Dondi Scumaci Blog

Once in a while a book comes along that changes the way you think and how you do business…forever. As you find ways to practice the principles, something else changes too – your results. That was certainly the case when I read The Go-Giver, by Bob Burg and John David Mann.  

That powerful “little story” delivered Five Laws of Stratospheric Success and they resonated! The Go-Giver became a team project, as we looked for ways to apply the laws personally and professionally. It changed the way we looked at our business, our customers, and each other.  We loved that “little red book” around here!

Burg and Mann have done it again! Today, Go-Givers Sell More officially launches. I had the opportunity to read an advance copy and it’s brilliant. (If you’re on my gift list, guess what you’re getting for your birthday?)

More than a handbook for sales, this is a guide for understanding people and building successful relationships. This is the book that tells us the truth about selling. (And the truth may surprise you.) It’s a blueprint for creating value, extending your reach, and increasing your influence. Go-Givers Sell More will encourage your authenticity and challenge you to live more generously.

There is tremendous power in this! As you apply the principles outlined in this book, you will as the authors say, “not only make a good living, but create a great life.”

To order your copy of Go-Givers Sell More (and recieve a package of e-bonuses you can enjoy immediately) visit http://www.gogiverssellmore.com/launch-special/.

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It is amazing to look back now and see how my story has changed. What a fantastic journey.

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It’s exciting when you have an opportunity to learn from the best. That has to be one of the best parts of social media and social networking. You can tap into the wisdom of great mentors and thought leaders. You can surround yourself with successful people and fresh ideas. In this case, I’ve done both.

I’ve been reading Endless Referrals (Third Edition) by Bob Burg. It’s definitely an opportunity to learn from the best. If networking is priority for you, this is a great resource. Burg will turn typcial networking notions on their head as you learn how to:

• Position yourself the ‘Center of Influence’ in a networking situation.
• Become a great connector.
• Ask one key question that separates you from all the “networking” noise.
• Follow up in world-class ways.
• Create ambassadors for your products and services.

The most successful people I know have built strong, vibrant networks. They invest themselves beautifully in the success of others. Bob has done that with this book. He’s given us a system for networking that really works! It’s authentic and filled with integrity. Just like the author – who in my experience walks his wisdom every day.

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In just a few weeks my next book, Career Moves will be released. I am thrilled with this one. “She” is a little different from the others in one important way. In this book, two stories unfold. One is the story I tell; one is the story you tell. I can’t wait for you to meet the characters and connect more fully with the story unfolding inside of you!

I asked a dear friend who is an executive for a global company to read an advance copy and give me feedback. It was amazing to see how she connected with the story and built upon it. She pulled her own story out of mine. That is exactly what Career Moves is designed to do!

One of the metaphors you will find in reading the book is the bonsai. Here is a quote from Zoe, a character in Career Moves:

“Some people think bonsai trees are just miniature versions of larger trees, and something cruel has been done to keep them small. I used to think that too, but it isn’t true. Bonsais are a wonderful example of disciplined, deliberate growth. I think that’s a good metaphor for what is happening here—growth that is elegant and purposeful. It takes understanding and commitment to grow a bonsai. There is a science to it, but it is also an art form.”

Just days after my friend read the manuscript, an orchid arrived at my door. A lovely Lady’s Slipper. Attached was a note: “I love the bonsai metaphor. Orchids have a story too. Next time we talk I’ll share it with you.”

Completely intrigued, I called her!

She explained that orchids are unique in the way they pull nutrients from the air. Some orchids, like the Lady’s Slipper don’t take nutrients from the soil. They literally “inhale,”  taking what they need from the air! They work with the environment to create something extraordinary. That is a beautiful metaphor for a life well-lived: working where we are, with what we have to create something marvelous.

This book is special in another way too. The foreword is written by someone I admire and respect so much. Thank you Bob Burg, Co-Author of The Go-Giver and Go-Givers Sell More. Your endorsement and foreword is a precious gift.

Stand by. In a few days, I have a gift for you.

You were designed for success and built to grow,                          

Dondi

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A moving video clip has me thinking today about “Playing to Our Strengths.” (I’ll share the link with you in just a moment, if you’d like to watch.) It’s an inspiring story about a service dog, trained from birth to do a particular job – a job he wasn’t entirely suited for. When he finds his service “niche,” the results are beyond awesome!

The same thing can happen to people. If we find ourselves in a bad fit, it’s like wearing shoes that pinch your toes. Off we go scrunching our toes – focused more on what is uncomfortable than on what is possible. All the training in the world won’t make those shoes fit better.

Sometimes I ask audience members, “If you could be any animal, what would you choose…and why?” It’s an interesting question; sometimes the responses are quite profound.

