Do you believe you have what it takes to be The Person to See™ in your business?

If the answer is “yes”, then we invite you to sign up to receive our The Person to See™ Weekly Reminders.

Our Weekly Reminders are succinct tips, insights and ideas you will receive from us Monday mornings via e-mail, reminding you about what it takes for you to successfully position yourself as The Person to See™ in your business. The idea is for you to focus on one concept or technique per week that will unquestionably help you build a reputation that precedes you.

The Person to See™ strives to be informed on both sides of the issues.

In every communication there are three points of view:

• First person (yours)
• Second person (other – aka the person to whom you are talking)
• Third person (observer)

The Person to See works hard to always see and understand each point of view. The best communicators have the intellectual flexibility to quickly size up any communication from each point of view. This is why they are also typically the best ones at conflict resolution.

The most common reason why conflict arises is because people get stuck in first person (i.e. seeing the world from only their own point of view). The Person to See is aware of this danger and therefore is always quick to compromise.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ lives within his/her means.

Living beyond one's means is often a by-product of insecurity. People are pretending they are something they are not because they are not comfortable with who they are and what they've achieved. Not The Person to See.

The Person to See doesn't live in a house, drive a car, wear clothes or entertain in a manner he/she can't afford. Because he/she is comfortable with who he/she is, The Person to See never buckles under peer pressure.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ does not put off until tomorrow what he/she can do today.

The Person to See is the model of prompt action. Procrastination is not a word which can be found in The Person To See's dictionary.

The Person To See knows that the surest path to success is to religiously execute the most important tasks of the day regardless of how pleasant or unpleasant those tasks may be.

The bottom line is that The Person To See is willing to do those things which the unsuccessful people are unwilling to do.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ loves to learn and is always investing in his/her education.

Did you know that parents of a child attending Stanford for four years will invest $200,000 in their child's education ($50,000 per year)? Once that child graduates he/she will invest a mere $1,200 in his/her own continuing education over the next ten years. Yes, that's $120 per year!

The Person to See knows that the real education begins once he/she enters the buisness world and it never stops. What kind of investment are you making in your education in order to accelerate your growth?

Remember, you are your best bet.

TOB

The Person to See™ is an independent thinker.

Whoever said it was right on the money, "A thinking man can't be a party man." The Person to See has the guts to stand on principle even when it is unpopular and he/she must stand alone.

Remember, you are your best bet.

TOB

The Person to See™ is highly principled.

There is a saying, "Tough times build character." I disagree. "Tough times don't build character, they reveal it." The truth is you either have character or you don't, regardless of the tough times.

The key to rising to the challenge of the tough times is to decide now, before the storm is upon you, what you stand for. This way when you are confronted with difficult circumstances your decisions will be easy. Just apply the values you've selected for yourself to the circumstances you are presented with at the end of the day. That is all decision-making is, values application.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ is superb at maintaining contact with his/her key centers of influence.

The Person to See knows that the average person has to hear a message 6-8 times to remember that message. This includes The Person to See's key centers of influence.

Therefore, The Person to See has a system in place which systematically reinforces his/her personal brand (i.e. the word or phrase) in the minds of his/her target audience.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ is exceptional at his/her craft.

The Person to See knows that a superstar emerges when a compelling personal brand is backed up by exceptional talent. Thus, The Person to See works tirelessly to perfect his/her craft.

So often rising stars enjoy too much success too early. Too immature to handle this success, they start believing they are good enough at what they do and there is no need to spend time and energy improving themselves further. The result is they eventually plateau.

The Person to See on the other hand, is a plodder. He/she works intentionally everyday to get a little bit better at his/her craft. The Person to See pursues his/her craft like an artist working to finish his/her masterpiece.

Remember you are your best bet.

TOB

The Person to See™ embraces total accountability.

When confronted with a problem The Person to See always asks himself/herself, "How much of this problem is due to my own contribution." The reason The Person to See embraces this mindset is because he/she is focused on solutions rather than blaming others.

Blaming others is a waste of time, even if you are right. Blaming others doesn't change a thing. Solutions do.

Remember, you are your best bet.

TOB

The Person to See™ makes time for his/her family.

All too often the very successful get out of balance. Their work becomes all consuming and as a result, their families get pushed to the side.

The Person to See is careful to make his/her family the first priority. It is easy to pay lip service to this concept; challenging to practice it. An effective way to ensure your family members get the attention they deserve it to make time commitments which become ritual. For example, I will be home for dinner two nights per week and make one full day a weekend an uninterrupted family day.

