Kevin Wallenbeck

Geat Time to be in Business

2009-06-26T19:58:00.003-05:00

Had a great conversation with the owner of a RV Dealership today. It's so encouraging to be able to sit back and listen to the pain points and desires of business owners and feel 100% confident inside that we can be of help to them without even having to stretch any of my words.

From the folks we have on staff at InteractRV, to the technology we use, to the marketing methodology we apply ... it's always improving, but I don't have to say ... yeah we can do that and then go back and ask our tech or marketing folks 'can we really do that'.

Having quality folks to work with and being able to get real results for our RV dealership clients ... what a great time to be in business.

It's Time to Grow Up

2009-05-08T11:47:00.004-05:00

Have you ever started a business? If you have and it has been any length of time you'll understand what I mean when I say that it can be consuming. If you've ever lived with or had a friend that started a business you probably know what I mean.

It's so easy to get consumed because you have to do everything ... sales, product/service development, customer service, accounting, and even empty the trash. Then over time your business grows (hopefully). You earn more clients. You start to hire folks to help with customer service and accounting. You start to take feedback from those around you on what you should do and how you might do it. Without even knowing it you might even start relying too much on those around you. Sounds kinda crazy, but it happens ... it happened to me.

I had forgotten that it was my intuition and vision that had gotten us to where we were. The folks that work at IWI are great folks and all of them dedicated to our success as a company. I care for each and every one of them.

What I was doing wasn't their fault. They were giving feedback that I had asked for. What had happened was my fault. I was taking feedback and then NOT making the decisions that needed to be made. It's not like IWI was on a decline or we had made some terrible decisions or that we were losing clients. Not at all.

The type of decisions that I had made years ago that started the run up to where we are now ... those decisions weren't going to carry us forever. It was time to start making the tough calls again. Sometimes the unpopular calls. Not arrogant or uneducated decisions, just tough ones.

Well, the time has come for me to grow up a bit and grab that bull by the horns once more. The future is looking bright for not just us as a company, but for our clients and their successes.

Oh, by the way I still take out my own trash!

Reading List of the Online Greats

2009-01-19T15:00:00.004-05:00

Did you ever sit with or be on the phone someone who you just wondered to yourself ... man, how did they get to know so much?

Because I spend a good part of my week educating and doing research that our marketing, development, and research specialists can use to produce better results for our clients ... it stands to reason that some of my time is spent either reading, talking with, or listening to the 'Greats of the Online World'. Those that have gone before and paved the way ... the folks who have witnessed success!

Well, here is a link to some of the resources that they suggest you consume to get in the know...

It was encouraging to read through and realize that I too have learned from many of the resources on their list. However, it seems for me that the more I learn the more I realize I need to learn.

Until next time...

SEO Crash Diet

2009-01-12T22:22:00.004-05:00

Nearly every week we have conversations with RV Dealers around the country that have Search Engine Optimization top of mind and want to get to the top of the rankings like now! Frankly, spending a bunch of time and money all at once on SEO is very similar to a crash diet. Over 90% of the time you might look good for a very short period of time but long term you might look worse than you did when you started.

Getting great results with SEO should be a continual improvement ... let's call it Lifestyle SEO. Just think about the results you can achieve with putting consistent monthly effort into optimization. You can more easily monitor the results and then the improvements you make on your improvements can generate compounded results!

So, stop thinking about getting SEO rich quick and put a plan together to continually make improvements to get where you want to be.

Until next time...

Gauging Business Temp in this Climate

2008-12-13T15:09:00.002-05:00

No big suprise that most businesses including our clients, who are Recreational Vehicle Dealerships, are mulling over every penny they are spending. Making sure it's worth it for them. Some are already in survival mode, meaning that no matter the actual value a product/service might provide it's the almighty upfront dollar that matters most.

It's hard to blame these types of dealerships when they contact us. They are looking for a better website marketing solution than what they currently have, but have a really hard time looking at things apples to apples and oranges to oranges. For these folks it's can I get something better than they have, but necessarily do I need the best solution out there. After all it's a matter of being in business 1 month from now or not.

