One question that was particularly telling was, “How do you to get the most out of your employees?”

We’ve given many talks and worked with many companies on this issue, plus we have our own experience building the Barefoot Wine Brand. We had virtually no turnover during the last several years before we were acquired. These were also the same years that the brand made leaps and bounds in the marketplace and overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Most of those solutions came from our own people.

“What was the most important thing that made the difference?” they asked.

We told them to “overkill on orientation.” First, your employees have to know where the money comes from and how it gets to them.

Don’t just show your new employee the bathroom, the coffee room, and their go-to person. Take orientation to a whole new level driven by two concepts:

• You can move wet cement with the trowel, but when it hardens, you’ll need a jackhammer. Your people will create their own ideas of how things should be done if you don’t provide them early and often with your way of doing business. Their preconceived misconceptions are at the root of most engagement issues.
• Most people can instantly grasp an image yet struggle over dialogue and written text. Use graphic simplicity to present seemingly complex ideas in pictures, charts, and process maps that are easy to understand.

Use these concepts by presenting them on day one with two such infographics:

1. “The Money Map”.This is like a treasure map that shows the employees how the funds to pay their salary, bonuses, and benefits come into your company. It graphically demonstrates every transaction that must occur between the ultimate end-user and all the players and stakeholders your company must satisfy in order to pass those funds up the chain, step-by-step, to your company. It shows how each player must cover his overhead, make a profit, and purchase your products and services.

The money map not only shows new employees where the money comes from, but it shows them the bigger picture. For one thing ,it eliminates the idea that the employer is some kind of a sugar daddy and clearly demonstrates how dependent the employee’s income is on the performance of the company.

By demonstrating all the key relationships, the employee begins to clearly see how they can fit in and how they can make a difference. It’s hard to engage people when they don’t understand the wider business process at play. In fact, they will make their own assumptions about the nature of things. Over time, these misconceptions will harden, and ultimately you as their employer, will need that jackhammer.

2. “The Two-Division Company”.Unlike the typical pyramid structure organization chart with many layers and silos indicating status divisions of labor and chain of command, we gave them a very simple organization chart with only four boxes stacked vertically.

The top box was labeled “The Customer”. The next box was labeled “Sales”. Below that was a box labeled “Sales Support”. The final box was labeled “Not Employed Here!” So, in our company, everybody who is not in Sales was in Sales Support. That included most of our employees.

This gave everybody the message that we should be listening closely to what the salespeople and the customer service people had to say about the customer and the marketplace. After all, they were the only people in the company that were in direct contact with the customer and marketplace every day. And as they learned from the money map, that is where their salary came from.

This form of orientation quickly and clearly shows your new employees how they are positioned to make a difference before they develop entrenched and counterproductive misconceptions. If they don’t get these simple concepts early on, it will be much more difficult to engage them in problem solving, innovation, and disrupting initiatives. But when they have a firm foundation and understand how it all works, they will not only be engaged, they will be empowered!

Who We Are

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.

They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.

Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

The post Whatever Business You Think You’re In, You’re in The Personnel Management Business appeared first on The Barefoot Spirit.

But now, it’s Spring already, and before long, the year will be half over. Spring is nature’s “new year.” This is when it’s obvious to everyone that life is returning, and it’s time to grow again. Isn’t it time we renew some important relationships that might have fallen by the wayside in our struggle to grow our businesses? It is so important that we all stay connected, really connected, with our friends who mean the most to us. Let’s call them now!

Old Folks. When was the last time you spoke to the oldest living members of your family? A word from you can make their day! Many seniors feel alone and forgotten. Letting them know that they are important to you can actually improve their attitude, and their health. Sure, they’re unplugged, and technology has passed them by, but that’s all the more reason to reconnect with a personal phone call to make them feel like they’re still part of your life.

New Folks. What about those new folks you met that you liked so much – that you haven’t spoken to since? Take a look at your calendar. Identify the guests you have had, or visitors you have met on the trips you’ve taken in the past year. There is still time to cement those relationships with a friendly call or note reminding them of the good times you shared and that you are happy to have met them.