No deal or transaction is worth more than letting those closest to you know that they matter most.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ participates in government.

It is so easy to sit on the sidelines and complain about our representatives at the local, state and federal levels. The Person to See knows that our government is only as effective (or ineffective) as the people's participation. This is why The Person To See strives to stay informed on the issues, votes in every election and contributes his/her time and money to the political process.

Sitting on the sidelines simply never crosses The Person to See's mind.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ accepts people for who they are, rather than trying to change them into who he/she wants them to be.

The Person to See knows that most of the time the reason conflicts arise between two people is because each person expects the other to live up to his/her own expectations, in effect saying, "I want you to be like me and live up to my standards." This mindset invariably leads to a breakdown of communication.

The Person to See knows and accepts that people are different. When deciding whether or not to build a relationship, The Person to See looks at the whole person, deciding if all of the person's good qualities outweigh the bad ones.

How boring life would be if we were all exactly like one another. The Person to See knows that our differences, and the variety these differences produce, are what make life interesting.

Remember, you are your best bet.

TOB

The definition of luck is opportunity meets preparedness. The Person to See is diligent in his/her preparation so when an opportunity presents itself he/she is ready to take action.

The bottom line is The Person to See always stays on offense.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ is a connector.

The Person to See is not only well connected, he/she is also willing to use his/her people capital on others behalf. Many talk about being able to open doors. The Person to See really does it.

The Person to See knows that one of the most effective ways to brand his/her self as a true player is to connect others, even though there may be no immediate or direct payoff to The Person to See.

The Person to See is committed to being a connector because he/she knows that what he/she gives out will come back to him/her tenfold.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ is generous with his/her time.

The Person to See knows it is not always about money (e.g., ROI). The Person to See willingly gives of his/her time in order to help a colleague in need, mentor a rising star or perform a random act of kindness without expecting something in return.

The Person to See remembers what it was like to be at the bottom of the ladder looking for that one person who could pull him/her up. From The Person to See's perspective, all he/she is doing is returning the favor by paying it forward.

The Person to See™ is a visionary.

The Person To See thinks in extraordinary terms, defining what is possible as opposed to accepting what the crowd thinks is reasonable.

The Person To See sees opportunities others don't and his/her ideas often transform his/her industry, community and the world!

If you think big, big things will happen.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ never believes his/her own press.

The Person to See always remains grounded, especially when experiencing an abundance of success.  In fact, the more successful The Person to See is, the more humble, gracious and kind he/she becomes. He/she never confuses self worth with net worth.  Class is not determined by how much you make, but rather by what's in your heart. 

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ goes out of his/her way to let his/her teammates know how important they are to The Person to See's success.

The Person to See knows that no one is a success unless an awful lot of people want that person to be a success. In other words, you can't do it alone.

The Person to See never takes his/her teammates for granted even if he/she can get away with it because of position, prestige or money. A class act does the right thing even when he/she doesn't have to do so.

Compliment and say "thank you" to your staff a lot this week.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ supports the troops.

I was sitting on the beach in San Diego this weekend playing with my 11 month old son and 2 year old daughter and as I looked out on the massive expanse of the Pacific Ocean I saw three battleships. My mind immediately wandered to the thought that as my family and I play on the beach without a worry in the world, young men and women were probably going thru their drills and regular duties with pinpoint precision in order to ensure they are prepared if called into action.

As we celebrate Veterans Day, let's all take a moment to conscientiously express our gratitude in our own way.

Go to www.snopes.com/photos/military/gebhardt.asp to see a portrait of a real American soldier.

Today, our troops are our best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ has extraordinary people skills.

The art of meaningful one-on-one communication is under siege in our electronically obsessed world. The Person to See, however, knows that no blackberry, cell phone or email can compete with the human touch. Thus, The Person to See is constantly honing his/her rapport building, conversational and one-on-one problem-solving skills. The Person to See knows that being a master at one-on-one communication will always give him/her an advantage over the competition that lazily rely upon the convenience of pushing the computer keys.

The Person to See never uses the electronic medium to transmit sensitive or meaningful information. Rather, he/she uses email primarily as a resource for confirming meetings, requesting basic information and making general announcements.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ is always prepared in case of emergency.

The Person to See does not wait until catastrophe strikes (e.g. earthquakes, fires, floods, etc.) to spring into action. Especially if he/she has a family. The Person to See hopes the money he/she spent on emergency preparedness is the best money he/she ever wasted.

To help you get started, go to www.costco.com and check out their emergency kit.

Remember, you are your best bet (and your family's too)!

