Unemployment creates opportunity. Strange to say, but it is true. Amidst the turmoil that follows the loss of a job is the quiet confidence of real, positive change. The numbers are staggering; 20% unemployment among all males in the U.S. (conversely 80% employment- the lowest since the stat was kept in the mid 1940's), 17.5% combined unemployment/underemployment, almost 11% overall unemployment (at least twice and almost 3 times the level of virtual full employment seen just 24 months ago). Yet, in spite of these numbers, there is opportunity.

These posts are written for a broadly targeted audience consisting of the unemployed, the underemployed, the self-employed, and the autonomously employed. While the first three are easily understood, the fourth refers to those unique individuals that are relatively secure in their position, have little or no meaningful oversight, but do have to produce results.

So with this backdrop and for this audience we embark on our journey toward Sales, Marketing and Client Relations excellence. We will start with a list of books under the topic heading of "The Basics". If you are seeking change or change has found you, there is no better way to deal with it than to review the writings of Spencer Johnson, M.D and his work entitled "WHO MOVED MY CHEESE".

Mentally preparing yourself for how you react to change is important. Also important is your financial well being. As a former financial advisor I could provide you a laundry list of statistics, ratio's and issues all topped with a certain sense of prudence. However this is not the place or the time for all those accounting details. You need to focus on the larger picture; raising your kids, college, your own time frame for retirement, and the lifestyle that suits you. While you are set to embrace change you still have to put effort into maintaining or realizing certain financial obligations. Just as Spencer Johnson helps with change, Lee Eisenberg helps you keep track of your financial goals in his book "THE NUMBER".

Both of these books are offered on CD and can probably be found in an MP3 or iPod format as well. Either way, you can get through them in less than 10 hours. Mental preparedness is the most important hurdle at this time. As you go through this series of postings we will come back to behavior and outlook discussions for reinforcement. As The Carpenters said "we have only just begun".

We will continue the list of books under the topic of "The Basics" next time.

We are still in the first half of the first month of the new year. Those new year resolutions are being tested. Whether it be a diet or exercise program, most changes are best done in moderation. Same applies to your professional life. Whether it be a new marketing approach or sales goals or client retentions and loyalty, it is best to make small, incremental, modest changes over time.

Why am I telling you this? Because over the next year I am proposing a makeover to the way you market and garner your business and to the way you retain clients and grow your business. I have assembled a library of over 50 books and broken them down into 9 general topics. These topics are:

The Basics
The Outlook
Analysis and Market Place
Personal Marketing
Sales
Client Relations Management
Organizational Management
Leadership
Business Management

I understand that not all of these topics will be of interest to you, however you may just find a little something to take away from each posting. However I must caution you that the approach I take in presenting this information is geared toward an individual making changes and improving their own goals. If you are a business owner or manager over a group of sales reps or customer service reps, then you may want to reach out to me for a professional, in-house training consult.

Enjoy the rest of the week and I will be back on the flip side of the weekend.

Happy New Year! It has been several months since my last posting. As a new year resolution I have committed to a series of postings for 2010. The series will start with the basics but with it being a new year I thought it would be a great opportunity to discuss laying out a model year and a model week.

I am sure all of us do this to some extent now and with the help of smart phones and connectivity devices it is easier than ever to set up. I remember starting to lay out model weeks in high school over 20 years ago; writing down homework, test dates, papers, etc. I would sit down on a Sunday evening and look at the week ahead. In college it became a bit more involved having to include laundry, dry cleaning, budgets and reminders to call home for more money along with Fraternity's, clubs, group research and study times.

So setting up the model week wasn't a difficult thing when you had due dates, but what happens when you get out of an academic environment and into the real world? Upon graduating from college I took a position as a sales rep. Not only did I not have assignments with actual due dates, I had no real structure. For the first time in my life summer wasn't a long rest and September held no more importance than any other month. I found myself lost with no structure and it was like I was just drifting in the ocean. I could see the beach but no matter how hard I swam I wasn't making any head-way.

I had to essentially hit the reset button and take a larger view of time. I had to look at the year as a whole. Where were the down times? When did I have to work hard? When would I take a break? I evaluated this to suit my target industry which was Academia. So the fall was a hard working time. The spring was a hard working time. The Christmas holiday season was a down time. Summer was somewhere in between hard working and down. However that being said I found out that August was just about dead. So I now had structure. I knew that from after Labor day to just before Thanksgiving was the busiest time in my profession. The springtime was spent ensuring that the work I put in in the fall would be rewarded as well as a time for making new contacts to approach in the upcoming fall. Early summer was spent finalizing the orders and getting paid. Just the nature of my particular industry at the time. Each industry is different and you have to learn what works for you. However setting up some structure will help you focus and keep you on track.

Next is the adult version of the model week. For this I find it best if you start with your family. What do the kids have and when and how do they get there. Family logistics can be very challenging. After that what clubs, associations, or networking in general do you have? Do you have a weekly tee time? How about Rotary or Masons? Do you have any civic responsibilities? What about church related commitments or other charities? Once you lay out these events then you know the time constraints to reach your goals.

It is amazing that once you stop floundering about and set a course, how manageable it all becomes. You may not realize your goals but you are never out of sight of them. Good luck in 2010. Look for more postings to help you become the best in your field this year.