SHAG 2012.

No matter how much I espouse positivity and optimism I struggle hugely to get my head together returning from the Christmas holidays.

As I sat in my car last Sunday morning feeling sorry for myself I got a text from out of the blue from the former Ernst Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Pádraig Ó Céidigh.

‘Hi P. What is your one big goal for 2012 in your personal and business life? No need to tell me, but what is the one success in 2012 that will make a significant difference. Then go for it’.

I did an immediate ‘SARAH’. I was -

Shocked that I got a text on a Sunday morning and rapidly
Angered that I didn’t have an answer to the question.
Rejected it because questions like that are for work days.
Accepted that this was the most important exercise I needed to do then and looked for some immediate
Help.

By Monday, 24 hours later, I had my answer – and with it direction, focus and energy.

In order therefore, to make 2012 a great year, take the time to:

1. Get a good SHAG for 2012 – (Smácht Hairy Audacious Goal).

2. Text or email it to me and we will remind you of it every Monday morning for 2012.

3. Create a 1 Page Strategic Plan for your business with monthly accountability – my sincere thanks to Brian Keville from Keville Mc Carthy O Sullivan, a Smáchtee in Galway, who did some great work on this over Christmas. I will conduct a complimentary Skype call with each Smáchtee this month to complete this great document.

4. Think big for 2012. I was speaking with Marie O’Riordan, the famous Irish girl who is taking the Middle East by storm, in Galway last week and I asked her what was the difference that made the difference in her life. She told me that she met with Bob Proctor three years ago and he told her to add a ’0′ on to what she hoped to earn that year.

5. And if you’re still in doubt as to the power of ‘thinking big’ reflect on the beautiful words of the American writer Marianne Williamson “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you”

6. Programme your SHAG each morning and evening on the screen of your mind. To intensify this, listen to Niamh Flynn’s excellent free hypnosis tape on hypnotized.ie or get the CD ‘Use Your Mind for a Change’.

Have a great 2012.

Pádraic.

There’s a lot of jargon in the sales industry.

And paradoxically, much of it is perpetuated by
under performers indulging in creative avoidance
of the real issue of selling which always was, and
always will be, to ‘enthusiastically tell your story
to four or five people a day’. (Frank Bettger- ‘How
I Raised Myself From Failure to Success in Selling’)

A case in point was highlighted at a course I gave on
selling last week.

A girl, partial to the sound of her own voice, asked
me to define the difference between a prospect and
a customer.

I began by tracing the origins of the words back to the
Latin where ‘pro’ means ‘for’ and ‘speculare’ is
the verb ‘to speculate’. I elaborated further to
mention that during the days of the great gold
rush the word ‘prospector’ assumed a far more
popular notoriety.

And then, just as people’s eyes started to glaze
over with boredom and ennui, the day was saved
by Flaherty.

Flaherty was a great buddy of mine who passed
on to his eternal reward some time ago. And, as
a result of advances in technology he continues
to communicate with me on a regular basis.

At this precise tipping point in winning/losing
the attention of my audience Flaherty intervened
to give his tuppence halfpenny on the difference
between ‘prospects’ and ‘customers’.

‘Padraic, the first thing I did when I crossed over
was to check out the accommodation. The first
place I checked out was Hell and I was utterly blown
away.

I was greeted at the gate by a beautiful girl. She
was welcoming, attentive and listened to my every need
before showing me around the top spots in Hell. She
offered to put me up, free gratis for the night, to sample
the delights of Hell. No expense or effort was spared on
entertaining me and I enjoyed a wonderful night.

So impressed was I with the service in Hell that next
morning I signed up forever without even visiting
Heaven.

The reality sadly is that Hell is not what the girl promised
it would be at all.

Only yesterday I complained bitterly to that same girl that
there was a massive difference between how I was treated
that first day compared to how I was being treated now.

‘Flaherty’ she replied, ‘The first day you came in here you
were a ‘prospect.’ Now you’re a ‘customer’.