Then there are the dealerships who are looking at positioning themselves strategically going into the selling season for 09. These are the folks that are confident of an upswing in the economy and want to be on top making sure they are getting the most they can when it does turn back around.

So, on one extreme is the temp is really cold and on the other it's pretty warm. Some dealers are really pulling the reigns in and some are using the reigns to guide them where they want to be in the future.

It's an exciting ride and I'm glad to be on it!

What does Web 2.0 really mean?

2008-10-21T20:51:00.002-05:00

If you've been around technology at all you've seen the verbage Web 2.0. What does it actually mean and where does it come from? Kamla does a great job in her interview with Tim O'Reilly (psst ... the guy who actually coined the term).

Check out the Web 2.0 Podcast here.

To listen you'll want to click the > button.

Continual Improvement is a Must

2008-10-01T19:39:00.002-05:00

It's a long word combination C O N T I N U A L I M P R O V E M E N T and it might seem scary, but ignoring it won't make it go away. However, you may find your business going away if you don't embrace it.

Check out this video from WilsonWeb with two of the best at website marketing...

I can personally attest that this works. Why is it that people tend to think that just putting up a website is good enough and updating it every 3 years or so is sufficient. My guess is that's how they run their business too.

If we ran our business that way we wouldn't be around very long at all.

Here' s to Continual Improvement!

Future Energy Debacle

2008-09-04T22:13:00.003-05:00

The more that I think about gas prices and the great energy debate the more I come to one major conclusion ... our dependence on foreign oil has been an easy decision up this point. When you look at the $700 BILLION per YEAR that we are sending overseas to countries that don't like us much and building their economies at the same time. We do get oil for money so we aren't throwing it away, but is it the right choice?

Just searching around online I came across two different articles written by T. Michael French. In 1990 while Director of DNR for the State of Louisiana he wrote this article. Then in 2002 he writes this article. The bottom line is in a span of 12 years he goes from no to alternative energy to what's holding up the progress for alternative energy. CRAZY!

I don't know much about The Pickens Plan which focues on wind and natural gas, but it's all over the TV.

What I do know is that we need to make a change and it's going to be more expensive in the short term and maybe even the long term. Regardless, we all need to bite the bullet and make some changes with our energy consumptions and where we spend our money to get it.

Craziest UnSubscribe Instructions Ever

2008-08-28T08:39:00.003-05:00

I just recently received a marketing email from one of our dealers that uses a web based email scheduler for sending emails over time to prospects. I did a test on this dealer's site the other day and now am in their email schedule.

I'm not sure if this is crazy or genius but read below their instructions if you wish to unsubscribe from receiving their marketing emails...

Please reply to this message with a subject line of 'UNSUBSCRIBE' to stop receiving mass emails. Note: There must be a dash (-) between each letter in the word U-n-s-u-b-s-c-r-i-b-e in the Subject line for the opt out to work correctly.

My guess is alot of folks don't unsubscribe and maybe that's the plan. The better retention solution might be ensuring the content of the emails are worthwhile to receive in the first place.

Thinking Forward

2008-08-24T14:51:00.004-05:00

As the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics come to a close tonight I couldn't help but be amazed at the thought of how many athletes are going home to prepare for the next Olympics ... 4 years from now.

I realize in business that we don't typcially have the luxury of working/waiting for 4 years before we have our big moment. but you cannot overlook the idea of getting ready and preparing for your big moment.

What 'big moment' are you preparing for? Do you have any idea or are you just coasting along reacting to every situation that comes your way? What's the next milestone you want to achieve? Where do you want X to be in 4 years, 1 year, 1 month?

Thinking forward is critical to not just being around in the future, but being there with a purpose that gives you the opportunity to live out the value that your business ultimately brings to others. Without having an intentional business you can easily get stuck in the day to day grind and not be able to realize the reasons of why you get up every morning!

Work Just 4 Hours Per Week?

