2013

NOV

5

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North Loop1445 N. Loop West Suite 1000Houston, TX 77008(713) 861-3231

ChaNNeLview 15201 East Frwy. Suite 225Channelview, TX 77530(281) 457-2847

Katy20065 Katy Frwy.Katy, Texas 77450(281) 994-5050

Sugar LaNd16126 Southwest Frwy. Suite 200Sugar Land, TX 77478(281) 207-2770

Med CeNter/aStrodoMe2201 West Holcombe Suite 220Houston, TX 77030(713) 664-3400

LexiNgtoN11767 Katy Frwy. Suite 505Houston, TX 77079(281) 679-9340

FM 1960/BaMMeL112 Bammel Westfield Rd.Houston, TX 77090(281) 893-8835

La porte400 W Fairmont Pkwy.La Porte, TX 77571(281) 471-0750

daLLaS4925 McKinney Ave.Dallas, TX 75205(214) 528-9990

hoNoLuLu/uNioN pLaza1136 Union MallHonolulu, HI 96813(808) 536-3405

extended hoursSe habla español.

State of the Art, Lifetime Dental Excellence

General Dentistry and All Specialties providedin office for your convenience!

Visit us online at: www.gMSdent.com www.facebook.com/GMSDentalNorthLoop610

• Orthodontics Braces, Invisalign• Endodontics• Oral Surgery• Implants• Periodontics

• Cosmetic Care Porcelain Veneers, Bonding & Bleaching• Philips ZOOM! One-Hour Teeth

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Table of Contents

Feature Article - Grant Sadler ...........................................................4

Feature Article - Bertrand McHenry .................................................8

Feature Article - Dirk Cummins .....................................................12

MSC Spotlight Blog - Doug Meisinger...........................................18

Feature Article - Phil Lloyd.............................................................21

MSC Blog Insites - Kathryn Crawford Wheat ................................22

Feature Article - Rod “The Storyteller” White .................................24

Upcoming Events ...........................................................................30

Sponsors .........................................................................................30

MainStreet Chamber Chapters .......................................................31

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GRANT SADLER

“One way to measure success and good marketing is when you can no longer make the distinction between work and play. It all becomes inherent in your daily activity, and you’re enjoying it so much you no longer can make that distinction and you automatically are marketing your product or service inherent in what you do. At GMS we have been able to achieve that in many ways; often in “Marketing by Party.” — Grant Sadler

“The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself.” — Peter Drucker

My Key Take Away Point Number 7; Marketing gets people to the door; good customer service keeps them coming back for more is the hot topic for this month’s Main Street Mini Mag. GMS Dental Centers of Excellence is making Houston smile with an innovative style, by mastering the art of marketing. Partying and marketing go hand in hand at GMS.

Troubadour Tuesday is one of GMS’s signature FUN events. Houstonians join us for some GREAT LIVE MUSIC on the second Tuesday of every month from 5-8 pm, featuring music greats such as Dale Watson, The Wagoneers, and Jesse Dayton. As always, there is great food and inexpensive libations as the show is during the host restaurant’s happy hour. This has become the perfect evening. And there are great give-aways for this event from our host The Lonestar Jukebox as well as our friends at Tupelo Grease Co. It’s a family event with picnic tables and a sandbox for the kids which makes it ideal for a real outdoors FUN experience. The idea came from Rick Heysquierdo, host of the Lone Star Jukebox on Houston’s 90.1 KPFT.

Marketing gets people to the door; good customer service keeps them coming back for more.

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His show is a Houston favorite which airs Saturday mornings from 9AM until noon. I met him through our business as he is a distributor of dental supplies. He knows music backwards and forward and is a true asset. Now that’s real networking. We send out emails about our events to former participants at our health fairs, bridal shows, and other musical performances. For everything we do, we have a “party” list that’s a data base of our past attendees.