Old Customers. What about those former customers you are no longer doing business with? Take a look at your accounts over the past year or even two years. Look for clients and customers with whom you have already concluded business. Now is a great time to reach out and say hello. You want them to know that they were more than just a customer. Ask them how they’re doing and what their challenges are today. You may be surprised they can provide leads to even more business.

Foreigners. How about the friends that live in another part of the world you haven’t seen for a year or so? Think about the trips you’ve taken in the past few years to other countries. You met foreign nationals and American tourists. Whatever happened to them? You have that wonderful experience in common with them. They would love to hear from you again. We found that especially with foreign nationals, they can become friends for life if you just stay in touch.

Disabled. Who do you know who’s had an injury you can check up on? Who do you know who had a serious illness or underwent an operation requiring therapy and recovery? While you have been focused on your business, these people were taken out of the action in their businesses for a period of time. Some of them may still be recovering. They feel somewhat isolated themselves knowing that the world is spinning on without them. Spring is a great time to call these folks, wish them well, and tell them you are hoping for their speedy recovery.

As we come out of winter and into spring with the promise of new growth, new opportunities, and new friends, this is a great time to secure the important relationships we already have. Don’t let them drift away or become part of the past.

A simple telephone call or even a short note right now can keep those relationships alive and healthy. These folks will be so glad to hear from you and catch up. Don’t try to do it on Facebook or with a once a year summary letter. It’s too impersonal. Communicate just with them and just for them. Show them you care and still intend to include them in your life. It will mean the world to them!

Who We Are

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.

They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.

Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

The post 5 People to Call Right Now! appeared first on The Barefoot Spirit.

First published on Entrepreneur.com on 11/12/2017

From your creditors to your employees, good business relationships are built on trust. Can the people who depend on you, confidently rely on you to treat them fairly? Once you have proven your dependability, they will make allowances for you and extend their level cooperation. This is essential to your business success.

How much will you save on loan interest with extended credit, easier terms and complementary warehousing? How much will you save on hiring and training by reducing turnover, engaging your people and having them go the extra mile for you? How much will you save on advertising with cooperative distributers, loyal consumers and customers who become advocates? The sooner you demonstrate your trustworthiness, the sooner you’ll receive these benefits and more!

To read the complete article, please visit Entrepreneur.com 

Who We Are

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.

They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.

Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

The post 5 Ways to Grow and Build Trust appeared first on The Barefoot Spirit.

In 1985 we began working together, doing the research required to start our new business, Barefoot Cellars.

Couples love being in love! And business partners rely on the expertise of their partners! But, can these two ideal relationships be simultaneously successful with the same couple?

Folks ask us this question all the time: How do you make it work? Our first response is, “Kids, don’t try this at home!” For most couples, it generally doesn’t work well at all. But for those rare couples who successfully have both a romantic relationship as well as a business relationship, it is glorious!

We can’t accurately predict which couples will succeed at both, nor can we say exactly what they should do to keep both relationships healthy. But we will share with you what we did and didn’t do that worked for us.

First of all, we had respect for each other’s intelligence and motives. That enabled us to appreciate the other’s opinions and suggestions without wondering if they were self-serving. We were both headed toward the same goals, although on different tracks. That difference of opinion was welcomed! Two heads are better than one, they say.

Fortunately for us, we had different skill sets. Michael was good at seeing the big picture. Bonnie was keen on the details. Michael could talk easily with all sorts of people and boldly spoke in front of large crowds of salespeople. Bonnie worked well on a one-to-one basis with attorneys and accountants. She scheduled the bottlings, ordered all the necessary supplies, and oversaw the production at the winery. He made friends with everyone who touched our product along the way to (and including) the end user. She bottled it and he sold it.

Well, it wasn’t quite as easy as that, but by dividing up the responsibilities required and matching them with our natural talents, there was less disagreement. We weren’t looking over each other’s shoulders to make sure things were exactly this way or that. We agreed to allow decisions to be made by the other without interference.