2008-08-21T12:28:00.003-05:00

Have you ever purchased a book because you thought that by the sound of the title that maybe there is some hope that reading it might produce some gem of knowledge that when put into action produced a result that would change your life?

How about the book entitled ... The 4-Hour Workweek.

Who on earth isn't somewhat curious of the contents? Who doesn't have even just a small twinge of asking yourself what if? You know the feeling you get when you watch those fitness program info-mercials on tv. You might even change the channel when someone walks by but you flip right back because the thought keeps creeping up in your mind ... that could be me losing 50 pounds and in the greatest shape of my life at 40. It could happen.

Well, by reading The 4-Hour Workweek you might not lose 50 pounds and have those 6 pack abs you've always wanted. You may not even get to 30 hours of work per week let alone 4. Still, read the book! Why? Because there are gems in there that even if you've heard them before may mean something to you at this point in your life ... something that may finally make sense.

One of the realizations I came away with was how much time I waste. Not time sitting in front of the television, but time wasted while working. The question came to mind while reading about how much time spent needlessly on the phone or 'watching' email ... how does that ultimately affect the value that I can provide to my clients? Respect time, be professional, yet get to the point and move on.

Can Perception be Changed?

2008-08-02T09:36:00.003-05:00

How do you define perception? I've always thought that someone's perception is their own reality and that you can't really change someone's 'mind' but you can help them make a different decision.

However you define perception, can it truly be changed?

You've probably seen or are aware of the HackerSafe logo that gets plastered all over websites, especially those that sell things online. There have been other 'security logos' that have popped up over the years, but none have really come close to the visual image that the words HackerSafe give you while shopping online. You then associate that vision with the green/black/red colors. Now, that is your perception of security. Because your perception is your reality you feel secure when shopping on sites that display those words and colors in a logo.

Mcafee (a large anti-virus software company) goes and buys your precious perception of what those words and logo does. In other words, they bought ScanAlert who owned HackerSafe. Thinking that the word Mcafee is more well known and trusted than HackerSafe they go and change the words and logos (see image).

Can you be persuaded to change your perception? Or will they have to help you make a different decision about how you feel secure while shopping online. We'll see, but my thought is that they've got a huge challenge in front of them.

Time will tell ... you can read more detail and comments at the Grok Blog.

Decision Making Wonderment

2008-07-05T08:10:00.006-05:00

As a family we are on our Summer RVing trek. For almost 4 weeks we are traveling Hagerstown, MD ... Frederick, MD ... Washington D.C. ... Philadelphia, PA ... and Watkins Glen, NY.

We made the Metro ride into D.C. the other day and walked through many of the Museums, visited some monuments, and walked by many historical buildings and places of interest like the Capitol building, the Whitehouse, FBI building, Treasury Dept., State Dept., NSA, the Pentagon, and many others along the way.

One of the most interesting things about watching a movie for the 2nd time or traveling to a destination for the 3rd time is that the most obvious things aren't as obvious any more. You start to notice things you hadn't noticed before. That' what D.C. was like for me this time. The power infrastructure brought to my attention through the buildings themselves. It's often easy to think of corporation CEO's, Congressmen, Senators, Heads of State, and event the President as somehow super-human. Not from super-hero traits like leaping tall buildings in a single bound, but more from the point of view that they are 'better' than you or me.

Not that they don't have what society would consider great accomplishments and not that they havn't earned respect. But what triggers our brains to think of our nation's leaders or large corporation CEO's as somehow a 'step above' you and I.

Fundamentally they aren't any different than you and I. They have 5 fingers, 5 toes, two feet, one head, two eyes, one mouth, two ears, and one brain. They've eaten hamburgers and hotdogs and probably have a favorite home-cooked dish their mom made for them. They get stressed out, have bad days, and sometimes don't want to get out of bed. They stub their big toe and do the one foot hopping dance somehow hoping that will ease the pain. They even have a soul and feelings, even though it may not seem like it at times.

