Your Holiday is Over, Get Back to Work!

Happy New Year, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanza, Saturnalia, and every other winter solstice celebration!

We hope you had a fantastic time with family, friends, and college bowl games. Don't you wish it could last longer? But now the year is back in full swing. 

And what a busy year it has shaped up to be. I don't know about you, but I've done more in the past 10 days than the last month, and that's not saying December was a sleeper, either! So we're all back from break, ready for action, and there's more to get done than ever before. 

How does that align with those great resolutions we all made while still under the stupor of eggnog, food comas, and cheap champagne? It would seem a reckoning is at hand. 

My suggestion? Simplify and organize. Sure, now you're really overwhelmed, but you're going to need to take a few moments and figure out what is truly important, then how to proceed to achieve your obligations and goals most effectively. Just like you have made your business operation more environmentally responsible and streamlined (you did, didn't you?), get yourself in line!

Here's how:

Cut the complexity and regain focus (It's tempting to want to tell the whole story of your latest project, but a quick summary gets the idea across better for the majority. If someone wants more information, they'll ask.).

Manage your time (Do your activities help your business, your family? If not, then it's time to reconsider.). 

Look inwards (What's most important? Is that getting your deserved attention?).

I know, they seem so oft-repeated and ridiculous, but they do work, for both yourself and business strategy.

Your Goodbye Is Your Customer's Hello

It's been a long road getting here. Product development, testing, market research, production, scalability analysis...it never seemed to end. But now you've made it. You have a product ready for your customers (and hopefully the world) to enjoy. 

Now the real work begins. 

Sure, you're certain the formulation is safe, cost-effective, consistent, not subject to temperature swings, and countless other factors, but what have you done to ensure an ideal first experience?

A few days ago (I'm not joking), I strayed from my usual lunches and had one of those single-serve Greek yogurts. The first thing I noticed when I peeled the top was how the yogurt had been drizzled in an intricate pattern. It was classy and enticing, and I couldn't help but smile (and eat!). 

Their goodbye was my hello. 

They could have easily left out that pattern. No doubt, it added valuable pennies and seconds to the production line. Margins would be higher, yields as well. So why do something to your product that couldn't possibly even help sell it on the shelf?

My hello. 

Go back to my description of opening the container. Notice anything important? I was smiling about their product before even tasting it!

Before. Even. Tasting. 

What can we all learn from their example? That perceptions, obviously, matter, but not only the ones you slave over for days, weeks, months, maybe even years. You cannot forget the little things, those that "seal the deal" for your customer's satisfaction. 

Would I have eaten the yogurt if it had just been poured into the container? Sure, but it wouldn't have been as memorable. Which brand will I get next time I'm at the market? I think you can guess. 

Once again, the Beatles said it best, "You say goodbye and I say hello."

Sales Without Selling - Part 2 - The Right Passion, ahem, Person

Let's review what was covered before going further. The previous entry covered how the best sales is done without the customer ever knowing they were being sold. "Smell this perfume", "taste this appetizer", "try this cleaner": All ways to sell (if done properly) without selling. Bonus points if you can do it with nothing ever being said.

But how in the world do you get a team of people who can do that on a regular basis?

With a lot of patience, practice, research, and, yeah, time. Not to say that you'll be sailing the glistening seas of sales nirvana immediately following, but it will get you on the right path.

Hiring is a pretty complex process. Here I thought you read a resume, discussed it, interviewed, and either hired or passed on that person. Sure, now add lots of other steps in-between.

When we thought of how we wanted our Connection Development Agents to approach community businesses, we quickly realized that we talk about our offerings not as sales people, but as passionate citizens. So anyone working for us has to have the passion too.

And that, you cannot train.

So, is the resume check sufficient? Nope. For now, let's skip over the skills and qualifications assessment (which we perform differently as well) to what we can call step one:

• Do they have the vision, the passion?
• Are they open to learning about sustainability and community improvement?
• How does that passion appear when talking to someone they just met?

Yes, that is step one. We are a social enterprise, and everyone involved must truly care for it to succeed. A sales person visiting a retail establishment is not what we want, nor can ever use.

A passionate member of the community aiming to help another resident in building a more sustainable world isn't selling. They're making a difference.

And that's not easy to explain in a "Help Wanted" ad.

"GREEN" Is The New Black

This is a guest post by one of our Gold Certification Level members, Organic Catering & Events.

We love to throw a party! There is the food, the cocktails, the friends, the music, and décor.  So much fun.  The one thing we don’t like is the waste.  As a caterer and event planner in South Florida, I became more concerned with that waste. 

As we enter into the season of entertaining, the good news is that with a bit of creativity and a little know-how, you can have a fun festive affair, without it taking a toll on the environment.