The major goals were set by both of us. We preferred to go to a retreat, so we would not be interrupted during this essential planning phase. It wasn’t always possible. However, two of our favorite retreats were the island of Kauai and the historic Ben Bow Inn in Northern California. By removing ourselves from the day-to-day challenges, we could set our sights on the bigger picture – how to get from where we were to where we wanted to be.

These retreats were not only for business but for our personal goal setting as well. We keep “Goal Books” that go back to 1996! They include subjects such as home, social, spiritual, and health, as well as financial and business. These retreats always brought us closer together both romantically and professionally. We would plan them many months in advance, and get non-refundable tickets so we would not be tempted to cancel due to the “too-much-going-on-to-leave” syndrome.

We have identified many more ways of living happily as a romantic couple in business together, and we are planning a retreat for such couples at our home in west Sonoma County. Let us know if you are interested in joining us. It will be eye-opening! You will leave with a better understanding of just what it takes to keep your mate as the love of your life as well as your business partner. We know. We’ve been there, done that, and MADE the t-shirt! And best of all, we are still madly in love.

Who We Are

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.

They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.

Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

The post Happy 34th Anniversary to M&B! appeared first on The Barefoot Spirit.

If you can’t extrapolate the principles behind the processes, you will not recognize the disguised variations.

For instance, the principles behind paying bills is not to just to satisfy the invoices. The principles are to develop a good credit rating, improve relationships with your creditors, and stay in business. In our experience, we found 15% of the invoices were wrong! Still, we know of several bookkeepers who blindly paid invoices because they thought the process is their job, and all there is to their job!

We surmise that they too were rushing to complete the nitty gritty process of bill paying without understanding the reason behind it. Keep this in mind when training or learning.

Look at the big picture first, and then break it down from there. If you are learning, ask, “Why are we doing this?” If the answer doesn’t take you back to a clear understanding of how your business makes money, ask again until you get it. Don’t be quick to say “got it” when you don’t. It’s not enough to know the process if you don’t know the reason behind the process.

Today we can learn all kinds of processes without having a clue why or what the big picture is. You Tube is full of overly short lessons on how to do stuff, but they assume you know the why. You may also think you know the why. But if you want a rock-solid education that won’t show its limitation when you have to make that decision that wasn’t in the procedures, you’d better get the reason down cold first.

We always look for employees who can extrapolate. Without this skill, they can drive you crazy with ‘’Like what, like what?” as they demand more and more examples. In fact, if they make a mistake, they will tell you that you did not give that particular example. But it’s the principle behind the example that is the real lesson. If you want your people to really “get it,” you must spend the time to make sure they see the correlation between the examples.

The definition of extrapolation is: to use known facts as the starting point from which to draw inferences or conclusions about something unknown. Here are three ways to identify and improve extrapolation learners:

1. At the Interview. Ask them the reasons behind the processes they were responsible for on their last job. Listen for over simplifications, and reasons that don’t tie into the big picture. Ask them how and why they solved a new problem based on their understanding of the reason for a process they were taught.
2. During The Training. After they have a gotten a process down, give them a situation you haven’t discussed and see if they can noodle it out on their own. If they can, you have successfully communicated the “Why.”
3. On the Job. Watch for misconceptions or shortsighted assumptions about the “Whys” in their work and in their queries. Listen for questions that show they don’t understand the big picture. Spend the time to show them how they can make better choices if they understand the “Why.”

It is a big picture world out there, so remove the blinders you put on your people when you  just give them “the one thing” and  “the step-by-step process.”

Who We Are

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.

They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.

Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

The post The Process Without the Philosophy Behind It is a Recipe for Trouble appeared first on The Barefoot Spirit.

“As a company grows, a shift can occur as the owner transitions from exercising a lot of control and begins to delegate to management,” says business consultant Beatrice Chestnut of The Chestnut Group and author of The 9 Types of Leadership. “If managers have different personality styles and world views than the founder, a misalignment can occur between the original vision and the management team’s priorities.”

Organizations evolve, and that process is a natural part of growth, adds Brad Deutser, president of Deutser, LLC, a consulting firm that advises leaders and organizations during times of transition, growth and crisis.

“The highest-performing organizations are those that grow from the inside out. When organizations are anchored by a strong culture, they are more effective at scaling and driving performance of their people and business.”