TOB

The Person to See™ is able to laugh at him/herself.

Everybody loves a person with a good sense of humor, especially the person who is good natured enough to laugh at him/herself.

The Person to See knows that trying to be perfect all the time is an exhausting task. The Person to See is the first one to poke fun at him/herself and offer a self deprecating quip.

Keep in mind, the average child laughs 30 times a day. The average adult just 17.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ is fanatical about measuring progress.

The Person to See measures everything because he/she knows that it is impossible to have sustained progress and growth otherwise. Without a system for tracking growth, progress is erratic and almost always short-term.

The reason measuring progress is so powerful is because it embraces accountability. With true measurement there are only two possible results: either you did it or you didn't.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ has a commanding posture.

Sound silly? It's not. Expectations create reality. If you carry yourself like you are confident others will respond to you in a positive way.

The Person to See walks and holds him/herself in a way that suggests focus, purpose and healthy self esteem. The Person to See is also not afraid of asking others for feedback and direction in this area.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ is undisputedly credentialed.

The Person to See knows that he/she cannot position him/herself as The Person to See in his/her field if he/she is not recognized as one of the leading experts.

This does not mean The Person to See is the only expert or the best expert amongst his/her peers. Just amongst the best. But he/she must have earned, over time, honors from third parties which undisputedly puts The Person to See in the elite class within his/her profession.
These honors can include being published within your industry, being selected to sit on an industry panel, awards from your peers or articles written about you by third parties.

The key to being properly credentialed is that the honors and recognition come from third parties. Just because you say it is so, does not mean it is. But, if someone else says it is so, than it must be fact.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ takes time off to charge his/her batteries.

All work and no play makes The Person to See a dull person. We all need time off to recharge our batteries.

The great Vince Lombardi once said, "Fatigue makes cowards of us all." Perhaps a bit harsh but his point is well taken. When we are tired, we are not able to give our best and our clients always deserve our best.

The Person to See also knows the best way to recharge his/her batteries so when they are feeling worn down, they can plug right into that charger.

Muhammad Ali once remarked, "My masseuse was so good he added two years to my career".

What is the most effective way for you to recharge your batteries? How regularly do you recharge them?

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ accepts people for who they are.

The Person to See knows that most of the time the reason conflicts arise between two people is because each person expects the other to live up to his/her own expectations, in effect saying, "I want you to be like me and live up to my standards." This mindset invariably leads to a breakdown of communication.

The Person to See knows and accepts that people are different. When deciding whether or not to build a relationship, The Person to See looks at the whole person, deciding if all of the person's good qualities outweigh the bad ones.

How boring life would be if we were all exactly like one another. The Person to See knows that our differences and the variety these differences produce, are what make life interesting.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See's™ success is driven by healthy wants, not addictive needs.

The Person to See may have very ambitious wants, but he/she is very careful not to allow his/her needs to run his/her life.

For example, it is okay to want that fancy Mercedes, but it is very dangerous if you need that Mercedes to be happy.

At any given moment in time, The Person to See is content with the choices he/she has made as well as his/her station in life.

Being driven by healthy wants as opposed to addictive needs gives The Person to See critical walk away power. The Person To See never allows his/her needs to force him/her to make choices that compromise his/her dignity.

Remember you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ exhausts others with his/her consistency.

A great motivational speaker, Henry Cabot Lodge said, "Greatness is the product of carrying out a good deed long after the excitement has worn off."

Apply this idea to the details and you will become a legend.

Some of the areas to think about:

• Dress and overall appearance
• Follow through on every single thing
• How you greet others
• Daily work ethic
• Showing up and timeliness

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ always operates his/her business for growth.

Sometimes when our businesses don't grow as fast as we'd like them to we turn off the growth spicket prematurely to preserve resources. Being responsible is always important. However, The Person to See never confuses thoughtfulness and panic.

A mindset of abundance is the only pathway to creating a bank account of abundance. That is why The Person to See is always on offense. He/she is willing to incur smart debt in the short term to produce long term results.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ is fanatical about protecting his/her reputation.

Tennis great, Arthur Ashe once remarked "If one's reputation is a possession, my reputation means most to me. Nothing comes even close to its' importance." The Person to See feels exactly the same way.

Know that everything you do either adds to or subtracts from the credibility of your personal brand. From the way you shake hands to the makeup you wear to the delivery of your products and services.

To The Person to See no sale or any amount of money is worth his/her good name.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ only goes in one direction – Forward.

St. Louis Cardinals Manager, Tony LaRussa, put it perfectly...