My favorite comes from a gentleman in Dallas. He said, “I’d choose the mountain goat. They are strong and surefooted. They go where others can’t or won’t.  Most of all they enjoy it! Mountain goats love to do what they are built for…they love to climb.”

I would love to hear how you are playing to your strengths. What are you doing to find your service niche?

As promised, here’s the video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGODurRfVv4

Remember you were designed for success and built to grow!

All the best,

Dondi

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Every Spring, my parents travel from Oregon to Texas for a visit. This has become such a tradition for our family – we block the calendars a year in advance to protect those dates. When they finally arrive, we celebrate the victories, tell wonderful stories and laugh long into the night. Every year their visit leaves something behind. Something beyond precious.

This year, my father repaired our gates.

We worked for hours he and I – much of the time in contented silence. To be there – working together was enough. There are moments I captured in my mind – like snapshots. I will never forget them. Watching him work with his baseball cap tilted off to one side, thinking how he has always been able to build anything and fix everything.  Seeing his once young hands, older now. Knowing that it causes him pain to stand for a long time on knees that are weary. Drinking strong coffee and wanting to hold onto the moment forever.

Gates are a mighty metaphor, representing what we let in and what we keep out of our lives. Gates protect what we care about. They are the boundaries we set and the invitations we make. As we worked, I thought about the “virtual” gates in my life. I  wondered about the condition of those. What am I allowing? What am I blocking? What have I locked out, and what have I locked in?

Winter has come. Each time I swing those gates open, I see my father’s face. And each time I close them I am grateful again. As a child, he was a larger-than-life-hero. Some things don’t change, even when you are all grown up with gates of your own.

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There is a whole lot to worry about, so you better get started right away!

For many of us worry is a constant, all-too-faithful companion. (That’s fair, because in many ways we “invite” her along for the ride. We don’t like her, but honestly some of us don’t know what to do without her!) Once “she” attaches herself to you, she can be so hard to shake! She attends meetings, interrupts your work, steals your energy, and battles with your confidence.

Worry usually doesn’t travel alone. She networks! She is more than happy to introduce you to her colleagues. Doubt, Criticism, and Negativity are three of her favorite peers, but Fear is her boss.

Worry can become a habit. Some people might even say an addiction! If you can relate to that, and you want to break free, consider these steps:

1. The first step to breaking the habit of worry is to become more aware of when you are worrying and what you are worrying about. (Do not allow worry to crouch in the corner of your mind. Pull her out into the light and look her squarely in the face!)

2. Set an appointment with worry and give her your complete attention! Take notes. Write it all down. Don’t worry, (pun intended) when she is finished with her agenda, you’re going to introduce her to gratitude, action, and vision. (That, by the way will make her very uncomfortable, and she may cancel future appointments with you.)

3. Once you have exhausted yourself with the worst case scenario, imagine how you want things to turn out. Picture the outcomes you want.

4. Brainstorm actions you can take to move closer to your goal.

5. Finish your meeting with one more list. What are you grateful for? (This is where you introduce worry to gratitude. I promise worry will not hang around to chat it up.)

In Chapter 6 of Ready, Set.Grow, you will learn more about breaking the worry habit. (And if worry is an addiction for you, chapter 6 will be your “Worry Intervention.”)

All the best,

Dondi

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Here’s the thing about opportunity. “She” has a wardrobe filled with
disguises. Sometimes opportunity just doesn’t look like opportunity! If you
aren’t watching for her, she may brush right by you unnoticed. I’m learning
that opportunity doesn’t always knock. Sometimes she waits in the wings or
behind the scenes.

For example:

. She attends the team meeting that’s been derailed by excuses and
negativity. There’s your opportunity to be a catalyst for positive momentum. Change the course of the conversation with an accountable question. “What pieces of this problem do we control?”

. Opportunity is available for that routine, mundane task. How? She would
ask, “How can you add value to this? How you make it better?”

. You’ll find her as you greet the day, when you are grateful for
the opportunity to start fresh and try again. Each day brings with it a new slate of opportunities.

. Notice her when you decide to break out of destructive patterns
and make new choices for yourself. The options and chances here are endless, limited by only your imagination.

. She may hide behind a persistent problem or inside a daunting task you’ve been procrastinating. She may simply dare you to try something new as you approach the task or maybe, if you’ve been putting it off, just to begin.

. She’ll even dream with you – big, beautiful dreams about the
future that you want to create with her by your side.

Thinking about opportunity in this way changes where I look for her and what I
think she looks like. I want to recognize her in all of her disguises!
When I can see opportunity, she allows me to take her hand and go further than I’d imagined possible!

All the best,

Dondi

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Sarah Palin has given us a lot to talk about this 4th of July weekend. Her announcement to step down 18 months before her term ends as the Governor of Alaska has created quite the buzz. Many people are ready to offer opinions about what it means. I’ve seen everything from “brilliant” to “irresponsible.” Speculation swirls as bloggers, journalists and political commentators analyze her intentions. Was her decision to resign a bold move or a big mistake?