To read the complete article, please visit American Express Open Forum

Who We Are

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.

They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.

Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

The post Is It Time to Make Up or Break Up With Your Management Team? appeared first on The Barefoot Spirit.

The purpose of a question is to solicit an answer.

But an answer to what? Just the question on its face? Or the deeper misunderstanding posed by the question?

In business, when you are building a team, you must pay very close attention and read between the lines to ascertain not just what your new team member is asking, but more importantly, why he or she is asking that particular question.

Often the question posed shows a giant incorrect assumption about how your business works, how the customer receives your product or service, or what the various relationships are between the critical parties in your supply and distribution channels.

To read the complete article, please visit The Business Journals 

Who We Are

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.

They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.

Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

The post Don’t just answer the question: ​Address the assumption behind the question appeared first on The Barefoot Spirit.

Often the question posed shows a giant incorrect assumption about how your business works, how the customer receives your product or service, or what the various relationships are between the critical parties in your supply and distribution channels. What happens if you give them the short answer that just addresses their immediate query? They remain off track, but now they feel validated in their erroneous assumptions, and start to take actions based on wrong judgements that can hurt your business.

That’s why we recommend that you take the time to look through a new hire’s questions to discover those wrong assumptions and correct them. This may seem tedious and you run the risk of being accused of giving a speech where a simple answer would do, but as we say, “When the cement is wet, you can move it with a trowel, but when it’s dry, you’ll need a jack hammer!”

Questions that indicate deep misunderstandings show that there’s room for improvement to your orientation and training documents. You’ve got to teach the basics. You can’t assume new team members have a good foundation in business because they worked for a big company or have a big degree. We found incredible basic misunderstandings about business from some of the apparently most qualified for the job. Many times schools and their former bosses failed to lay the proper foundations.

We had a supply manager who asked repeatedly, “Why does the vendor always get the order wrong?” when the correct question was, “What do we have to do differently to reduce the likelihood of wrong orders?” This person had “a good college education” and had several jobs where it was OK to blame the other party when something went wrong – and that there was nothing he could do about it on his end.

We had a top administrator ask, “Why haven’t I had a raise in two years?” when the correct question was, “Why hasn’t our bottom line improved in two years?” This person assumed the money came from the owners, not the customers.

And we had a sales manager who asked, “Why won’t my distributer’s sales rep get the reorder?” when the correct question was, “How do we create an incentive plan that reduces out-of-stocks?” This person thought the distributer’s rep was going to perform on a new, unknown product like ours, without an additional financial consideration beyond their salary and commission.

Questions can tell you more than they ask – if you listen closely. If the question fits into the “this-doesn’t-make -any-sense-to-me” category, you’ve got the clue that you have work to do. There may not be any stupid questions, but there are some stupid answers and most of them are short. Short answers are saying, “Go away, don’t bother me!” but they are also asking for trouble down the line. Sure, workers can continue with their immediate jobs without a detailed explanation, but later they will surprise you with their deep-routed misconceptions.

Oh, and “Why do they call it duck tape? Because if it dries out, it can quack!”

Who We Are

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.

They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.

Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

The post Address the Assumption Behind the Question, Don’t Just Answer the Question appeared first on The Barefoot Spirit.

How do you approach a problem? What is the best way to discover the solution? By knowing what questions to ask you are more likely to find an elegant solution – one that simplifies the situation and benefits all parties. We don’t have all the answers, but we do have most of the questions.

