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... a great place to learn! &# 160 If you need proof of this assumption, consider these two facts: &# 160 • &# 160 Robert Fulghum's book All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten was a best seller and college textbooks never are. &# 160 • &# 160 Go to the best business schools in the country (Harvard, Wharton, LSU, ULL, etc.) and meet the professors. Most of them couldn't survive very long in the real world of business! &# 160 Enough about academics. Let's talk about life: Redneck Festivals. A festival — at least in this part of the country — is a party positioned somewhere between a celebration of life and celebrating life. &# 160 Festivals can be about a crop (Sugar Cane, Rice, Yams, etc.), animals (Oysters, Frogs, etc.) a mixed event (Shrimp and Petroleum), a date (Willie Nelson's Birthday) or the arts (New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Blue Grass Music, etc.) . Festivals are held at parks, fair grounds, racetracks, boulevards, barns, or city streets — anywhere. &# 160 They can be one day to longer than a week. They can include arts and crafts, music, parades, dancing, eating, drinking, etc. They attract the young, old, and the in-between. Festivals are about life and the real people that live life! &# 160 According to Webster (who wasn't a redneck), a redneck is a " ...

... : A New Way Of Doing Business 3/28/2014 12:00:00 AM by CompleteMarkets Editor , Michael Manes This content has not been rated yet. The speakers on the tape I was listening to said, When you complete the process of rearing your children, you want to be certain to maintain a reasonably good relationship with them. You see, your children will make two decisions that will significantly affect your life: what nursing home to select and when to pull the plug. Sobering thought? You bet. I was listening to this tape in the middle years of parenting my two children, when I didn't feel it was working out the way I thought it should. I was trying to live up to the whitewashed concept of having children: cute babies, good night sugar, ' refrigerator pictures, dance recitals, and home runs in little league-as opposed to the reality of dirty diapers, the terrible twos, temper tantrums, homework, defiance, and so forth. The same reality check is currently being demanded of those involved in the insurance industry. Now that banks can sell insurance, many agencies and their trade associations have had to change their position from We'll never let it happen' to If you can't beat em, join em. The problem is that traditional banks and agencies will soon discover the massive chasm between concept and reality. To succeed in these new ventures, both will have to reinvent themselves. If only someone had told me about the reality of having children; I still would have had and loved mine, but I would have been much ...

... a great place to learn! &# 160 If you need proof of this assumption, consider these two facts: &# 160 • &# 160 Robert Fulghum's book All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten was a best seller and college textbooks never are. &# 160 • &# 160 Go to the best business schools in the country (Harvard, Wharton, LSU, ULL, etc.) and meet the professors. Most of them couldn't survive very long in the real world of business! &# 160 Enough about academics. Let's talk about life: Redneck Festivals. A festival — at least in this part of the country — is a party positioned somewhere between a celebration of life and celebrating life. &# 160 Festivals can be about a crop (Sugar Cane, Rice, Yams, etc.), animals (Oysters, Frogs, etc.) a mixed event (Shrimp and Petroleum), a date (Willie Nelson's Birthday) or the arts (New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Blue Grass Music, etc.) . Festivals are held at parks, fair grounds, racetracks, boulevards, barns, or city streets — anywhere. &# 160 They can be one day to longer than a week. They can include arts and crafts, music, parades, dancing, eating, drinking, etc. They attract the young, old, and the in-between. Festivals are about life and the real people that live life! &# 160 According to Webster (who wasn't a redneck), a redneck is a " ...