"When in doubt, when in fear, be aggressive. Commit yourself and never look back."

The person who takes the most chances in life reaps the most rewards.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ accepts people for who they are, rather than trying to change them into who he/she wants them to be.

The Person to See knows that most of the time the reason conflicts arise between two people is because each person expects the other to live up to his/her own expectations, in effect saying, "I want you to be like me and live up to my standards." This mindset invariably leads to a breakdown of communication.

The Person to See knows and accepts that people are different. When deciding whether or not to build a relationship, The Person to See looks at the whole person, deciding if all of the person's good qualities outweigh the bad ones.

How boring life would be if we were all exactly like one another. The Person to See knows that our differences, and the variety these differences produce, are what make life interesting.

Remember, you are your best bet.

TOB

The Person to See™ embraces total accountability.

When confronted with a problem The Person to See always asks himself/herself, "How much of this problem is due to my own contribution." The reason The Person to See embraces this mindset is because he/she is focused on solutions rather than blaming others.

Blaming others is a waste of time, even if you are right. Blaming others doesn't change a thing. Solutions do.

Remember, you are your best bet.

TOB

The Person to See™ never throws good money after bad.

Sometimes you just have to cut your losses and move on.  The Person to See knows that the surest way to get trapped in a financial quagmire is to become emotionally involved.

And remember, sometimes things just don't work out.  When that is the case, have the good sense to move on even if it may cost you a few bucks in the end.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ is well-rounded and interesting.

If you were to remove from your personal brand what you did for a living, what would others say about you? For most people, the answer is absolutely nothing. Most people are one-dimensional. What they do for a living is their whole story.

How about if you were part of an organization that was honoring a very important citizen and the program committee needed to choose an interesting person who is a great conversationalist to sit next to the honoree. Would they choose you?

Don't let what you do for a living be the only thing that defines you.

The Person to See is passionately dedicated to becoming the most interesting and well-rounded person in the room.

Remember, you are your best bet.

TOB

The Person to See™ returns every phone call.

Yes, every call. Even the guy from MCI who's trying to get you to switch your long distance service. He, like each of us, is trying to feed his family. He deserves the dignity of a returned phone call. Remember when you were trying to make it to the top and how grateful you were when that one superstar, who you never expected to reach, returned your call?

Returning every phone call does not mean you personally have to do it, but someone from your office must. Also, make sure if someone returns a call on your behalf he/she does so gracefully, as opposed to just processing the call.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ is exceptional at his/her craft.

The Person to See knows that a superstar emerges when a compelling personal brand is backed up by exceptional talent.  Thus, The Person to See works tirelessly to perfect his/her craft.

So often rising stars enjoy too much success too early.  Too immature to handle this success, they start believing they are good enough at what they do and there is no need to spend time and energy improving themselves further.  The result is they eventually plateau.

The Person to See on the other hand, is a plodder.  He/she works intentionally everyday to get a little bit better at his/her craft.  The Person to See pursues his/her craft like an artist working to finish his/her masterpiece.

Remember you are your best bet.

TOB

The Person to See™ does not procrastinate.

The Person to See knows that if you procrastinate your life becomes in charge of you not you in charge of your life. To make sure The Person to See stays on track, he/she sets priorities daily and measures his/her success daily as well.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ is committed to living a life without regrets.

The Person to See's motto is "go for it." Whereas most people live their lives according to what others think is realistic, The Person to See defines what is possible. He/she is not afraid of thinking big. Really big – even if it means standing alone.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ intentionally builds personal brand equity everyday.

The Person to See knows that selecting his/her personal brand is just the first step when creating a compelling personal brand. The Person to See also knows that his/her personal brand will only be compelling if he/she builds a mountain of personal brand equity.

Personal brand equity is the level of positive feelings people have about you and the word or phrase you want people to think of when they think of you. The Person to See knows that everything he/she does or says directly impacts his/her personal brand equity; either adding to or subtracting from his/her personal brand equity bank account.

The Person to See knows that the best way to build personal brand equity is through doing good deeds for others, something that The Person to See focuses on daily.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ knows a deal is a deal.

There is no changing the rules in the middle of the game unless the person adversely affected by the change suggests or consents to the change.

A lot of times The Person to See has the leverage to get his/her own way but leverage is not what guides his/her decisions. Fairness is.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ shares the spotlight.

Hogging the spotlight is a sign of insecurity. Because The Person to See is the consummate professional, he/she is not afraid of letting others around him/her shine in the spotlight.