I think we can profit enormously from Flaherty’s experience
in Hell.

How often have we been culpable of promising the sun, moon
and stars to prospects in order to win them only to eschew all
interest when they become customers.

Remember that your number one business strategy is retaining
your existing customers. What will you do this week to provide
a ‘prospect’ like service to your ‘customers?’

All you need is Smácht.

Pádraic

PS. If you’re interested in learning how Smácht can benefit
your business sign up for ‘Put Smácht on Your Business and Life in
2012.’ For details contact Anne on 091 865340 or p@omaille.ie

‘The greatest sin of all is the life unlived’. John O Donohue

On Sunday last I treated myself to one of life’s more pleasant
journeys.

New Quay in County Clare to Galway Docks via Galway Bay is the perfect antidote to a busy week and one pint too many on Saturday night.

I was aware that there was a leak in the boat, but with a south westerly wind behind me and a positive attitude before me, I figured I’d just about make the six mile crossing.

And I was 99% right.

I got within 400 metres of my destination before the electronics got
swamped and the engines cut out.

As the water rose around my feet I was assailed by a sinking feeling.

Instinctively, and without thinking, I roared ‘Help’.

The value and wisdom and futility of that outburst became immediately apparent.

At 5pm on a November evening, and with darkness rapidly descending, there were no other boats in the vicinity and highly unlikely that anyone on shore to witness my dilemma.

Reality struck – cold and wet and foreboding – and with it was unleashed some primordial sixth sense sometimes referred to as the ‘survival instinct’.

Having studied Maslow’s ‘Hierarchy of Needs’ in College and taught it to hundreds of students over the years I never truly understood it until that moment.

Maslow was on the money. Survival is our most base human need. And
it kicks in with aplomb.

I was wearing a life jacket and immediately realised that buoyancy was my most immediate need. I salvaged another buoyancy aid from the fast sinking boat and also managed to secure a floatable life ring. I reasoned that even if the boat did go down I could survive for hours in the water.

That was before I noticed a massive liner in the dock area preparing
to avail of the high water mark and head for the open seas directly in
my line. The chances of it seeing me in the darkness were slim.

Need number two quickly became communication. God rest Steve
Jobs soul. Despite wet and trembling hands the mobile phone worked.

So also did the receivers of those calls. Barry Water’s, my nephew-in-law and an army officer was meeting me in the Docks. To his credit he was coolness and composure personified. Not alone did he alert the RNLI but he also managed to intercept Denis Mc Grath who had a RIB in the area at the time. I also rang Gerry Sweeney, boatman extraordinaire and a great fundraiser for the RNLI. When I told him
the boat was going down 400 yards from Nimmo’s pier he burst out laughing.

Denis arrived within minutes and succeeded in strapping his boat to mine. The RNLI arrived shortly after and very soon ‘El Cabron Amirello’ and I were safely on terra firma.

The experience taught me a few lessons about life.

1. Plug the leaks – financially, emotionally and physically.
2. Don’t go so fast that you haven’t time to bail the boat.
3. Get good safety equipment whether that’s insurance,
a burglar alarm or a decent pair of shoes.
4. In matters of survival, communicate with the best.
5. Also, get around people who can laugh, even when
the boat is going down.
6. Continue moving forward despite your fears.
Historically, the survivors of any great challenge
are those who have kept moving forward.
7. As the founder of Aer Arann, Padraig O Ceidigh, said at
Smácht Mór last week ‘Live life on the edge’. ‘When you
live life at the centre of the wheel you’re going around
fast but you’re going around the same ground. When
you’re on the edge you cover a lot more ground. Sail
uncharted waters. ‘Certainty’ is a boring word for
entrepreneurs. They embrace the beauty of uncertainty
in every moment of their existence’.

In conclusion, I cannot commend highly enough the responsiveness
and the professionalism of the RNLI. As a society we owe much to these wonderful people who give of their time voluntarily.

Fair winds.

