It is a statement of fact.

There are many assumptions made in that statement.

One of the primary assumptions is we belong to the human race. Because of our membership in this august society, we know how to build safe, effective, successful and lasting personal and business relationships that allow all parties involved to grow, prosper and get results.

I am not sure this is a valid assumption.

Why?

Many of us have not been taught know how to build rapport, connect with others, understand the best way to support others and know how to ask them to support us. This is evident by the divorce rate; as many as 50% of marriages end in a divorce (Source divorcerate.org.) What is interesting to me is that the divorce rate drops the older we get. For example the divorce rate is 38.8% for American males age 20-24 versus 6.5% for American males age 35-39. It would seem the old men get the more they understand relationship strategies.

The question is how can we shorten that learning curve?

In business, according to Grant Thornton, 97% of all business owners want to strengthen the customer relationship.

SCORE suggests that 64% of all small businesses fail because they do not know how nor do they understand the value of marketing. Marketing is nothing more than a process through which companies build strong customer relationships. I could go on but you get my drift.

To address this problem, I teamed up with Dr. Tony Alessandra, one of the world’s foremost relationships strategies experts, to create a web site that teaches you how to build safe, effective, successful and lasting personal and business relationships.

The web site is called People Smarts. In this site we address relationship strategy issues, presentations skills, collaborative selling skills, marketing, personal growth and development, how to treat people the way they want to be treated and a host of other important and powerful topics that, when applied, will help you create more effective relationships to get the results you want and need.

The site contains a full array of videos, eBooks, PDFs and MP3 to support you in your personal, sales, business and leadership development needs. We invite you to explore and try out this site.

In lesson one (which you have access) you will learn the different between the Golden Rule vs. Platinum Rule and experience the overview of all functions of relationship strategies. In addition, you will receive an introduction of the two dimensions of behavior. In this lesson, you will be presented with a very simple model that has been validated with hundreds of thousands of people. It is a powerful guide you can use to improve communication and morale, build better work groups, and develop better relationships with co-workers, supervisors, customers, vendors and others.

I invite you to give People Smarts a try. To learn more go to www.akris.net.

If you have questions please feel free to call Ron Finklestein at 330-990-0788 or email him at ron@akris.net.

This powerful tool can also be used in you place of business for all your employees. If you would like more details about this opportunity ask Ron and he will provide the details.

Ron Finklestein

www.peoplesmarts.ws

admin@peoplesmarts.ws

330-990-0788

This is one place where you can view key videos. The videos and what we cover are listed below. As you can see all are less than 11 minutes (because I know how busy you are.)

Here is the link http://wn.com/rfinklestein

• Behavior of Successful Business Owners 6:54
• 7 Secrets to Overcoming Adversity in Business…10:54
• Anatomy of a Sales Call…6:38
• How to Grow Sales…9:49
• What Business Owners Can Do To Grow Their Business…9:56
• Hey! It is all about taking action…6:57
• Why Intelligent Self-Interest is Critical to Your Success…5:28
• Nine Principles for Inspired Action: A New & Targeted Perspective…5:50
• Only a few ideas…3:39
• Ownership and Empowerment…2:55
• Measurable, Repeatable, Predictable…3:12
• Persistence…3:29
• Free and inexpensive marketing secrets that works – part 1…9:40
• It is all about results

These videos can be used in these areas:

• building an effective team
• business advisory board
• business coaching
• business coaching programs
• effective communication training
• grow sales
• improve people skills
• people leadership skills
• people performance management
• people skills for managers
• presentation skills tips
• Small Business Coach
• small business marketing
• small business success stories
• team building challenge
• workplace team building

Revenue and Profit Enhancement Specialist
Ron Finklestein
ron@ronfinklestein.com
330-990-0788
www.ronfinklestein.com

Why?

Because they are an essential component of

• building an effective team
• business coaching programs
• effective communication training
• growing sales
• improving people skills
• developing leadership skills
• managing people’s performance
• people skills for managers
• developing presentation skills
• small business marketing effectiveness
• building team

and so much more.

True profit and revenue growth comes from within, not form with out. What I mean is your personal growth in a large part drives your success. I learned that when I learned and applied The Platinum Rule in my own life. The Platinum Rule helped me create a great marriage and strong relationships with my children.

Because my personal experience has been so positive, I approached Dr. Alessandra about using this concept in all areas of business. I put together a DVD on The Platinum Rule (TPR).  TPR was created by Dr. Tony Alessandra. TPR is defined as Treating Others the Way They Want to be Treated.