I don’t want to weigh in on the speculation around Sarah Palin. I’ll leave that to the speculators.  Rather, I want to talk about women who make bold moves, whether we agree with them or not, and what we can learn from them. Here is my short list. What would you add?

1. It’s possible to advance in a different direction. Stepping down doesn’t necessarily mean stepping back.

2. Your brand is the platform you build. From the there you can reinvent yourself in surprising ways.

3. Bold moves and big platforms make great targets; make sure you are grounded by your values and a compelling vision.

4. Bold moves will cost you something.

5. If you realize that you can’t achieve your goals from where you are, a bold move may be required.

6. Have your talking points ready, and don’t underestimate the power of social media to get your message through!

7. Be strategic. Make sure your current move won’t limit future moves. Don’t box yourself in with a short-sighted move.

8. You may be invited to defend your moves. R.S.V.P with care.

9. Your moves should reflect and protect what you value most.

I encourage you to step away from the political aspects of Palin’s story for a moment and think about your own bold moves!

. What risks should you be taking?

. What do you need to let go of in order to accomplish your goals?

. What keeps you from taking the next step and making a move?

All the best,

Dondi

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Determined to make social networking a real priority, I’ve officially jumped into the  Twitter stream. While relatively new to it, I’m coming up the curve quickly and happy to share my twittering tips with you. These points are also a gentle nudge to get your networking strategy on!

Here’s my TTTT (that’s twitter-speak for Top Ten Twitter Tips) aka “Things I wish I would Have Known Before I Started Tweeting.”

1.       Twitter is free and can be a powerful networking tool. Register your twitter account at twitter.com and off you go.

2.       You have to get to the point, because you only have 140 characters to speak your mind.

3.       Keep your brand in mind as you build out your profile and “present” yourself to the twittering community. Post a real picture of you and tell us who you are. (Give people a reason to make the connection.) Twitter is actually a great branding exercise!

4.       Twitter is about “Following” and “Being Followed.” Think of it like a community – you build a unique community by following people you are interested in and inviting them to follow you back. Search Twitter for people or topics that interest you. (I network with people who are passionate about mentoring, leadership, and personal development. I am also crazy about horses and have made some wonderful “horse” friends.) Build your following intentionally. When it comes to followers, more is not always better.

5.       Networking is about adding value, and Twitter is no exception. Look for what you can add to the community. Some tweeters shamelessly promote themselves and their products before building trust and credibility within the community. Tweeters are annoyed by the SPAM-like feel to these posts.

(I have a personal rule: If you SPAM me, I block you instantly.)

6.       Begin slowly. Follow a few people and sit back to watch how the dialogue goes. Read the articles and blogs they post. Reply with your own thoughts to start a dialogue. After a little while, you will begin to feel connected, you will find ways to contribute, and you will learn a great deal along the way. Twitter has replaced my newspaper. I can scan current events in 5 minutes and know exactly what is happening in the world.

7.       Posts a few tweets throughout the day. People pop in and out at different times to check on their “peeps.” Posting throughout the day increases the odds that your tweets are read.

8.       Before making a decision to follow you people are likely to read your last several tweets. So, before popping out, post a tweet with real substance. (What you had for lunch probably isn’t the most compelling thing about you.) This isn’t as daunting as it might sound. Substance is content/information people can use. That might be a news headline, the link to a blog you follow, or an inspiring thought. You can even share music and pictures on twitter. Content possibilities are ENDLESS, so don’t get lazy and post what’s in your  lunchbox.

9.       Be authentic! Let your uniqueness come through.

10.   Finally, budget your time. Building and maintaining connections is time consuming. You can be swept down the stream, losing all track of time!

Block out a few minutes for tweeting throughout the day and discipline yourself. (When the buzzer goes off..you are over and out!)

11.   BONUS TIP: Can’t resist just one more. TweetDeck is a great tool for managing your tweets and your peeps. I call it “My Dashboard.” The deck is free and I love it. Check it out at TweetDeck.com

Even people who see great value in networking have asked me, “What’s the point of Twitter?” I felt that way too…at first. Even as I faithfully tweeted, I secretly felt like I was twittering in the wind. It seemed like I was talking to myself! Then the connections started to click.

I’ve made some wonderful friends and business contacts. I regularly chat with one of may favorite authors, whom I would now call, “Dear Friend.”

I’ve gathered research for the book I’m writing now, and I’ve surrounded myself with people who energize and inspire me. Radio and television interviews have been scheduled on twitter, and I may have found the horse of my dreams.

Join me on Twitter.  I am @dondiscumaci . Or you can click the Twitter logo below to get directly to my Twitter feed!

You were designed for success and built to grow,

Dondi

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