The Person to See knows that at the end of the day the cream always rises to the top so he/she never has a fear of being overlooked or underappreciated.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ does not make excuses.

It's very simple for The Person to See. Either you did or didn't do it. End of story.

Justifications, explanations and stories about why things did not get done are simply not part of The Person to See's vocabulary.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ has set SMART goals for 2007.

The Person to See knows if the mind can conceive it he/she can achieve it. Success starts with a roadmap and this roadmap is expressed in terms of Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Risk-oriented and Time-bound goals.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ knows that there is always more than one solution to a problem.

All too often successful people suffer from NIH Syndrome. NIH = Not Invented Here. In other words, if we didn't think of the solution or idea it can't be any good.

The Person To See on the other hand, is the model of open-mindedness. He/she listens without prejudging the situation. He/she is also quick to adopt another person's solution or idea if it is better than his/her own.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ loves to have a good time.

Happiness is The Person to See's fuel. Therefore, he/she never passes up an opportunity to have a good time. Just like The Person to See drives his/her business, he/she also creates his/her good times.

Be smart. Schedule fun the same way you schedule work.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ is not perfect.

Everyone makes mistakes. The important question is, how do we respond to them? For The Person to See the answer is simple:

1. Admit your mistake
2. Sincerely apologize to anyone who was hurt by your error
3. Move on. Live in the future, not the past

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ votes.

This one is important enough to repeat especially with tomorrow's election. The Person to See recognizes his/her right to vote as one of the most prized privileges of being an American. Therefore, The Person to See never misses the opportunity to cast his/her ballot.

If you need to know where you personally can vote or what time the polls open and close, in California , all you need to do is log on to www.voterguide.ss.ca.gov.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ lives within his/her means.

Living beyond one's means is often a by-product of insecurity. People are pretending they are something they are not because they are not comfortable with who they are and what they've achieved. Not The Person to See.

The Person to See doesn't live in a house, drive a car, wear clothes or entertain in a manner he/she can't afford. Because he/she is comfortable with who he/she is, The Person to See never buckles under peer pressure.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ is the model of politeness.

The Person To See treats everyone equally regardless of position, income level or job title. We all say we treat everyone equally and we probably do when others are watching and things are going our way. But how are we when no one is watching, the pressure is on or things are not going our way?

For The Person To See circumstances make no difference. It's always the same.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ is a visionary.

The Person To See thinks in extraordinary terms, defining what is possible as opposed to accepting what the crowd thinks is reasonable.

The Person To See sees opportunities others don't and his/her ideas often transform his/her industry, community and the world!

If you think big, big things will happen.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ shows up early and stays late.

We all know those people who make it their practice to show up at events late, survey the crowd for opportunity and then once they've gotten what they can they beat it out the back door before anyone notices. Not The Person To See.

The Person To See is all class. He/she shows up on time, always, looking to give before taking and even staying until the end, especially if he/she can lend a helping hand cleaning up.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ has an exceptional uniqueness statement.

In today's over-communicated society, the ability to differentiate oneself in seconds is an invaluable skill.

The Person to See is as good as there is at communicating his/her uniqueness. The average attention span is 15 seconds. To be on the safe side, The Person to See is able to develop his/her value proposition in less than half that time.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ is able to laugh at him/herself.

Everybody loves a person with a good sense of humor, especially the person who is good natured enough to laugh at him/herself.

The Person to See knows that trying to be perfect all the time is an exhausting task. The Person to See is the first one to poke fun at him/herself and offer a self deprecating quip.

Keep in mind, the average child laughs 30 times a day. The average adult just 17.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See's™ pride never gets in the way of what is right.

The Person to See knows that if he/she is going to do the right thing he/she must be sure to keep his/her pride in check. Many times the right thing to do is the hardest because it requires us to set our egos aside.

When The Person to See finds him/herself in a conflict, he/she always asks him/herself, "To what extent is this problem caused by my own doing?"

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ is superb at maintaining contact with his/her key centers of influence.

The Person to See knows that the average person has to hear a message 6-8 times to remember that message. This includes The Person to See's key centers of influence.

Therefore, The Person to See has a system in place which systematically reinforces his/her personal brand (i.e. the word or phrase) in the minds of his/her target audience.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ is a value shopper not a price shopper.

Everyone professes to be a value shopper but when push comes to shove few really are. The Person to See hates to be price shopped so he/she does not price shop others. Ever.

At the end of the day, The Person to See treats others soliciting his/her business like he/she wants to be treated. Even if it means paying a little more money.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ knows that the main thing is to keep the main thing, the main thing.