At the beginning of the show and the end of the show, we have a drawing for Zoom One Hour Teeth Whitening; most of the attendees sign up for drawing and that helps build up our database. We send out monthly reminders to our list inviting them to join us for the next Troubadour Tuesday. Every show, we pick up a handful of patients at the show and more in the follow up marketing subsequent to the show. We have a booth there and can often make appointments on the spot. When the potential patient comes to our office to redeem the Zoom Certificate or fulfill the other appointments they made, they are very attracted to our “one-stop shop” concept. They say, “Holy Moly, I can get my kid’s braces done here, wisdom teeth, my husband’s root canal in addition to our general dentistry needs …” It attracts people, and if we do our job right, they will keep coming back for more! When they come to our office it is our mission to “knock their socks off.” There are a whole bunch of dental offices in Houston, so it’s important for us to get it right every time. We are constantly driving new traffic to our office. We make each patient’s experience special due to our multi-specialty one stop shopping, extended hours, 8 Houston locations and our exceptional patient care and service overall.

— Grant Sadler, Presidentgroup MaNageMeNt ServiCeS

gMSdent.com

Continued on next Page

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GRANT SADLER

Marketing gets people to the door... continued

Driving traffic to your office and doing a poor job is a bad idea. Then you are going to have people bad mouthing your office. Driving people to your office and doing an okay job is good but doing a spectacular job is powerful. Just think about it for a second, the average family size is typically 2.5 people, if one person comes here and falls in love with GMS Dental, that’s 2.5 people that are really going to come here. Then they have aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, neighbors and co-workers that they spread the good news to about GMS Dental. That’s why marketing is so important, but the customer service part is just as important.

In closing GMS’s formula for marketing success is: FUN + Hard Work + Exceptional Customer Service = More $$$! Remember marketing gets people to the door; good customer service keeps them coming back for more.

— Grant Sadler, Presidentgroup MaNageMeNt ServiCeS

gMSdent.com

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BERTRAND McHENRy

So, you’re a new Financial Planner? Here’s how to network!There should be a companion article to this one titled “So, You’re a new Financial Planner? Here’s How NOT To Network!” It is critical that as a new financial planner or insurance agent that you not sell, don’t talk about products and absolutely don’t try to gather personal information about people you just met. Networking is a process where you get to know, create relationships and build trust with people who eventually will want to do business with you. If their first experience with you is the typical used car pitch or the “I’d love to meet over coffee and discuss your needs” meeting, they will definitely know all they want about you, and they aren’t going to like it.

So how do you network when you are a brand new financial planner? First, and this is very important, make sure that you have a very good marketing or advertising plan already functioning well or projected to, so that you’ll have enough business coming in to survive on while you are building your network. Don’t count on your networking efforts bringing you any business for at least six months to a year. Sure, even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while, but consider those pieces of business that fall into your lap to be unexpected bonuses. Above all else do not sell while networking!

I know, I know…If you can’t sell, what is the whole point of networking? Well let’s define networking. It is a process of building mutually beneficial, long-term relationships with people through the exchange of ideas, information and resources. Or as Ivan Misner defines it: “Networking is the process of developing and activating your relationships, to increase your business, enhance your knowledge, expand your sphere of influence, or serve the community.”

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— Bertrand McHenry, President/OwnerreFerraL iNStitute houStoN

ReferralInstituteHouston.com

Start networking by making yourself useful, helpful and even indispensable to people, groups, events and associations. Ask yourself “What can I bring of value to this group, individual, or experience?” Walk in the door giving! You’re going to have a big trust barrier to overcome and if you work hard to show them yourself as a human being and not a salesperson, you will have much more success in the long run.

You’ll find that some people are going to be very skeptical. You’ll need to focus on service to the community or to other people to overcome this. You want to be seen as a person first and a financial planner or insurance agent second. At least in the beginning, focus on teaching people more about your hobbies, interests and passions that on your products and services and they will come to you.

Would it be nice to feel comfortable and welcomed at networking events? Focus on building relationships and proving your value and trustworthiness to the community and your business peers before you ever ask for the business. If you do this well, you might not even have to ask.

Want to really succeed in networking? Ask about the advanced (but easy) program in the companion article to this series called “How to Network: An Advanced Networking Program for New Financial Planners Who Want to Thrive in the Business.”

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Dirk Cummins

You are known by the company you keep.

As I write about this subject it takes me back to my childhood. My Mother would constantly remind me to be careful and choose my friends wisely because people will judge you by the company you keep.