All you need is Smácht.

Padraic

Brendan Behan was well aware of the impact of first
impressions.

On arrival in Canada he was asked by a Custom Official
as to what his purpose for visiting the country was.

‘To drink Canada dry’ was Behan’s considered and
honest reply.

My first visit to the land of the Maple was considerably
more inauspicious but nonetheless inducted me
greatly in the art of first impressions.

In what was only my second week with a new international
organisation I was privileged to be seated beside Dan Stamp,
the legendary founder and President of Priority Management,
on a three hour flight between Vancouver and Quebec.

Immediately upon being seated, Dan proceeded to press
the internal flight assistance button and summoned a flight
attendant. She was not impressed with our eagerness and
politely informed us that cabin assistance did not commence
until after take off.

Unperturbed, Dan reassured her that all he and his travelling
companion wanted were two comment cards to provide
feedback on the quality of the flight.

With the sweetest of smiles – you know the one that is a cross between sympathy and ‘stop you’re messing now’ – she told us that ‘Comment Cards are only ever distributed prior to the flights final descent’.

With an equally dashing smile Dan insisted on getting the cards now.

To say his request caused a modicum of consternation was an
understatement. As she reluctantly retreated to to get the forms
she was surrounded by a gaggle of other flight attendants who
were now giving us the proverbial ‘daggers’.

Upon getting the forms Dan told me to copy closely the sentiment
of his words. Having ticked every superlative rating for ‘Quality,
Service, Safety and Comfort’ he proceeded to write in qualitative
detail about the excellence of the flight.

‘I travel the world on business and the level of customer service
provided on Air Lines is a source of great passion to me. Frequently
I’m disappointed. I must say the quality of service on this flight
stands out as one of the best I’ve ever experienced’. He went on to
cite a number of specific examples about the food, the ambience,
and the comfort. Finally, he wrote three glowing lines about our
attendant and how impressed he was with her’

Just as the pilot switched on the ‘fasten your seat belts sign’ Dan
once again pressed the ‘bing bong’ switch. Two completed comment
cards were presented to our Attendant.

Fifteen minutes after take off, Dan and I were invited to upgrade
to First Class, compliments of the crew.

The lesson from this blog is not to provide insincere feedback
in order to blag upgrades although that’s a bonus. It is to make us aware of the power of positive expectation. Tell people in advance that you expect the best of them and watch their performance soar.

Next time you visit your accountant, dentist, doctor ……. Tell them
at the outset of the appointment how highly you regard them
and how you expect them to be of wonderful service.

This week, resolve to fly first class everywhere you go.

Padraic

‘God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference’.

Reinhold Niebuhr.

One Sentence and Six Words to Live a Great Life.

1. ‘God/Spirit’: n. ‘the vital principle or animating force within living things’.

Many of the great writers and thinkers speak of the existence of a ‘Higher Power’ or ‘Senior Partner’. Whatever name you choose to refer to it by there is incontrovertible evidence that we are spiritual beings living in a physical body. Do yourself a massive favour today and enlist the services of your ‘Senior Partner’. This is another metaphor for appealing to the deep wisdom of your subconscious mind. Include your ‘Senior Partner’ on your internal Board of Directors. Trust it to give you serenity, courage and wisdom with every decision or challenge you face in life. The next time you’re overwhelmed and lost turn your dilemma over to your ‘Senior Partner’ and listen.

2.   ‘Serenity’: n. 1. ‘a disposition free from stress or emotion. 2. ‘a state of being calm, tranquil and peaceful’. 3. ‘possessing presence of mind’.

‘Serenity’ should be our ultimate aim. Repeat those wonderful words – serenity, tranquility, calmness, peace – over and over in your mind. Embed them deeply into your subconscious. When you feel challenged by the vicissitudes of life think of these magic elixirs. Whenever you make a decision ensure that you do so from a position of ‘serenity’. Whenever you’re worried or concerned about a situation, an event or a loved one shower them with the presence of those serene words.