My point in all of this is that it's an interesting thought when you realize that the person sitting in a cabinet meeting ... their ankle might hurt from a fall they took on their back deck over the weekend ... yet they are sitting their advising the President on matters that might and will affect generations to come.

Isn't it time we stopped minimizing our own affect on society, stopped complaining about govt, and made a difference ourselves on the generations to come? You may not be sitting as a member of Congress next week, not that you couldn't be, but you may be sitting at the dinner table of your own home listening to your son or daughter tell of the plans for their future ... do you sit idle and listen without advice or encouragement? Or do you start making a difference in the generations to come right where you are ... with your bandaged left thumb that you cut while peeling potatoes...

It's your choice ... you decide more in 2008 than the next President!

What a Week Off Does for the Soul

2008-06-22T22:25:00.004-05:00

I've never, never, never taken much time at all away from the business. We only started taking any real serious family vacations just in the past couple of years. A couple of weeks ago I took a week long fly-in fishing trip to northern Ontario, Canada.

The fishing was less than exciting, the weather was cold and rainy half the days, but the quiet and beauty of the outdoors and wildlife was every minute. When you get to a place like I went you can't help but reflect on life a bit. After all, there's not much else to do:) I came home with a renewed appreciation for what's most important in life. I pray that it lasts.

I'll be updated some more here about some of the ideas/concepts/thoughts that have tickled my brain a bit.

For now enjoy the Slide Show of my Trip Up-North.

Social Website Infancy

2008-05-05T08:03:00.003-05:00

If you are online at all you've probably heard about sites like ... facebook.com, myspace.com, squidoo.com, twitter.com, and a gazillion others. Maybe you have a page on one of them, maybe you don't, maybe you don't care, but should you?

That is the real question ... should any of us spend our valuable time on any of these websites? What purpose do they really serve? Ok, maybe for the short run they are cool and give 'social butterfly's' and introverts a way to express themselves and reach out to the world. I've recently begun to wonder myself how many 'pretend drinks' you can send to someone on facebook.com and have it really mean something.

People in general crave acceptance of others and want to let others know what they are up to. Take twitter.com for example ... the whole site is designed so you can let people know what you are up to, what you are doing throughout your day, week, month...

At the end of the day my thoughts on these sites are that they are truly in the infancy stages of online social development. Currently, these sites are pretty much glorified pesonal journals of a sort and how many different journals can one really be proficient at?

And if you are really bord you can check out one of my squidoo lenses that references stuff about selling rvs.

Until next time...

Making Waves and Having Fun in Biz

2008-04-08T20:12:00.002-05:00

I havn't read any of Richard Branson's stuff yet or really learned about much of his businesses. Like most everything else there must be practices and principles he applies that I don't agree with, but I'm sure there is something to learn from. The three Keys below are a good start, but I'll be reading Branson's latest book in the next months.

Richard Branson's Three Keys to Entrepreneurial Success

Provide Untapped Value to the Customer: "The most critical thing with any new venture is we must deliver a tremendous value to the consumer so that it enhances all the ventures we've done before it," says Branson. Today, the Virgin brand encompasses everything from soft drinks to airlines. Branson's approach has been to provide something unique in each venture; something the competition lacks. Find the value, find the customers.

Exploit a Passion: "I start businesses when I have a passion for something. That's also why I went into the airline business, even though everybody I talked to told me that there was no money to be made there. I felt that I could make a difference. That's the best reason to go into business because you feel strongly that you can change things," says Branson. It's the entrepreneurial passion and attitude that makes the difference in achieving lasting success.

Trust Your Instincts: "A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts." Case in point, the "rebel-billionaire" relied on gut instincts to take advantage of opportunities when they presented themselves. Branson wasn't born wealthy, and began his empire by selling yet-to-be touched (i.e. "Virgin") records out of the trunk of his car when it was unheard of to do so. Slowly but surely, he built the expanded his business until it became the multi-billion dollar empire we know today. Mix a great idea with passion.