Unfair? Perhaps. As a youngster I thought this was something Mom was making up as she went along, and besides, she didn’t like some of my friends anyway. Does any Mother like all the friends we keep? Probably not!

However, let’s examine this “momism” a little closer. It seems this first came to light in the 6th century BC by a man called Aesop. Aesop is best known for writing a few stories with a message hidden inside. They call these fables, and 2 of these fables (The Ass and His Purchaser, and The Farmer and the Stork) dealt with that same message. The words of wisdom from The Ass and the Purchaser is; “you are known by the company you keep”. The message from The Farmer and the Stork is; “birds of a feather flock together”. By the way, the second fable ends tragically with the stork being killed along with the other birds.

I agree that it is not fair, but it is reality, and by now, we all know; perception is reality. Just look inside your own thoughts to validate this for yourself. What do you think and feel when you see four or five teenagers on a street corner wearing their pants down around their thighs. How about when you see four or five Marines in uniform? Now if the same Marine changes out of his dress blues, puts on a pair of pants that hang down to his thighs and is on the corner with the other group … then he is like the others, right?

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— Dirk Cummins, PresidentMaiNStreetChaMBer

Dirk Cummins & Associates

So what? Here’s what! It’s time for a reality check; if you want to do business with business owners; be around business owners. If you want to do business with wealthy individuals; be around wealthy individuals. If you want to be known as the “go to” person; be around “go to” people. If not, your business will surely reach the same tragic ending as the stork in Aesop’s fable.

Consider this; Houston, Texas is the 4th largest city in the United States, soon to be the 3rd. We are ranked as one of the best environments for entrepreneurs. We have a plethora of networking events; we have as much, if not more creative genius than New York or Los Angeles. Why aren’t you around the people who want to help you make it happen?

I would like to end this article with the words I heard the other evening on the popular show Shark Tank. One of the contestants asked why he chose to go with the deal Mark Cuban offered to him. He simply stated the obvious, if you hang around 4 broke people, you will become the 5th, but if you hang around 4 billionaires, you will become the 5th. Makes sense to me.

“Show me who a man’s friends are and I’ll tell you who he is.”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Dirk is an advocate of the MainStreetChamber philosophy of “Give First and Expect Nothing In Return”. Dirk, a serial entrepreneur, reaches out to small businesses every day to help them grow their business by creating revenue where none existed before.

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DOUG MEISINGER

My New Old Blog

I’ve written a few blogs in my day. Some pithy, some not so much. I guess they have developed a bit of an audience. After writing that last sentence, I decided to check the stats and see that I have racked up 169,552 page views of this blog in the last 20 months or so. I started it after one of our staff writers (and much better blogger) Sarah, left to take a teaching position in Korea. I know, right? What started as a way to fill a gap in content, has become something of a staple on Clear Lake Today. At least twice a month someone asks me when the next blog is going up. Truth is, I don’t like writing on command or under a deadline. That’s why I don’t do it for a living. It’s also why there aren’t too many of these. I need to be inspired by something (good or bad) to be bothered enough to “jot down a thought”.

This one is a little unique so I’m making an exception. This is the first blog that will be published on Clear Lake Today and Main Street Chamber’s monthly magazine. I was asked to have my blog published in the magazine last month, but just didn’t have time to get something together. I’m what they call “time poor”. Plus, as I’ve stated, I don’t like writing on command or under a deadline.

So, if you are reading this on paper, welcome. This blog is a collection of things going on in my life and head, both business related and personal. To know me is a bit like scuba diving in 2 ft of water so I wouldn’t expect anything too deep. Some blogs will be new and (when I haven’t written anything new) some will be taken from the archive of the original blog on Clear Lake Today. Have I mentioned that I don’t like writing on command or under a deadline?

MSC Spotlight Blog

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I appreciate Bertrand’s interest in this blog and am happy to have him publish it. In addition to his exemplary taste in writing, he (like me) has a strong appreciation for free content. Well played my friend.

As for the Listening to; I always listen to music when I write and people seem to enjoy knowing what (usually Indie) record I’m listening to currently.

As for the title; most of my writing time takes place late at night, when I should be sleeping. Sadly, my mind is racing most nights and I keep an iPad by my bed.