In this video you not only learn TPR, you are shown how to apply what you learn. This DVD  will work for anyone trying to build better relationship, but the primary audience is small business owners who want an edge in sales or improvement in their marketing. Additional applications include building better relationships with their employees and significant others. Many of my clients use it to take the stress out of their relationships: with peers, family, customers, prospects, and employees.

Check it out here.

The material is based on a book I coauthored with Dr. Alessandra and Scott Zimmerman called The Platinum Rule for Small Business Mastery. The book focuses on the application of TPR in twelve areas of business. The DVD only cover TPR but the book covers the application of TPR in sales, marketing, customer services, IT, business process, and business planning to name just a few areas of application.

I invite you to check it out to how TPR DVD will help you with your business challenges.

Ron Finklestein
Revenue and Profit Enhancement Specialist
ron@ronfinklestein.com

Why do most larger companies have a board of directors. The role of the board is to hold the management team accountable for executing strategy, clearing out obstacles, provide feedback on critical issues, mentoring and providing business coaching to the president and other critical management team members.

Some coaches excel at helping you  improve people skills. Other are more experienced at  building an effective team. Still others are more effective at  growing sales.

Study after study have shown the effectiveness of  business coaching and  business coaching programs to help you and your company is useful, if you are open to being coached. It is impossible for you to be an expert in all areas of business.

SCORE states that 70% of all businesses that fail do so because they do not know when to ask for help or ignore problems when they happen.

Do not be one of the 70%. If nothing else a good  business coach will provide feedback and accountability to move you forward. And the good news is if they do not perform you can fire them.

Find someone to help you.If you have a business coach and they are not helping fire them.

Ron Finklestein
Ohio Business Coach
330-990-0788
RON@AKRIS.NET

You really are a class act! Marie Cutlip, Better Financial Solutions

Thanks again for moderating a great workshop! J.L

For starters, I so appreciated your comments about “Don’t move away from what I don’t want” but Move “Forward” to what I do want”. Putting the mind in the positive mindset is the right thing to do – always. As an accountant, we are trained to find the problem and fix it. The result is often a negative feedback. I have heard it said, “CPAs cause trouble because you guys always find the negative.” “CPA stands for Certified Pain the in Ass”. – That was a quote given in humor this week. But this has me thinking not only about me moving forward to what I want – but to focus more on the forward move of my client and the solution.

I like the interaction of your group. The comments given by everyone contained nuggets of and for myself and useful thought provoking ideas – from you, Randy, Scott, Jacci, Shaun and others. So often when groups like this one come together, they lack something and we are left feeling as if time has been wasted. Not so with your group. I think that happened for two reasons: you as the leader did an excellent job with the material, your personal insight and natural manner. And second, the very group of people you mixed together. People you qualified as sincerely desiring to improve and having the ability to do so. Thanks. M. C.

Individual Coaching Testimonials

Ron served as a personal coach and mentor for nearly a year where our focus was on Strategic Plan implementation, process improvement, public relations, personnel and communications for Chapel Hill Christian Schools.

I feel the Ron’s objectivity and frank honesty provided a much needed “outside” voice for my personal and professional development. I always found Ron to be well prepared and actively engaged in my personal success and that of our school.

Donald Lichi
President
Chapel Hill Christian School

“Our company recently went through a rather substantial reorganization following the resignation of some key resources. As part of this reorganization, I was given a much larger role in the company. It would have taken 6 to 12 months to become effective but by having Ron Finklestein here for coaching sessions and best practices advice, I’ve collapsed that learning curve to just a few months. He has been a great resource for bouncing ideas off of and getting objective feedback on the progress of my department.”

Kier Selinsky
Manager, FirstLine Support
Internet Association Corporation

“If I had built a professional relationship with Ron Finklestein in 2002 – when he and I first encountered one another – I would not have lost my company in 2004. In March, 2005, I came on board with Akris and Ron has been indispensable in helping me develop and grow my latest venture. Lesson learned.”

Alan L. Plastow
Founder
The Business Technology Consumer Network
biztechnet.org
“I just wanted to write a note of thanks for the service that AKRIS has provided. Your knowledge of business process and strategy is unparalleled and is a strong presence in the growth of my business. I would recommend that any business large or small that has the drive to take it to the next level use AKRIS as a part of their plan.”