Some tips for this season:

1. Supplies: Think like Grandma- Use the Good Stuff- break out the china, crystal and linens. If the event requires disposables look into the new lines of bamboo and plant starch plates, cups, utensils and napkins, they are biodegradable from a continual renewable supply with little negative impact on the environment.
2. Food: Leave behind your global thinking this time and think local.  Shipping ingredients from other parts of the world requires a tremendous amount of fuel.   Look to your local farmers market or CSA- Community Supported Agriculture.  The food will be fresher, taste better and generally more cost effective.
3. Décor: Be resourceful.  Use things you already have in a new and different way.  Use a potted plant orchid or fresh herb, wrap the pot in a cloth napkin and display on a glass block or cake stand for the center of each table.  Afterwards, plant in garden and reap the rewards.
4. Drinks: Simplify here and take advantage of local or seasonal ingredients by serving a signature cocktail and just some select wines and sparkling waters for your event. My favorite this year is our “Florida Snowball Martini” a mix of coconut waters, vodka a triple sec. Fun, Festive and Memorable. Keeping it stylish and unique without the waste.

For more info on how to have a green party or event and other eco-friendly food, drinks and entertaining tips call or email www.OrganicCateringandEvents.com or 954-568-2383

Always in Good Taste,

Chef Marci Boland

How Will You Change the World (Steve Jobs, in memoriam)

Yesterday evening, we learned incredibly sad news...Steve Jobs has passed away.  He fought gallantly with pancreatic cancer and thrived on borrowed time for many years, bringing joy and his unmatched passion to his family and the world.

The story of his life will be told, and retold, in every media outlet, each aiming for a unique way to honor his life and accomplishments.  For they are wide-ranging.  Under his leadership, the world developed a relationship with digital music players, phones that acted more like science fiction, and slabs of glass that expanded on this idea exponentially.  But that’s not doing his contributions justice any more than saying that Einstein came up with an equation.  For entirely different reasons, the world is notably better following their presence.

He saw the world differently, in some ways, how it should be, others, how it could be.  He changed not only how people interact with technology, but developed it in such a way that those intimidated could approach it with confidence.  Art and engineering, together.  Complexity encircled by simplicity.

He’s been called the greatest CEO of all time, and it’s surely a valid statement, considering Apple is the most valuable company on the planet.  It’s certainly one of the most influential.  So what can we learn from his legacy?

That one idea can make a difference.  That boundless passion can shape an industry.  That putting your heart and soul into what you believe can change the world.  "Stay hungry.  Stay foolish."

Many years ago, Apple released a new marketing campaign entitled “Here’s to the Crazy Ones”.  It struck such a chord with people everywhere that it can still be found on every Mac.  Take a close look at that letter being written on the icon for TextEdit and you’ll see.  Art and form, together.

Here’s to the crazy ones.

The misfits.

The rebels.

The troublemakers.

The round pegs in the square holes.

The ones who see things differently.

They’re not fond of rules.

And they have no respect for the status quo.

You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.

About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them.

Because they change things.

They push the human race forward.

And while some see them as the crazy ones,

We see genius.

Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world,

Are the ones who do.

So, how will you change the world?

A Redesign & New Name!

Well, the redesign has been completed!  If you happen to be reading this post through Facebook, I'd strongly recommend you visit our blog at blog.greenprofitsolutions.com.  It has been re-styled and formatted to greatly enhance usability, provide a more welcoming experience, and give you the information you want quickly and effectively.

Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ Sharing: At the end of each post, there is a row of sharing buttons to quickly share with your network.

But now, on to the question you are most definitely asking: What in the world are Teacups of Sustainability?

Excellent question.

I am a tea person.  Tins of loose-leaf tea kind of tea person.  At home, it's the only thing I drink.  Cold, hot, as long as it is decaf after 3, all is great.

For the coffee drinkers in the audience, think about how tea is served.  Very often, it is in one large pot, with each person partaking in the experience using a small cup, call it a teacup.  This allows the tea you're drinking to stay warm (not too much in each cup), while the larger teapot remains hot.  Each pour is as wonderful as the last, since no sips are inappropriately tepid.

So a Teacup of Sustainability is the same idea.  Think of each post as a teacup.  Hot, fresh, and informative.  Every new post provides a few more insights into the large teapot of sustainability.  And you are welcome to partake in as much or as little of the conversation as you'd like.

Thank you for reading and I look forward to keeping the conversation fresh!

One final question: Do you think the address of the blog should be changed to teacupsofsustainability.blogspot?

A Sale Without Selling

Don't think about a sales person.

What was the first thing that naturally came to mind? Of course, someone trying to sell you something. Car salesperson, perhaps? Maybe phone service...I can save you a ton of money on your cell phone bill.

In reality, the best selling is done without you ever realizing you were being sold. It isn't meant to sound nefarious or "sneaky"; that's just the way it happens. Remember that nice restaurant you were at last week, the one with the great waitress? Going in, neither of you considered an appetizer or their daily drink special, but half an hour later, there you are, sipping away on a wonderful concoction and fighting for the last of the incredible dip. 

Did you enjoy the meal more with those perks? The empty plates and glasses speak volumes. 

So, were you swindled? Of course not. Most likely, the waitress sold you without selling. Maybe she mentioned what the chef was featuring that night, or even explained her favorite items on the menu.

This is how sales should be handled in every industry. Unintrusive and catering to their desires and needs, showing how the product fits the customer, not trying to shape the customer to the product. 

Turns out, this is a rare skill. Lesson learned for our own team.

But, oh, such a shame...our time is up for today! More on how we have worked to overcome this issue and let our clients and potential customers learn how our products and services can help them next time.