If we’ve met, you understand the flip flop thing.

Doug Meisinger is the General Manager of Clear Lake Today. They are the official online marketing company of the City of Kemah, TX, a Media Partner with KHOU Channel 11 and along with the Houston Chronicle, Chamber Partner with the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce. Prior to Clear Lake Today, Doug enjoyed a long career with Virgin and EMI/Capitol Records, back when people used to pay for music. Doug currently serves as Media Ambassador for Main Street Chamber.

— Doug Meisinger, General ManagerCLear LaKe today

ClearLakeToday.com 19

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PHIL LLOyD

The Power of Saying NoTo devote more time and attention to your best opportunities and customers, you need to adopt a selectivity mindset. You can’t optimize your business performance if you are constantly bombarded by unprofitable, ungrateful, ever-complaining, and energy-draining customers.

You must learn to say no to prospects that do not fit your profitability profile and goodbye to cheap, unpleasant, unprofitable customers. This single act of firing your problem accounts frees up capacity so you can handle more profitable growth. The 80/20 rule (Pareto Principle) is a helpful guide. This rule says that 80% of your profits come from the top 20% of your customers. Conversely, 80% of your headaches and problems come from the lower 20% of your customer base. It is these troublesome 20% that are draining your profits and life force. You need to wean them off.

Either raise your prices to compensate for the pain and suffering they cause or fire them. That’s right, have the courage to fire those customers that are a real burden to your people and organization. Since they are unprofitable, this will free up your people and resources to attract and win superior customers and provide more time, attention, and value to your existing quality customers. Your employees and your bottom-line will thank you.

As a suggestion, for those serving business entities, separate your customer base into “Tier 1”, “Tier 2”, and “Tier 3”. Put most of your organization’s time and talents into serving Tier 1 customers. These are your most profitable customers that value, appreciate, and regularly buy your offerings. Spend slightly less resources on Tier 2 customers and provide minimal service to Tier 3 customers. Your goal is to develop Tier 2 to become Tier 1 accounts and move your Tier 3 customers up a rung or move them out the door.

— Phil Lloyd, President/CEOthe growth CoaCh

TheGrowthCoach.com 21

KATHRyN CRAWFORD WHEAT

My Love/Hate Relationship with My GPS

I love my GPS! Most of the time ……. When she’s on track, she’s my best friend. She gets me where I need to go, shows me the shortest route, lets me know if there is a toll, and gives me turn-by-turn instructions. I never have to ask how far away I am till the next turn because she always lets me know. She totally rocks! It’s times like this that we really bond because she makes the trip so effortless.

Unfortunately, occasionally, she really screws up. She has led me deep into neighborhoods when I am looking for a commercial building, taken me to the wrong side of the freeway when the destination is clearly on the other side. It’s so irritating when she proudly announces, “arrived at ……” when you most definitely have NOT arrived. Sometimes, she even cops an attitude with me. It’s times like these that I’ve been known to say angry words to her.

The conversation goes a little like this:

GPS: Turn right in ½ mile. Turn right, turn right! (She lacks patience)

Me: There is no place to turn! Where is the street on the right? It’s not there!!! Ooops, there it was….

GPS: Rerouting……. (I can almost hear her sigh in disgust) Make a U-turn, make a U-turn, rerouting……..

Me: Make up your mind! I just made a U-turn!!! Ugghhh!

GPS: Rerouting……

MSC Blog Insites

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GPS: Arrived at ……..

Me: This isn’t the country club! It’s a house! I don’t think they would be happy if I walked up to the door and let myself in.

GPS: Arrived at your destination

Me: Uhhhhh, yeah, I’ve been sitting here for 5 minutes now. Thanks for the quick heads up! I would have passed right by the place if I hadn’t seen it for myself!

And some of her pronunciations are starting to really annoy me. At first it was funny but how hard is it to pronounce Galveston? She says “Galreston” It’s a V! Not an R! Glen Campbell did not sing “Galreston, oh Galreston…..” She quite often puts the accent on the wrong part of words too. And don’t even get me started on the inflection she puts into the word “continue”. It sounds really rude. It’s a great effort on my part to not be offended at her language. I try to be patient because she really just doesn’t know any better.