The Person to See is very adept at separating the wheat from the chafe, setting and sticking to priorities and getting things done before moving on to something else.

The strategy for success is simple: identify what is truly important and then block all distractions until that objective is completed. The Person to See has ironclad discipline when it comes to blocking out the noise and ignoring distractions.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ is a devoted parent.

Our children did not ask to be brought into this world. Therefore, as parents we have a solemn obligation to make our children our priority.

The Person to See never loses sight of what's best for his/her children. He/she always makes the time necessary to meet the needs of his/her children before attending to his/her business interests. Balance is about choice and The Person to See always chooses his/her family first.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ strives to be informed on both sides of the issues.

In every communication there are three points of view:

First person (yours)
Second person (other – aka the person to whom you are talking)
Third person (observer)

The Person to See works hard to always see and understand each point of view. The best communicators have the intellectual flexibility to quickly size up any communication from each point of view. This is why they are also typically the best ones at conflict resolution.

The most common reason why conflict arises is because people get stuck in first person (i.e. seeing the world from only their own point of view). The Person to See is aware of this danger and therefore is always quick to compromise.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ honors his/her commitment to jury duty.

There are only four countries in the world that have a justice system based upon a "jury of your peers" – the United States , France , Canada and New Zealand . The Person to See cherishes this unique distinction and willingly shows up for jury duty when summoned.

Sitting on a jury should not be viewed as a burden but rather as a privilege. Every time we fail to honor our obligation we chip away at the system which is crucial to guaranteeing our rights and freedom.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ votes in every election.

Voting in elections is a privilege which The Person to See never takes for granted. That's why he/she votes in every election – every one, including school/board races, special elections and the seemingly inconsequential off-year contests.

Hundreds of thousands of men and women have defended mine and your right to vote with their lives (e.g. the Revolutionary War, WWI and WWII). We owe it to these brave, selfless men and women to go to the polls every time we are asked to vote, regardless of the inconvenience it may impose, the frustration we may have with the system or the lack of appeal of the individual candidates.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ has the guts to stand on principle even if he/she has to stand alone.

The Person to See knows that if he/she is always following the crowd, the crowd will never follow him/her. Sometimes courage means going it alone, even in the face of intense criticism.

Many of history's titans didn't have large followings in the beginning. The journeys of Ghandhi, Lincoln and Susan B. Anthony were actually quite lonely in the beginning. How might the world be different today had these noble leaders buckled in the face of public pressure?

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ is fanatical about protecting his/her reputation.

Tennis great, Arthur Ashe once remarked "If one's reputation is a possession, my reputation means most to me. Nothing comes even close to its' importance." The Person to See feels exactly the same way.

Know that everything you do either adds to or subtracts from the credibility of your personal brand. From the way you shake hands to the makeup you wear to the delivery of your products and services.

To The Person to See no sale or any amount of money is worth his/her good name.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ waits to get the whole story instead of making snap judgments.

The Person to See distinguishes him/herself from the rest of the pack because he/she always does his/her due diligence before making decisions, especially in crisis situations.

In contrast, weak leaders wilt in the face of public pressure and consequently usually end up making the most expedient decision instead of the right decision.

The Person to See is guided by facts not emotion. Never making decisions when he/she is too high or too low. The more emotional others become the more calm The Person to See strives to be.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ is tenacious about following up.

The Person to See knows that 80% of all sales are made after the fifth contact. He/she also knows that of the 100% of the people who make the first contact:

• 40% make the third contact
• 25% make the fourth contact
• 10% make the fifth contact

This is precisely why there is always plenty to go around. There are not many people in the game to play!

By the way, these statistics don't just apply to the sale of products and services. It includes any time you are trying to persuade someone else to take a particular course of action.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ goes out of his/her way to let his/her teammates know how important they are to The Person to See's success.

The Person to See knows that no one is a success unless an awful lot of people want that person to be a success. In other words, you can't do it alone.

The Person to See never takes his/her teammates for granted even if he/she can get away with it because of position, prestige or money. A class act does the right thing even when he/she doesn't have to do so.

Compliment and say "thank you" to your staff a lot this week.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ knows when to cut his/her losses.

The Person to See heeds the wisdom of the old adage, "never throw good money after bad." The same principle applies to non-monetary resources as well. When it is clear that progress has permanently stalled, have the guts to accept the truth and move on, even if it means kissing precious time and money good-bye.

Ego and stubborn pride are the most common reasons people hang on longer than they should. The best judgment is the one which never lets emotion get in the way of the right decision.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ never believes his/her own press.

