Greetings Floor Dealers!
One challenge faced by anyone participating in a high-quality coaching program (Like Flooring Success Systems), attending a seminar, reading a business or self-improvement book, etc., is how to take the seemingly endless cascade of great information and organize it, so it’s useful.
I am a HUGE believer in self-education and coaching. School is never out for the professional. Plus, I’m a convert of my own preaching. As I write this I am part of a business coaching program, I subscribe to six advanced-level direct response marketing newsletters and audio CD programs, five trade journals, and I attend business and marketing conferences every year. That is on top of the information I research and gather from Strategic Alliance partners who appear on coaching calls and as guest experts in the various publications put out by Jim Armstrong Marketing Systems. And THAT’S on top of all the ideas I get on my own.
That’s a big ‘ol honkin’ stream of information!
But do I get overwhelmed? No. One reason is because I have a very simple system for gathering all the ‘nuggets’ that will make a difference in my business, and in YOUR business, and organizing them so I can access the exact strategy or idea at a moment’s notice.
Here’s what I do:
First, whenever I’m doing self-education (reading a newsletter, on a teleseminar, attending a seminar, listening to an audio CD) I always have an 8×11 legal pad handy. I use post-it notes to create divider tabs that separate the pad into topic sections. On each tab, I write the name of each topic.
Here are some recommendations:
• Marketing
• Systems/Administration
• Home Advisor ideas
• Resources
• Quotes/Self-improvement
Each time I fill up a notepad, I tear out the pages, punch holes in them, and put them in a 3-ring binder that has divider tabs which correspond to the post-its.
How to take notes when you’re driving
I’m a huge proponent of listening to marketing and business CD’s while driving. It turns wasted driving time into learning time, transforming your car into a “Marketing University on Wheels.” To make sure I capture all the useful nuggets, I keep a small, hand-held digital recorder in my car. Each time I hear something I want to remember, I press record and take verbal notes. Sometimes I’ll just let the recorder pick up what’s being said on the CD. Then once every couple of weeks I sit down with my notepad and write the nuggets into the appropriate section.
Now anytime I need ideas on any topic, I can simply flip through my notebook and…Walla! All organized so I can quickly find what I need. I’m absolutely, positively never at a loss for marketing ideas, self-improvement, quotes, etc.
You should do the same thing.
Another benefit of going through an active note-taking process is that it helps you internalize the concepts much more quickly than simply listening passively.
To Tons Of Customers!
Jim Augustus Armstrong is The “Coach”
Jim Augustus Armstrong is the President of Flooring Success Systems, a program that equips dealers to double their profits, cut their work hours in half and beat the boxes! Many dealers have totally transformed their businesses and their lives for the better after joining Flooring Success Systems.
See what real, live dealers are saying!