When I start to get completely annoyed, I remind myself of that old paper map I used to keep in the car. They were always outdated and forget about trying to look at it while you were driving. Another bonus to using GPS is that convenience store clerks are no longer required to know the general directions to nearby towns, buildings, and restaurants. I’m not sure if they actually really knew the lay of the land or just delighted in getting you even more hopelessly lost than you were before stopping to ask for help. And men, the good news that came with GPS is that you don’t have to drive around in circles not asking for directions anymore! So for now, I am embracing the little imperfections with my GPS and, for the most part, loving her.

— Kathryn Crawford Wheat Author, Speaker, Blogger & Creator of WOMAN’S INSITE

WomansInsite.com 23

roD “The sToryTeller” WhiTe

BRANDING Versus Marketing

In a recent poll, I asked if there was difference between BRANDING and Marketing. The answers I received were surprising. Most respondents agreed that there was a difference but there was a myriad of difference in the why.

I have listed some of the opinions on BRANDING

• Creating your image - your logo, your tagline... main message... your website... it’s about image

• Branding is about what differentiates you from others who are in the same line of work

• Branding is an aspect of marketing. It’s portraying a consistent image of who you are and what you do

• Branding is critical. It is not only your unique message but your unique vibe (the way you dress, talk, the way you dress your website, the words you use)

• Branding is the USE OF advertising, distinctive design, and other means to make consumers associate a specific product or service with a specific manufacture or company

Here are a few of the Marketing opinions

• Marketing = getting the word out to the world; letting the world know that you exist (and that you are the greatest)

• Marketing consists of the strategic activities a business uses to bring exposure to their brand, in a targeted manner to communicate with the customers/clients

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• Marketing includes getting the word out. It also includes “creating a market” - all of the actions that cumulatively contribute to the demand for your product or service

• Marketing is the BUSINESS ACTIVITY OF PRESENTING products or services in such a way as to make them desirable to any potential buyer

• Marketing is not only making yourself or product (brand) known to the world but also why you are better than the competitors or that you have no competitors

My own distinction between the two (Using the K.I.S.S. Method) is that BRANDING is about me (The business owner) and Marketing is about you (the Prospect/Customer).

Gentle readers, no matter which opinion lines up with your own, there seems to be a definite “divide” between the two. What should the small business owner do in order to fill the gap between Branding and Marketing? Perhaps that question is fodder for another opinion poll.

How do you fill the gap? The answer to this question will be critical and determine the health of many of our businesses over the course of the next few months. Whichever of us are able to “build a better mouse trap” in order to garner new customers will be the companies that succeed and that others will emulate! Stay tuned for the next issue of the Mini-Mag for the results of the “how to fill the gap” poll.

— Rod “The Storyteller” White, Presidentrw & aSSoCiateS, LLC

RWassociates.net 25

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upcoming events

Tuesday, Nov. 12th – Business Building MixerTuesday, Dec.10th – Business Building Mixer

pearLaNd

Thursday, Nov. 7th – MSC SL Monthly Breakfast MeetingTuesday, Nov. 12th – MSC Monthly Lunch and LearnTuesday, Nov. 19th – MSC Monthly Networking Mixer

For more information please visit each chapter’s website for up-to-date info about these events

houStoN Bay areaTuesday, Nov. 5th – Mixer 6-8pm Thursday, Nov. 14th – Lunch and learn 11:30-1pm

Sugar LaNd

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MSC SUGARLANDRod “The Storyteller” White, President(281) 673-7954rodwhite@mainstreetchamber.orgwww.mainstreetchamber.org/chapters/sugarland

MSC HOUSTONBertrand McHenry, Interim President(281) 401-9852bertrand@referralinstitutehouston.comwww.mainstreetchamber.org/chapters/houston

MSC HOUSTON BAyBertrand McHenry, President(281) 401-9852bertrand@referralinstitutehouston.comwww.mainstreetchamber.org/chapters/houstonbay

MSC PEARLANDPhil Lloyd, President(832) 387-5376p.lloyd@thegrowthcoach.comwww.mainstreetchamber.org/chapters/pearland

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