The Partnership Problem

2008-03-24T13:15:00.004-05:00

This conversation could go in a number of different directions, but I've chosen to talk about business vendor partnership's or alliances.

In the past couple of weeks we were notified that a product/service we've been reselling is going away, the company just decided to no longer offer the service. Not because it wasn't profitable, but rather because they had other products/services that were more profitable. Good for them I say ... makes sense from an economics standpoint.

However, that leaves us in a situation we've never been before. Lost service offering and lost profit. The service/product we resell from them is a valuable service to our RV Dealerships and also profitable for us. Bummer.

More than likely we'll find a similar provider and go from there, but the experience puts a another notch on my business knowledge stick. Watch the vendor partnerships and alliances you commit to and make sure there is a plan B should that relationship or service go south.

All the marketing dollars/effort/energy investment we put into the product/service offering would be lost along with the profit should a similar service provider be unavailable. No worries ... just plan better!

Until next time...

Shut-Up and Listen for Once

2008-01-30T22:16:00.000-05:00

How many times have you gotten excited about what you sell? I mean really excited in front of a customer and just kept talking and talking and talking and talking... Then it hits you .. shut-up you tell yourself. Maybe you stopped in time to listen and understand your customer and maybe you didn't. In person you may get a second chance, but on your website not so much.

How have you designed the content for your website? Is it all about YOU ... what great sale you have going on ... what inventory you have in stock ... what information you require on your web forms ... what click paths/navigation you want your visitors to take. Have you stopped and thought about what your online shopper feels? You may not be talking verbally, but your website is shouting something. Is it all about you or are you listening to your shopper?

This video posted on YouTube is a great example of what your online shopper might be hearing from you...

It's not as difficult as you might think to listen to your online shoppers. Simply start by not forcing your website shoppers to follow your pre-determined click-paths and give them some answers to their questions without them having to jump through hoops. Then keep on building from there.

Finding Your RV Sales Niche

2008-01-05T21:58:00.000-05:00

In my last post (RVIA in Louisville) we touched on using Internet marketing and new technology as an advantage for your RV Dealership instead of ignorning it and hoping it goes away ... maybe because you think it's costly or you just don't understand it.

Over Christmas the Wallenbeck Family traveled back home to Watkins Glen, NY where I grew up to spend some time with my extended family. Weather was gracious to us over the 1400 miles back and forth and it was a great time. When I travel and even at home I enjoy visiting local coffee shops. Not because I enjoy coffee that much (only been drinking it for a year), but rather because each one is typically unique and has a Unique Selling Proposition (USP). I'm not talking about Starbucks or The Beanery, but local, sole proprietor type java houses.

Take for instance StoryLines (see photo) in my small hometown. You can see the outside in the photo ... it looks interesting and has character. You walk in and it feels warm and cozy. Well placed rows of family friendly books. Comfortable lounge chairs and many games to play with a friend. And yes ... thy sell coffee which is where they make their money ... obviously. Yet, they provide all those other unique features so that you'll stay and drink your coffee and make plans to meet your friends there again. Maybe you'll pick-up a book and read it. Maybe you'll like it and buy it for yourself or a friend.

All about a coffee shop to get your mind in motion and get you thinking ... What's your RV Dealership offering ... more specifically what is your website offering to shoppers and customers to keep them coming back? The average RV shopper will visit multiple dealership and manufacturer websites many different times before stepping onto your lot or picking up the phone and calling.

We've been so blessed at InteractRV where we offer RV Dealer Website Design and Marketing Services, to have been given the opportunity to work with so many of the nations top RV Dealership's and help them with their website and Internet marketing efforts.

Without giving away secrets to our and their successes ... we continue to research and analyze what RVing folks want and need ... create plans to meet those wants and needs ... then build website features and implement marketing ideas to earn more business ... finding niches along the way while meeting the desires of customers.

We've all heard the slogan Got Milk? Well, have you Got Niche?

RVIA in Louisville

2007-12-15T21:16:00.000-05:00

WOW!!! What a great time in Louisville this year. It was exciting to see and talk with so many RV Dealers that are looking forward to the upcoming RVing season. Yes, there are always challenges to overcome, but the overwhelming mood was positive.