3.  ‘Accept’. n. ‘to receive willingly’

What wisdom!  Imagine if you were to ‘receive willingly’ everything life throws at you. Try it for one day. This means accepting things as they are not as you want them to be. Deepak Chopra puts it brilliantly when he says ‘Accept the present but intend the future’. This entails accepting everything unconditionally from your body to your job to your mother to the sale you just lost and went to your competitor. In addition accept those things you cannot change. Go on. Make a list of those things you’ve been trying to change for years.

4.   ‘Courage’ n. ‘the state or quality of mind or spirit that enables you to face danger or fear’. The word courage derives from the Latin ‘coeur’ which means heart.

Think Peter Stringer. Although a foot smaller than most of his contemporaries his heart was immeasurably bigger. Every day have the courage to do at least one thing that scares the living daylights out of you. Courage is not being unafraid. It is being scared but following through irrespective. Feel the fear and do it anyway.

5.   ‘Wisdom’. n. ‘the ability to discern or judge what is true, right or lasting. Common sense; good judgement’.

Confucius leave’s me in the halfpenny place when it comes to wisdom. He once said that ‘By three methods we learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is bitterest’.  Wise man, Confucius.

6.  ‘Difference’.

Just five comments on making a difference. One, I believe what Florence Robinson said all those years ago is as true now as it was then – ‘People don’t understand that not only can they make a difference, it’s their responsibility to do so’. Secondly, Jim Rohn summarised just about every time management principle ever written when he said ‘there are only ever about half a dozen things that make 80% of the difference in any area of your life’. Thirdly, what difference did you make last week? Fourthly, what difference will you make this week? Fifthly, what difference will you make in the next five minutes?

Please email me some of the differences you made at p@omaille.ie

On Wednesday last I got a text from Pádraig Ó Céidigh which I believe is full of wisdom.

Here it is verbatim.

‘In life, don’t wait to land a knock out punch because it may well not happen. Instead look to win on points over 15 rounds. Get to the end of the round, go back to your corner – to your friends, take a breather. Reflect on how the last round went, review the fight so far. Change tactics if you have to. Then go out for the next round with energy and optimism. That’s what I’m doing. Also I’m texting this as I drive. So, I will stop it there’.

How often does our culture espouse the virtues of the quick fix, get rich quick, pay later approach to life!

The reality is that in business and in life you have to pay the price.

There are very few overnight successes.

In order to harvest in the autumn you have to sow in spring.

No one else can do your push ups for you.

In his seminal book ‘The Tipping Point’, Malcolm Gladwell suggested that the price of mastery was ’10,000 hours’.

I think Pádraig’s text is a wonderful formula for business and life.

Firstly, that life is a journey, every much as a destination, and that while the destination is important, it’s more critical to enjoy the journey.

Secondly, life isn’t so intolerable if we have a number of pit stops, or rounds, scheduled. Take short breaks frequently is an ongoing mantra of Smácht.

Thirdly, build in periodic ‘time outs’ where you recheck your vision, review your progress and change tactics if necessary.

Fourthly, never forget what Jim Rohn said that ‘you’re the average of the four or five people you’re surrounded the most of the time’. You need upbeat, positive and encouraging friends in your corner who know you well enough when to give you a kick in the ass or a pat on the back.

Fifthly, understand that life is a process and generally you get out what you put in.

This week, make time to finish your round winning on points ie winning against yourself. Each time you do something that enables you to become a better version of yourself is worth a point and will stand to you over time. Then take some time out with your supporters to review and recheck and refresh.

All you need is Smácht.

Padraic

PS. To hear Pádraig perform in person, make sure you book in to Smácht Mór on November 11th 2011. He will be one of the speakers at an event that is guaranteed to inspire and reinvigorate you. Go to www.omaille.ie to reserve your place.

