saying “I’m the hardcore guy, can you handle me?!” yawn. Then Jeffrey calls a rehearsed sales speech “Puking all over your customers.” OK, I’m listening…  “If you’re not on fire, you’ll lose to someone who is,” and the cornerstone of this book, and possibly his whole career: “People don’t like to be sold, but they love to BUY!” 

So how does one get from ‘A Salesman’ to Provider-of-What-They-Love? Jeffrey provides “12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness.”  With a great mix of the inspirational and practical, Gitomer brings his vast experience to the crucial topics of personal branding, providing value, risk-reduction and other critical areas of commercial interaction. Granted, there are many books that cover similar topics, but this is hardly a re-packaging of the same-old-same-old.

 He has a brilliant tactic to bring his readers to his Website. Peppered through the book are “Red Bits.,” where the reader is encouraged to go to gitomer.com to type a keyword into the ‘Red Bit’ box for additional information on the subject at hand. On his site, you’ll find an orchard of resources, including a free assessment of your selling chops, articles, forums, and his weekly EZine, Sales Caffeine. This Emailed periodical features articles, surveys, Q&A, and his Sales Rants; a 2-5 minute video clip of him – you guessed it – ranting. And with two public-speaking awards, you can bet that these rants are entertaining.

So the next time you’re at the book store and you see one of his colorful little hard-backs, check it out, and you’ll find many great selling ideas, both explained and practiced.

There are several great reasons to Blog, and one of the primary reasons is Credibility.  If someone is reading your Blog once a day (or even once a week – this site works well with the Daily format, but a weekly, or three times a week can work just as well.), they will come to recognize you as the Go-To Guy in your field. Even if you’re not the smartest guy, or the world’s leading expert, you will still have given them plenty of information and ideas that they wouldn’t have heard if they hadn’t been receiving your Blog.

Before long, you’ll be settling arguments for your readers. For example, if you are writing a fitness Blog, and I’m about to take up running, there’s a good chance that I’ll get overwhelmed by all the shoes I’m able to buy. Perhaps I’m a little cautious of the sales staff too; I’m afraid that they’ll point me to the $400 shoes, for “Ergonomic” reasons, and plenty of other jargon that’s going right over my head. Well then, let’s just see what (insert your name here) says about what I’ll need, and what’s just unnecessary gimmicks. And while I’m there, what does “Ergonomic” mean and why should I care.

Suddenly, I’m on your site, and I’m there for awhile, learning that “Brand X” are just fine for my needs, but I’ve also been led to your Regiment Planning Page (hadn’t thought of that), and your Nutrition Page(I didn’t know more eggs would be involved either). Then, lo and behold, one of your sponsors offers those shoes at a more reasonable rate than the store I was checking out.

Does this scenario seem far-fetched? Hardly, and after you’ve built-up some traffic to your site, this could be happening several times a day. So keep this in mind when you’re considering your Blog, and Happy Writing!