The most exciting part of our conversations had alot to do with both foundational and innovative ideas and concepts in Internet marketing. Seeing the online landscape not as a necessary evil, but rather as a platform for being creative and marketing your RV Dealership in a way that uses new technology as an advantage. Great stuff.

Mike, Jeff, and I drove to RVIA in Louisville from our headquarters in Michigan and Ron flew in from Texas. Something I 've always wanted to do was stop in Ann Arbor, MI and visit Zingerman' Deli. You might be thinking so what ... a deli, a place to eat, a restuarant ... but trust me this place is a lesson in customer service that is to be recond with. I'd been reading about the guys who created the deli and the Zingerman Community of Businesses. I'm telling you ... it's worth going out of your way for the experience.

One of the moments that stands out in my mind is the wait ... yes, the line ... waiting for your food. Funny thing is you didn't mind it. I truly mean it. Once we did get to the 'order taker' she took so much time with us, asking us questions about food, about where we were from, and went back behind the counter to get us samples to try before we finalized our order. You couldn't help but get the feeling that as a customer you were super important to them. A lesson for us all! Your customers matter and if it wasn't for them ... well, you figure it out:)

Interested in learning more about their customer service ... read their book called Zing Train.

Until next time...

Cow Produces Chocolate Milk!

2007-11-10T09:36:00.000-05:00

I couldn't believe it when I saw the headline in the news the other day. I could hardly believe it. No, it wasn't shouting at me from a grocery isle tabloid ... it was mainstream. Well, at least as mainstream as the news my own mind wants to announce.

That's right ... it was a headline in my mind! Sound silly? Let me ask you a question ... how many times do you find yourself trying to get chocolate milk from a cow? Let me re-phrase ... how many times do you find yourself hoping, praying, and trying to get someone on your staff to do a task for you that you know just isn't going to turn out well? Not because they aren't capable and intelligent, but rather because they just aren't wired to do it.

Jim Collins in his book Good to Great talks about not just getting the right people 'on the bus', but also getting those right people in the right seat on the bus.

That's a challenge for all of us. As your business evolves, grows, and morphs you can easily find yourself wanting to do everything because your time is easy and cheap. Can I suggest that we are robbing ourselves of great success by subscribing to this practice.

How to remedy the situation...

Stop doing those things yourself that produces a non-remarkable result.
Find the right people to do the right things to get remarkable results.
Enable the right people by providing direction and setting expectations.
Free yourself to work on your business instead of in your business.

The bottom line ... stop trying to get chocolate or even strawberry milk from your cow!

Capturing the Moment

2007-10-31T19:20:00.000-05:00

Sometimes you just have to sit back and say ... whoooh. You know the moment in time when you are just geeked and thankful for the folks you have working with you. Hopefully, you've had that experience and hopefully I have many more to come.

There was a client I had once, back in the day, when we were in a meeting he got so geeked he said, "I'm so excited I could just pee my pants". Ever felt that way? That's optimism and forward thinking. That's the stuff that gets you up in the morning.

If you aren't having any of those moments I might take a second look and see if what you've determined or settled for in this life is where you really want to be.

So, take a fresh look at life ... what if you could...

Rules to Live By

2007-10-15T21:00:00.000-05:00

If you don't know who Bob Parson's is you probably do know who GoDaddy is. While I don't personally subscribe to all that Bob believes/acts nor GoDaddy for that matter I do find his Rules to Live By a worthwhile reminder for anyone so here are a few of them below...

Get and stay out of your comfort zone. I believe that not much happens of any significance when we're in our comfort zone. I hear people say, "But I'm concerned about security." My response to that is simple: "Security is for cadavers."

Never give up. Almost nothing works the first time it's attempted. Just because what you're doing does not seem to be working, doesn't mean it won't work. It just means that it might not work the way you're doing it. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it, and you wouldn't have an opportunity.