1. Define It. What is the problem anyway? Not just what it appears to be, but why it exists, and what is the outcome you want? We’ve found that many times the solution is the best definition of the problem. Open it up for others to define the problem. You may be surprised at how different people perceive the same problem. These different perceptions can give you some helpful insight leading to a solution.
2. Look it from All Angles. How does the problem look from a timing standpoint? Will it go away on its own? How does it look from the customer’s stand point? What about your distributer, or your supplier? Compare and contrast this problem with other problems. We actually solved several problems by realizing they were merely symptoms of a larger problem, which when corrected, solved the symptoms.
3. Take Inventory. List your assets. What leverage do you have? What things can change and what cannot? How much time is required to fix the problem? Is there a temporary fix? Who are the people, places and things involved? What kind of a budget is available? How many people can you put on the problem? What does the ideal solution do? Does it or can it solve other problems? Is it a tangible solution like a sign, package or price, or is it a process that requires a checklist, signoff sheet, job description, or clause in a contract?
4. Get Above It All. Straight up is the fastest way out of the box and may be the fastest way to the solution. If you get up high enough, you begin to see the relationships involved in the problem. And you begin to see how others solved similar problems in other spaces. You can borrow and apply parts of their fixes. By taking the 10,000-foot view, you can see other parts of the problem you may have missed and other resources you may have overlooked.
5. Who Wins? Does the problem hurt more than just your company? What other people benefit when you solve the problem? They also have a vested interest, so bring them on as strategic partners to solve your collective problem. We often brought market problems up with to our suppliers and vendors who were more likely to make allowances, enabling us to continue and even increase buying their products and services.
6. Let It Simmer! Don’t panic and rush to the first solution that presents itself. The hasty solution may cause even more problems down the line. Take some time after you have completed the 5 steps above to just chill. Then when you least expect it, Bang! All the pieces fall together! The elegant solution presents itself. We usually say, “Wow! That’s so simple, why didn’t we see that before?” It was because we were too anxious to let our minds crunch the data and spit out the answer.

Of course, believing there is a solution will open your eyes to seeing it!

Who We Are

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.

They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.

Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

The post Give Your Problems the Deep Six! appeared first on The Barefoot Spirit.

The sooner you demonstrate that you are trustworthy, the faster you will receive the benefits, such as extended credit, loyalty, engagement, priority ranking, increased sales, and opportunities. The key is to be proactive. Look for ways to show all the folks you work with that you have their best interests at heart.

Here’s our short list for how to build and grow trust:

1. Communicate Often. Be clear about what you are doing and why. Don’t leave anyone in the dark guessing what you are up to. We recommend regular meetings with creditors, suppliers, outsourced services, and your own team. Alleviate their fears by sharing vital information early and often. The more they know, the more confident they feel about working with you.

2. Forge Alliances. Identify who gets ahead if you do and forge these strategic alliances. Treat these folks like business partners, such as sharing your plans for expansion with suppliers who will benefit from your increased business. Discover how you can work together to improve their business while reducing your need for capital, such as long-term contracts in return for free warehousing and better terms.

3. Mend Fences. When you make a mistake, don’t try to cover it up or blame others. It will only exacerbate the situation, lose you precious credibility, and hurt the relationship. When you realize you are about to miss a payment, call your creditors immediately. Be ready with a payment plan based on receivables that will bring your account current. This shows empathy for their position and the risk they have taken on you. Remember, you are judged more by how you handle a mistake than when everything goes smoothly.

4. Be Honest. If you harbor hidden agendas or deliberately withhold information to trap or manipulate others, this will result in you losing the relationship and your reputation in your industry. Voluntarily expose loopholes to reassure the people you depend on that you will not take unfair advantage of them. Show them you are a true partner, watching their back, not waiting to stab it! Don’t give them reasons to keep their guard up or you will only get the words, and not the spirit, of your agreements.

5. Service Your Customers. Nothing says, “I got your money and now you are stuck with my product” more than poor customer service. When you are all over them to make a sale but can’t be reached to fix a problem, you are killing your long-term business security and opening the door for competitors to take your customers. Customer service is more important than the product. Without it, your customers will no longer buy, and will feel an obligation to tell others about their bad experience. When you show them that you are treating them like a friend, they become loyal advocates.

Trust is built on a foundation of good behavior over time. The time involved can be reduced by the telling experiences that build or break trust. In the early days of a relationship trust can be lost easily. The way you handle an embarrassing situation is “the tell” that they are looking for to justify putting their faith in you or regretting the relationship. It takes a lot more than just saying, “Trust me.”  You can trust us on this!

Who We Are

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.

They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.

Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

The post 5 Ways to Build Trust and Grow It appeared first on The Barefoot Spirit.