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7 8 G R A P H I C S P R O • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 G R A P H I C S - P R O. C O M relationships, experiences, and a role in shaping the trajectory of our industry are priceless. By being on our state association executive committee, I had the opportunity to address a key reg- ulations group at our Texas state legislature in Austin. And our efforts were instrumental at a critical time. So, get to know your lawmakers and vote. One person can make a difference. Here is a novel idea: help your competition. You never know when your printer might go down at the worst possible time and the only solution is to call your competitor to see if he has an extra ink cartridge so you can make your order as prom- ised by Monday. is happened, but it was the reverse. I drove over and delivered a cartridge to my competitor. It changed his perspective on what he thought he knew about our company, and we've helped one another since. Network and network some more. Great leaders are always networking. e more people that know you and your capabilities and equipment will pay big dividends in sales. If sales are the lifeblood of business, cash flow is the oxy- gen. Marketing is the plasma that makes it all move and work. Be a good promoter of your company. Leave a legacy. Start thinking about it now; life moves expo- nentially fast as we grow older. My grandmother was right when she told me that at 17. What will your legacy be? What does this industry think and talk about when your name or company is mentioned today? Tomorrow? In 20 years? Being a leader car- ries a lot of responsibility. But when we think of history, it's often the great leaders that capture our imagination, and we hope to emulate. RULE NO. 4 - INVEST IN SELF IMPROVEMENT My basketball coach started me on cassette tapes listening to John Wooden, Zig Ziglar, Norman Vincent Peale and others. It became part of my everyday life and the motivational and inspi- rational aspects of these dynamic speakers helped keep me upbeat and an active goal setter in my sales efforts. I had the privilege of spending time with Zig during his tapings of video and audio educational seminars in Dallas. He was a mentor as well; his firm even considered buying my first company to showcase how his unique sales training aids could fundamentally alter the sales process and improve revenue. Zig's bestselling first book, "See You at the Top," was rejected 39 times before it was published. It is still in print. Zig Ziglar was the epitome of persistence and that has been a hallmark for me in my pursuit of sign sales. Never, ever quit! Always develop new skills. Your company's success depends on how relevant you are in your geographical area and your differ- entiating factors among your competitors. Sometimes you must reinvent your company. Become a master of change. Technology gallops fast and it is gaining momentum each day. Don't be afraid to let go of products or services you've always carried. Make sure they make sense. Don't be a victim of "that's the way we've always done it." Be a speedboat and not the Titanic! Become indispensable. Make so much difference in your com- munity, relationships, and industry that your absence would create a vacuum. Hang with people you respect and admire. We patterned our com- pany after one of our favorite vendors that was uniquely successful because they revo- lutionized customer service, order accu- racy and branding. "The deepest craving in human nature is the need to be appreciated." – William James "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with." – Jim Rohn