When you're ready to quit, you're closer than you think. There's an old Chinese saying that I just love, and I believe it is so true. It goes like this: "The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed."

With regard to whatever worries you, not only accept the worst thing that could happen, but make it a point to quantify what the worst thing could be. Very seldom will the worst consequence be anywhere near as bad as a cloud of "undefined consequences." My father would tell me early on, when I was struggling and losing my shirt trying to get Parsons Technology going, "Well, Robert, if it doesn't work, they can't eat you."

Focus on what you want to have happen. Remember that old saying, "As you think, so shall you be."

Always be moving forward. Never stop investing. Never stop improving. Never stop doing something new. The moment you stop improving your organization, it starts to die. Make it your goal to be better each and every day, in some small way. Remember the Japanese concept of Kaizen. Small daily improvements eventually result in huge advantages.

Be quick to decide. Remember what General George S. Patton said: "A good plan violently executed today is far and away better than a perfect plan tomorrow."

Measure everything of significance. I swear this is true. Anything that is measured and watched, improves.

Anything that is not managed will deteriorate. If you want to uncover problems you don't know about, take a few moments and look closely at the areas you haven't examined for a while. I guarantee you problems will be there.

Pay attention to your competitors, but pay more attention to what you're doing. When you look at your competitors, remember that everything looks perfect at a distance. Even the planet Earth, if you get far enough into space, looks like a peaceful place.

Never expect life to be fair. Life isn't fair. You make your own breaks. You'll be doing good if the only meaning fair has to you, is something that you pay when you get on a bus (i.e., fare).

Solve your own problems. You'll find that by coming up with your own solutions, you'll develop a competitive edge. Masura Ibuka, the co-founder of SONY, said it best: "You never succeed in technology, business, or anything by following the others." There's also an old Asian saying that I remind myself of frequently. It goes like this: "A wise man keeps his own counsel."

The above (or following) article (or rules for survival) is included with the permission of Bob Parsons (http://www.bobparsons.com/) and is Copyright © 2004-2006 by Bob Parsons. All rights reserved."

Learning to Trust

2007-08-24T18:07:00.000-05:00

I was in Barnes and Noble a month or so ago ... looking for something ... something that I could learn from ... something to help me and the business grow. It wasn't long before I came across The Speed of Trust from a Covey ... not the dad Stephen Covey, but the son ... Stephen M. R. Covey.

The first thought I had was ... did this guy just get his 'luck' from his dad and write a book because he could or because he actually had something to say. Something that mattered ... that would make a difference. The temptation was too much to bear so out came the debit card.

Weeks later and a few hundred pages that have strolled past the 'ol eyeballs I have to admit it was not only a great read, but also has made a lingering impact on me. To truly understand I suggest devouring it yourself, but to summarize ... I have a new appreciation for TRUST. Here are some principles I pulled out and have already started to use as part of our 'employee handbook'.

Core Expectations
Integrity
A person has integrity when there is no gap between intent and behavior … when you are whole, seamless, the same – inside and out. It’s about having humility and being more concerned with what is right than being right, about acting on good ideas rather than always having the ideas, about building the team than exalting ones self.
“Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.” – Albert Einstein

Intent
Motive is your reason for doing something. It’s the why that motivates the what. Agenda grows out of motive. It’s what you intend to do or promote because of your motive. Behavior is the manifestation of motive and agenda … the best result is acting in the best interest of others.
“In law a man is guilty when he violates the rights of another. In ethics, he is guilty if he only thinks of doing so.” – Immanuel Kent

Capabilities
The talents, skills, knowledge, capacities, and abilities we have that enable us to perform with excellence. Our capabilities give us the self-confidence that we can do what needs to be done. We must continue to learn, grow and develop new skills … else we won’t possess what’s necessary to succeed in leading the industry w/ innovation.
“The complacent company is a dead company. Success today requires the agility and drive to constantly rethink, reinvigorate, react, and reinvent.” – Bill Gates