James Clark
President
Debt Management Group

“Among all the consultants my firms has employed in the past, AKRIS has provided my firm the best value, the best return on investment, the best attention we have experienced!”

Don Philabaum
President
Internet Association Corporation
www.iaccorp.com

Consulting, Speaking and Other Testimonials

Thank you again, for giving your evening to E CITY and serving as a judge at the Whitney Young business plan competition…you gave so much of yourselves to celebrating and teaching the students- you were remarkable! Our 70-hour program teaches many of the nuts and bolts of business start-up, but you brought it all together by giving the bigger view. You made things authentic for them and you helped them understand what they should carry forward into their lives, beyond this program. We were all inspired! E.T.

Cleveland Bridge Builders defines a leader as an individual able to inspire and align others to reach a common goal.

By putting your personal time, energy and resources into an initiative that strengthens businesses, by overlooking geo-political boundaries in your work, and by selflessly investing your profits in the community, you inspire and align others to reach common goals. … you are a leader and our community is lucky that you call it home.

Laura Steinbrink
Executive Director
Cleveland Bridge Builders

“Although I am certainly not a morning person, your speaking is worth getting up early for. I had a terrific day yesterday and I am trying to implement the great stuff I learned yesterday already. THANKS!!!”

Ruthie DeGood
Miracle Resources

“Congratulations – Thanks for being a voice for us we need it, especially for the small business owners!”

Renea A Woods, PA, CEO, President
Getting Started Inc.

“It is without reservation that I recommend Ron Finklestein for any project that requires both the depth and breadth of an expert in project implementations that must be coupled with strict business requirements. In summary……the project was a success and was completed on time and well within the specified budget.”

Matt Taylor
Voyant
MIS Director
www.voyanttech.com

“A prime example of your expertise at work in the development of Nextstage Training Solutions is the selection of the very name! Your assistance in clarifying the need for a clear and understandable name for my business, as the interpreter of my services, was very important.”

Gordon J. Svoboda II
Nextstage Training Solutions
President

“It’s great to have open communication between each other and get the final results so quickly. I recognize that you burned some hours getting this done. I’m sure you have established yourself with KBB for follow on work. I just have to find another project for you!”

Rich Finkle
Kelley Blue Book
Manager of Product Development

“Ron was on our account and provided excellent leadership and technical expertise to our organization when it was needed most.”

Denni Interliggi
GenCorp
Chief Information Officer

“Ron brings tremendous energy and leadership to any endeavor. I have been very impress with his creating the NEOSA Business & Technology Group from a clean sheet of paper. When you need to get a job done right and fast, call Ron, he can deliver.”

Anita Campbell
Anita Campbell Associates Ltd
President

These testimonials relate to various business coaching programs that Akris offers.

AKRIS LLC does both  business and executive coaching for owners and executive in businesses of all sizes.

AKRIS LLC is a results oriented business and technology consulting firm. AKRIS LLC provides interventions for businesses with revenues of less than $50M. AKRIS does this by working with business owners and senior managers and effectively integrating people, processes and technology while minimizing risk.

The AKRIS Vision

Helping successful people make their business more successful by solving tough problems

The AKRIS Mission

Our mission is to get a good night sleep by making sure we do what is right for our clients. If we are sleeping well at night we know we are doing the right things. The right things include: helping successful people eliminate risk while solving tough problems, being open and honest, asking the hard questions, admiting we are wrong when we make a mistake, knowing when not to pursue some business and being good people.

The AKRIS Values

Treat everyone with honesty, integrity and common sense

• Honesty means always doing what is right for our clients
• Integrity means doing what we say we are going to do
• Common Sense means:
  • Doing what’a right (see the AKRIS Mission)
  • Knowing when to say no
  • Following the Celebrate Success Methodology
  • Implementing The Platinum Rule in all we do

The AKRIS Market

AKRIS helps companies with less than $50M in revenue. These companies includes:

• Startups
• Companies transitioning from an entrepreneurial environment to a more mature company
• Mature companies that have specific needs

Who AKRIS Helps

AKRIS addresses the top pains of business owners and senior managers!!

• We help owners make their business more predictable
• We reduce, and eliminate where possible, the risk of doing business with AKRIS
• We teach business owners the Fourteen Attributes of a Successful Company
• We implement the Fourteen Attributes of a Successful Company
• We teach classes and workshops using The Platinum Rule Principles
• We have Business Coaching Programs
• Akris has a Business Advisory Board for Executives