The Person to See always remains grounded, especially when experiencing an abundance of success. In fact, the more successful The Person to See is, the more humble, gracious and kind he/she becomes.

He/she never confuses self worth with net worth. Class is not determined by how much you make, but rather by what's in your heart.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ is the first to forgive.

The Person to See doesn't hold grudges. He/she never let's foolish pride get in the way of burying the hatchet.

The Person to See's focus is on effectiveness as opposed to righteousness. Results instead of blame.

Think of all of the greats: Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa. The one quality they all had in common was their incredible ability to forgive.

Morrie Schwartz of Tuesday's with Morrie, summed it up beautifully, "Forgive everyone, for everything, now".

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ is a connector.

The Person to See is not only well connected, he/she is also willing to use his/her people capital on others behalf. Many talk about being able to open doors. The Person to See really does it.

The Person to See knows that one of the most effective ways to brand his/her self as a true player is to connect others, even though there may be no immediate or direct payoff to The Person to See.

The Person to See is committed to being a connector because he/she knows that what he/she gives out will come back to him/her tenfold.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ is a person of action.

The Person to See heeds the wise words of Albert Einstein, "Nothing happens until something moves."

Strategizing, thinking and processing are overrated. The Person to See spends 10% of his/her time in deliberation and 90% in action.

As the ancient Chinese proverb aptly put it "Talk don't cook rice."

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ never criticizes others in public.

Class is a hallmark of The Person to See. And class is respecting the feelings of others, especially those who may not be as financially successful as you or who are lower on the decision-making chain than you.

When The Person to See has an issue with someone, he/she addresses it swiftly and in private. Nothing ever justifies yelling at or embarrassing another person in public. Even if you are the VP, CEO or Owner.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ does not put off until tomorrow what he/she can do today.

The Person to See is a model of prompt action. Procrastination is not a word which can be found in The Person To See’s dictionary.

The Person To See knows that the surest path to success is to religiously execute the most important tasks of the day regardless of how pleasant or unpleasant those tasks may be.

The bottom line is that The Person To See is willing to do those things which the unsuccessful people are unwilling to do.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ has a compelling Personal Brand.

A personal brand is the word or phrase we want others to think of when they think of us (e.g., winner, tough, leader). Your personal brand conveys the promise people can expect from you. For example, Lance Armstrong is a winner. Brett Favre is tough. Colin Powell is a leader.

The Person to See knows with absolute clarity the word or phrase he/she wants others to think of when they think of him/her. When selecting his/her brand, The Person to See focuses on his/her humanness, not his/her craft. For example, O.J. Simpson’s lawyer Robert Shapiro, Esq. is certainly a lawyer, but lawyer is not his brand. He is known for his ability to negotiate great plea bargains for his clients (i.e., skilled negotiator).

What part of your humanness do you want to promote? What is the best word or phrase you can think of to describe that part of you?

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ has a crisp 15-second Commercial.

The Person to See has the best 15-second commercial of all his/her peers. He/she loves the question, “So, what do you do?”

So many professionals look the part, but when they open their mouths, nothing but noise comes out.

The Person to See knows that for his/her commercial to dazzle it must contain the following components:

• A hook
• Specialization (I/we specialize in…)
• Typical clients
• Benefit (think dollarization)
• Action step

If you want to be memorable, create a memorable 15-second commercial.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ has extraordinary people skills.

The art of meaningful one-on-one communication is under siege in our electronically obsessed world. The Person to See, however, knows that no blackberry, cell phone or email can compete with the human touch. Thus, The Person to See is constantly honing his/her rapport building, conversational and one-on-one problem-solving skills.

The Person to See knows that being a master at one-on-one communication will always give him/her an advantage over the competition that lazily rely upon the convenience of pushing the computer keys.

The Person to See never uses the electronic medium to transmit sensitive or meaningful information. Rather, he/she uses email primarily as a resource for confirming meetings, requesting basic information and making general announcements.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ intentionally builds Personal Brand Equity everyday.

The Person to See knows that selecting his/her personal brand is just the first step when creating a compelling personal brand. The Person to See also knows that his/her personal brand will only be compelling if he/she builds a mountain of personal brand equity.

Personal brand equity is the level of positive feelings people have about you and the word or phrase you want people to think of when they think of you. The Person to See knows that everything he/she does or says directly impacts his/her personal band equity; either adding to or subtracting from his/her personal brand equity bank account.

The Person to See knows that the best way to build personal brand equity is through doing good deeds for others. Something that The Person to See focuses on daily.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ is a law-abiding citizen.