Results
Take responsibility for results … not activities. We tend to get what we expect so expect to be successful. Results are all about finishing, so finish well. Do or do not; there is no try – Master Yoda.
“It’s no use saying, ‘We are doing our best.’ You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary” -Winston Churchill

Core Responsibilities
Talk Straight
Be honest. Tell the truth. Let people know where you stand. Use simple language. Call things what they are. Demonstrate integrity. Don’t manipulate people or distort facts. Don’t spin the truth. Don’t leave false impressions.
“What upsets me is not that you lied to me, but that I can no longer believe you.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

Demonstrate Respect
Genuinely care for others. Show you care. Respect the dignity of every person and every role. Treat everyone with respect. Show kindness in the little things. Don’t fake caring.
“You can judge a person’s character by the way he treats people who can’t help him or hurt him”.

Right Wrongs
Make things right when you are wrong. Apologize quickly. Make restitution where possible. Demonstrate personal humility. Don’t cover things up. Don’t let pride get in the way of doing the right thing.
“To know what is right and not to do it is the worst cowardice” – Confucius

Deliver Results
Establish a track record of results. Get the right things done. Make things happen. Accomplish what you are hired to do. Be on time and within budget. Don’t over-promise and under-deliver. Don’t make excuses for not delivering.
“We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done” – Longfellow

Get Better
Continuously improve. Increase your capabilities. Find a method to receive feedback and accept it graciously. Act on the feedback you receive. Thank people for feedback. Don’t consider yourself above feedback. Don’t assume today’s knowledge and skills will be sufficient for tomorrow’s challenges.
“One of the reasons people stop learning is that they become less and less willing to risk failure” – John Gardner

Confront Reality
Address the tough stuff directly. Acknowledge the unsaid. Lad out courageously in conversation. Don’t skirt the real issues. Don’t bury your head in the sand.
Clarify Expectations
Create a shared vision and agreement about what is to be done up front. Disclose and reveal expectations. Discuss them. Validate them. Renegotiate them if needed and possible. Don’t violate expectations. Don’t assume that expectations are clear or shared.

Practice Accountability
Hold yourself accountable. Hold others accountable. Take responsibility for results. Be clear on how you’ll communicate how you’re doing – and how others are doing. Don’t avoid or shirk responsibility. Don’t blame others or point fingers when things go wrong.

Listen First
Listen with your ears – and your eyes and heart. Don’t assume you know what matters most to others. Don’t presume you have all the answers – or all the questions.
“If there is any great secret of success in life, it lies in the ability to put yourself in the other person’s place and to see things from his point of view – as well as your own” – Henry Ford

Keep Commitments
Say what you’re going to do, then do what you say you’re going to do. Make commitments carefully and keep them. Don’t break confidences.

Extend Trust
Extend trust abundantly to those who have earned your trust. Extend trust appropriately to those who are earning your trust. Have a propensity to trust. Don’t withhold trust because there is risk involved.
“Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly and they will show themselves great.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Catching Up

2007-07-24T13:49:00.000-05:00

Been busy these last weeks traveling through NY, VT, NJ, PA, and OH. Our family has taken to the road in our Rockwood Roo and paid for Chevy Astro. As I write this I'm sitting in the shade in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan enjoying the birds chirping and crackling of the campfire. Somethings are meant to be enjoyed. We've setup a website so everyone can learn more of the Wallenbeck Family Travels.

On the business side of things we've been steadily growing in keeping with our plans for 2007. We've been blessed to have the opportunity to serve some really great RV Dealerships like Russ Dean RV, National Travelers RV, Sagon RV, and many many others. They've already begun to realize the benefits of what InteractRV is able to do for them. Pretty satisfying stuff.

Even in keeping with our pre-determined growth plans for 2007 it still is amazing to me all the demands and pressures that come with operating and progressing a business. It's all good and I wouldn't trade it for much of anything. We'll keep on staying true to our core business values and principles and down the road we'll still have a solid company that provides truly valuable products and services to RV Dealerships across the U.S. and Canada.

Until next time...