... Thanks Loading.. Banks And Agencies: A New Way Of Doing Business 3/28/2014 by CompleteMarkets Editor , Michael Manes This content has not been rated yet. The speakers on the tape I was listening to said, When you complete the process of rearing your children, you want to be certain to maintain a reasonably good relationship with them. You see, your children will make two decisions that will significantly affect your life: what nursing home to select and when to pull the plug. Sobering thought? You bet. I was listening to this tape in the middle years of parenting my two children, when I didn't feel it was working out the way I thought it should. I was trying to live up to the whitewashed concept of having children: cute babies, good night sugar, ' refrigerator pictures, dance recitals, and home runs in little league-as opposed to the reality of dirty diapers, the terrible twos, temper tantrums, homework, defiance, and so forth. The same reality check is currently being demanded of those involved in the insurance industry. Now that banks can sell insurance, many agencies and their trade associations have had to change their position from We'll never let it happen' to If you can't beat em, join em. The problem is that traditional banks and agencies will soon discover the massive chasm between concept and reality. To succeed in these new ventures, both will have to reinvent themselves. If only someone had told me about the reality of having children; I still would have had and loved mine, but I would have been much ...

... of agency and brokerage profitability and sustainability. A "book" cannot sustain you without growth. Produce (grow) or die. Producers come in a variety of styles, experience and skill sets. Great ones are a gift from God. Lesser ones challenge your faith. In metaphorical terms, each sales opportunity is like a horserace- one winner and many losers. In an agency you have racehorses, workhorses, Shetland ponies, show horses, geldings and thoroughbreds. Unfortunately, production isn't about diversity, appearances or second place. It's about winning. You can't manage racehorses. Just let them run. Your job is to keep them "on track," don't let them kick or bite others (they will kick and bite you), and keep the blinders on them. They like sugar cubes, being groomed and stroked. You can't house two winning stallions in the same stall. Racehorses love the track and hate the barn. Workhorses like the comfort of the barn but at least know they are paid to go onto the track. Geldings, show horses and Shetland ponies are always in the barn- planning to leave the stall or explaining why they can't. Experience teaches that some producers make the sale then keep talking and buy it back. Great producers love the "yes," will accept a "no" only as another step to the next yes, and hate the "maybe." Maybes are a waste of time. Test the maybe and force a yes or a no, and then get on down the track. These same "winners" know that ...

... earned these sellers a higher multiple. I researched a group of sellers recently. They received excellent prices, but significantly less than they expected. They didn't consider the terms of the deal and the result was great financial pain. None of them had hired anyone beyond their local accountant. THE VALUATION ISN'T ACCURATE We expect answers to be a mouse-click or phone call away. Many valuation practitioners pretend that valuations are simple affairs. They give agents a simple formula to follow, or suggest that agents complete a do-it-yourself valuation. The answers are quick, but seldom accurate. Hardly a week goes by that I don't get at least one e-mail from an agency owner asking, Is 1.5 (or whatever multiple) still the appropriate multiple? ' I could get rich quick if I was willing to dispense sugar pills or Cajun spells! Agents should recognize practitioners who don't understand the complexity of valuations. For example, before you even start a valuation you must agree on the correct definition of value. Consider it a warning sign if the practitioner never discusses the appropriate definitions. Seek assistance elsewhere. I've helped several agencies dig themselves out of deep financial holes that resulted from a series of acquisitions. The consultants that these agencies hired used the wrong definition of value for the acquisition targets, failed to consider working capital (which caused the buyer to severely deplete their own capital), and did not complete adequate due diligence. Of course, the consultant did supply seemingly simple answers! I once saw a sign in a retail business that read, 50¢ for an answer. $2.00 for ...

... You know, find something you have in common with your listener, and then smile and nod your head a lot. Next, we learned to mention various values or product benefits. Finally, we learned to watch for the words that cause people to smile and nod their heads in agreement … ' This language pattern tells a story that follows a procedure to tell you how something happened. The person who likes procedures hears you ask Why' and changes it to How. Stories tell you the order in which things happened. When you hear a story, smile and nod — you've found something good. The person who doesn't follow procedures will answer the question like this: It's easy. I like to relax and start talking to people. The items in this list lure this person like sugar tempts a horse. Our hypothetical applicant is attracted by ease, relaxation, and interacting with people. The language pattern focuses on what happened. 2. Initiators Successful producers take the initiative to make calls. How do you find them? After all, you can't just ask, Say, one more thing. Will you take the initiative or not? ' Ask your applicant open-ended questions and note two things. First, listen for the verbs they use. Initiators talk as though they're masters of the world. Their conversation is filled with doing, acting, going, accomplishing, and getting things done. Second, listen for complete sentences with a subject who takes action, an action verb, and a tangible object of this action. For example, I can sell product. The opposite ...