PPS. Imagine if you never had the sense of sight or hearing and then, one day, you acquired them. Imagine all the things you’d be able to do. Many of us have a sense – our sixth sense – that we are barely even aware of and that is always there at our disposal to create magic in our business and life. Learn how to access and activate your sixth sense to win more business, manage people better, make better and more informed decisions and spice up your relationships. On October 24 next, from 5pm to 9pm in the Maldron Hotel, Oranmore Padraic O Maille teams up with well known clinical hynotherapist, Niamh Flynn to present a programme called ‘Inside the Mind of a Conman – How to Access and Activate Your Sixth Sense to Sell More, to Succeed More and to Score More’.

This quotation comes from Sean Beirne of Acorn Life and SMÁCHT Glasson and is one of my all time favourites.

It requires very little further explanation.

Last week at the National Ploughing Championship Jim Dockery, MD of FRS Training and SMÁCHT Glasson, put himself in grave danger of getting business.

Earlier in the day his heifer, Pippa Dockery, was the proud winner of the All Ireland Angus Cross Championship and created considerable consternation amongst the assembled media.

Pippa is pictured here in the centre flanked by her proud owner Jim Dockery on the left and the Sunday World’s fashion editor on the right.

Unbeknownst to Pippa, and her adoring Jim, she flagrantly violated many of the cardinal sins of staying safe from getting business.

In fact she flew in the face of all four of the ‘AIDA’ attractors of business.

You only have to ask yourself any one of the following four questions and you begin to realise the danger she put Jim and FRS Training in.

1. Did she attract ATTENTION?

2. Did she create INTEREST?

3. Did she stimulate DESIRE?

4. Did she incite ACTION?

Furthermore, Pippa and Jim were both unaware that two things you should never put in an image if you wish to remain safe from business are an image of an animal and/or a provocative girl. They are absolutely guaranteed to attract attention, and very probably business.

This week, as Jim and FRS are inundated with business, all is not lost.

There are several practical ways to lose customers and disentangle yourself from the danger of getting business.

Here are a few that Jim and Pippa can contemplate this week:

1. Don’t attempt, under any circumstances, to connect with any customers this week. This applies equally by phone, by email, by publicity but most crucially – don’t be caught talking to them face to face.

2. Don’t deliver anything you promise this week. You wouldn’t

believe how quickly this will protect you from increased

business.

3. The key safety measure is not to show any INTEREST

whatsoever in customers this week. This is the ultimate

protection and nearly always works except in situations

where your customer is in a life or death predicament and

simply can’t get their needs met anywhere else.

Join Pippa and Jim and put yourself in danger of getting business this week.

1%   lead it.

4%   are in it.

5%   watch it.

90% don’t even know there’s a parade on.

This week find yourself a parade and start marching.

Don’t over duly concern yourself with leading the parade. As the Sunscreen song said ‘Somedays you’re in front. Somedays you’re behind’.

John Webb O Rourke, Smácht Limerick, came seventh last out of 3000 competitors in Gael Force West last month.

After 31 kilometres running, 45 kilometres cycling and a kilometre kayaking across Killary Harbour, including running up and down Croagh Patrick, John never lead that event but as he reflected himself ‘I took myself on and I won against myself’.

This week, determine for yourself to find a parade, and start marching.

This week, determine to take yourself on, and win against your little old self that says you can’t.

This week, get into the parade called life, and enjoy every step of it.

EWIC is an acronym for ‘Excuses Why I Can’t.’

She would appear at all significant decision points in my life.

In my early days EWIC often appeared to me seductively under the guise of ‘You’re too young.’

Latterly, she’s begun to pose as a wise and erudite ‘You’re too old.’

Luckily for me, somewhere out in that cosmic cornucopia, is a benign competing force that occasionally reminds me that:

Tiger Woods was only 3 years old when he shot under 50 for 9 holes.

Mozart was only 8 when he wrote his first symphony.

Paul Mc Cartney was 15 when a guy called John Lennon asked him to be part of a band.

Bill Gates was 19 when he cofounder Microsoft in the middle of a recession.