The Person to See knows he/she is not above the law. Obeying the big ones is not what is challenging. It is the little ones some of us ignore when no one is watching.

Driving when we have had a few too many drinks, parking where we are not supposed to, casual drug use on the weekend.

The Person to See knows that the law applies to all of us, the rich and not so rich, the old and the young, the owners of companies and the employees of companies. Therefore, The Person to See strives to honor the law even though it may be inconvenient. He/she sets the example rather than follows the crowd.

Here is your challenge for the week: Honor every law, everyday, no matter how inconvenient. We might surprise ourselves at just how absentminded we have been in the past.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ is a voracious reader.

The Person to See makes the commitment to read several books a year, which will make him/her a better person as well better professional.

The average college graduate reads .7 books per year. (No, this is not a typo!) The Person to See knows that if he/she reads for 20 minutes a day everyday, by years end he/she will have read 22 200-page books.

The Person to See also knows that if he/she reads five books on a specific subject he/she will be regarded as an expert on that subject.

Finally, The Person to See knows the three simple techniques that can enhance the speed at which he/she reads:

• Contrary to what teachers taught us, use your finger, underlining each sentence as you read it.
• Practice reading for speed first. Don’t worry about comprehension, it will catch up.
• Expand the focus of your eyes as you read. See more than one word at a time. Your eyes and brain can take in information at a much faster rate than you can read.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ is undisputedly credentialed.

The Person to See knows that he/she cannot position him/herself as The Person to See in his/her field if he/she is not recognized as one of the leading experts.

This does not mean The Person to See is the only expert or the best expert amongst his/her peers. Just amongst the best. But he/she must have earned, over time, honors from third parties which undisputedly puts The Person to See in the elite class within his/her profession.

These honors can include being published within your industry, being selected to sit on an industry panel, awards from your peers or articles written about you by third parties.

The key to being properly credentialed is that the honors and recognition come from third parties. Just because you say it is so, does not mean it is. But, if someone else says it is so, than it must be fact.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ laughs alot.

The Person to See laughs alot, especially at him/herself.

The average child laughs 300 times a day. The average adult just 17. The Person to See never gets too caught up in the seriousness of life that he/she loses his/her sense of humor. Even in the most difficult of times, The Person to See can always find something to laugh about.

The Person to See is secure enough in him/herself that when he/she does something knuckleheaded he/she is the first one to laugh. Nobody is perfect and nobody likes to be around someone who pretends to be.

The Person to See laughs first, laughs alot and laughs heartily. If you do the same, your life will be measurably better because people will gravitate towards you.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See knows that a mindset of scarcity makes cowards of us all. If we operate from a place of scarcity we will never take the chances, embrace the risks or make the moves we need to in order to get the most out of our potential.

Empowerment is the ability to take forward thinking action regardless of our circumstances. The Person to See knows there is plenty to go around so he/she is never crippled by the fear of losing out on an opportunity. He/she knows that if he/she does miss out on this one there is always another around the corner.

This is why The Person to See lives boldly, gives generously and enjoys life to the max.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ has the guts to be open, honest, and direct.

For some of us (e.g. those from New Jersey) this quality is a little more natural.

The Person to See is not afraid to speak up on the tough, sensitive issues. Because he/she operates from a place of honesty and sincerity The Person To See is committed to the truth regardless of the circumstances. At first, The Person to See’s bluntness will rub some the wrong way, but over the long–run he/she will be respected for his/her honesty, courage, and will be welcomed as a breath of fresh-air.

Remember, you are your best bet.

TOB

At the end of the day, you are only as good as your word.

No matter how inconvenient it may be for him/her, The Person To See knows that when he/she gives his/her word there is no turning back, no do overs and no mental gymnastics in an attempt to rationalize backing out of his/her commitment.

The bottom line is when The Person To See gives his/her word, you can take it to the bank.

Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB

The Person to See™ takes time off to charge his/her batteries.

All work and no play makes The Person to See a dull person. We all need time off to recharge our batteries.

The great Vince Lombardi once said, "Fatigue makes cowards of us all." Perhaps a bit harsh but his point is well taken. When we are tired, we are not able to give our best and our clients always deserve our best.

The Person to See also knows the best way to recharge his/her batteries so when they are feeling worn down, they can plug right into that charger.

Muhammad Ali once remarked, "My masseuse was so good he added two years to my career".

What is the most effective way for you to recharge your batteries? How regularly do you recharge them?
Remember, you are your best bet!

TOB