... of agency and brokerage profitability and sustainability. A "book" cannot sustain you without growth. Produce (grow) or die. Producers come in a variety of styles, experience and skill sets. Great ones are a gift from God. Lesser ones challenge your faith. In metaphorical terms, each sales opportunity is like a horserace- one winner and many losers. In an agency you have racehorses, workhorses, Shetland ponies, show horses, geldings and thoroughbreds. Unfortunately, production isn't about diversity, appearances or second place. It's about winning. You can't manage racehorses. Just let them run. Your job is to keep them "on track," don't let them kick or bite others (they will kick and bite you), and keep the blinders on them. They like sugar cubes, being groomed and stroked. You can't house two winning stallions in the same stall. Racehorses love the track and hate the barn. Workhorses like the comfort of the barn but at least know they are paid to go onto the track. Geldings, show horses and Shetland ponies are always in the barn- planning to leave the stall or explaining why they can't. Experience teaches that some producers make the sale then keep talking and buy it back. Great producers love the "yes," will accept a "no" only as another step to the next yes, and hate the "maybe." Maybes are a waste of time. Test the maybe and force a yes or a no, and then get on down the track. These same "winners" know that ...

... earned these sellers a higher multiple. I researched a group of sellers recently. They received excellent prices, but significantly less than they expected. They didn't consider the terms of the deal and the result was great financial pain. None of them had hired anyone beyond their local accountant. THE VALUATION ISN'T ACCURATE We expect answers to be a mouse-click or phone call away. Many valuation practitioners pretend that valuations are simple affairs. They give agents a simple formula to follow, or suggest that agents complete a do-it-yourself valuation. The answers are quick, but seldom accurate. Hardly a week goes by that I don't get at least one e-mail from an agency owner asking, Is 1.5 (or whatever multiple) still the appropriate multiple? ' I could get rich quick if I was willing to dispense sugar pills or Cajun spells! Agents should recognize practitioners who don't understand the complexity of valuations. For example, before you even start a valuation you must agree on the correct definition of value. Consider it a warning sign if the practitioner never discusses the appropriate definitions. Seek assistance elsewhere. I've helped several agencies dig themselves out of deep financial holes that resulted from a series of acquisitions. The consultants that these agencies hired used the wrong definition of value for the acquisition targets, failed to consider working capital (which caused the buyer to severely deplete their own capital), and did not complete adequate due diligence. Of course, the consultant did supply seemingly simple answers! I once saw a sign in a retail business that read, 50¢ for an answer. $2.00 for ...

... the classrooms of Harvard, or the mahogany Board Rooms of Wall Street. The answers were in the basic simple ideas we discussed over coffee on the back porch. The same leadership and management that had resulted in his acquiring, building, and remodeling a house and finally converting it to a home could be used to renovate and if needed or create an addition to his company. HERE GOES — MY BEST ATTEMPT TO CAPTURE THE LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES I OBSERVED ON THE BACK PORCH. Thanks, Mollie Deux-olly! Leadership is about a capturing a dream. It's about Vision, Values, a Mission, and Standards. To get to my friend's house you cross a railroad track. There are probably 50 to 60 houses on the single road that is this subdivision. The land was once a sugar cane field so there are no trees except for those that formed the fence row. The one exception is my friend's lot. It has literally dozens of trees. The original builder had the vision to plant these trees and my friend and his spouse had the vision and discipline to maintain them when they really were out of place in the subdivision. His yard is different in a subdivision built on sameness. As you drive down this road you see houses that vary in price from $100,000 to to-$500,000. Before the addition my friend's home would probably would've been appraised in at the bottom third of those in the area. When the addition is complete, his will be the benchmark. What he bought originally was an average house with great potential ( ...