Ralph Lauren was 29 when he created Polo.

Shakespeare was 31 when he wrote Romeo and Juliet.

The aforementioned Bill Gates was 31 when he was declared a billionaire.

Mother Teresa was 40 when she founded the Missionaries of Charity.

Jack Nicklaus was 46 when he shot 65 to win the Masters.

Henry Ford was 50 when he started manufacturing.

Ray Kroc was a 52 year old milkshake machine salesman when he bought out the McDonald brothers and started McDonalds.

Pablo Picasso was 55 when he painted ‘Guernica’.

Dom Perignon was 60 when he first produced champagne.

Nelson Mandela was 71 when he was released from Robin Island prison and was elected president 4 years later.

Michaelangelo was 72 when he designed the Dome of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

Dimitrion Yordanidis was 98 when he ran a marathon in 7 hours and 33 minutes, in Athens, Greece.

Ichijirou Araya was 100 when he climbed Mount Fugi.

This week, try living excuse free.

Think about it. You can achieve one heck of a lot in that period if you simply have the SMÁCHT.

The following questions, straight out of the Smácht body of knowledge, will take no more than 5 minutes daily to complete.

The results could last you a lifetime.

Strategy:

1. Whayouwa?

Or as translated by Brendan Grace in a ‘Chinese     Takeaway’  ’What do you want?’

Put simply, you can’t hit a target you can’t see.

What would be a a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) that would make it a great 2011 for you?

2. Why do you want it?

The ‘why’ question provides the motivation. The word ‘motivation’ derives from the Latin which means to ‘move’. Without motivation, nothing happens.

3. When will you achieve it?

Deadlines work. Period.

4. Where are you now in relation to your BHAG?

Current reality often provides the inspirational

Dissatisfaction required to move us forward.

5.How will you achieve it?

Every house first has a blueprint before a nail is

hammered.

6.Who do you need to help you expedite your BHAG ASAP?

Remember Jim Rohn’s all time classic ‘You are the average of the five or six people you’re surrounded by the most?’

7. What will you do today to accelerate your progress on your BHAG?

Money:

8. What do you understand by Financial Freedom?

9. Why is it important to you?

10. When will you have achieved it?

11. Where are you now in relation to FF?

12. How will you achieve it?

13. Who are the people who best can help you achieve it?

14. What will you do today to accelerate progress towards FF?

Attitude:

15. What exercise will you take today to increase your energy?

16.  What people will you surround yourself with today to increase your energy?

17. What thoughts will you think today to increase your energy?

18. What problems will you proactively solve today to increase your energy?

19. What people will you make feel important today?

20. What ‘Me Time’ will you take for yourself today simply just ‘to be’.

21. What victories are you celebrating today?

22. How can you make a better version of yourself today?

Connections:

23. How many people will you enthusiastically tell your story to today?

24. How many people will you make feel important today?

25. How will you promote you and your business today?

26. What good turn will you do for someone today and not get found out?

Health:

27. What exercise will you do today?

28. What food will you fuel your body with today?

29. What rest will you gift your body today, knowing that fatigue makes cowards of us all?

Time:

30. Where will you record details of your time today – on an envelope, on a post it note, on the back of your hand or in a system that will remind you of when you need to take action on it?

31. When will you plan this day – all 86400 seconds of it? Surely it merits maybe 400 seconds. Doesn’t it make sense to spend 400 seconds planning the quality of the other 86000?

32. How will you stay focused on a plan of action for the day, even in the fire of numerous interruptions?

33. What will you say ‘N0′ to today and feel great about it?

34. How will you connect today to your BHAG for the next 100 days? Hint. Revert to questions on strategy.

35. What will you do today to make 2011 your greatest year yet? Remember, it’s all about time.

In conclusion, today is a great day to begin anew your quest to making this a great day and, in so doing, creating a better version of you.

Make it a great 100 days beginning today.

All you need is Smácht.