Lori Richardson over at Allbusiness.com has a great post on "toleration." 

What in the heck is toleration?  Well, once I describe it for you, you will see the value of this post.  Toleration is the act or practice of tolerating something.

How many times a day do you tolerate something under your control?  5, 10, 20, constantly?  By tolerating things you can change - such as your incomplete records, the way you interact with vendors and customers, and even the way you collect money in your business - you could be fighting against a low-grade hum of aggravation that keeps you from doing your best work in other areas.

Lori's post got me to think about a couple of things in my business that aggravate me every time they happen, but I never do anything about it.  Until it happens again, of course, and then I get peeved all over again.

So today I'm going to make a couple of changes, starting with my phone habits.  There is plenty of aggravation out there, so there is no reason to add to it with things you don't have to tolerate.

What are you tolerating that you don't have to?

"You get what you tolerate."

~ John C. Agno

Have you ever wanted to leave a voicemail reminder to someone and bypass a potential conversation?  For example, reminding clients about upcoming appointments or sending those "middle-of-the-night" reminders to friends and colleagues without waking them up.

MSNBC offers a suggestion in the form of Sly Dial, a company that allows you to bypass the ringer and go directly to voicemail on any phone with caller ID.  Your contact will see that you called and left a message, but the phone won't ring and you won't get stuck in an unwanted phone conversation.

Okay, now that we have gotten the business applications out of the way, let's talk about the social applications.  My single friend Karen, currently being pursued by many admirers in the Seattle area, sees this as a social tool. 

• Mad at your mate but need to let them know what time to pick up the kids without starting another fight?  Use Sly Dial.  
• Need to beg off an event due to personal reasons you don't want to get into?  Sly Dial the hostess.
• Want to remind a bad first date - again - that "it's not me, it's you?"  Sly Dial.

Sly Dial requires that the receiving phone have caller ID to prevent anonymous harassment. 

Sly Dial is one of those sort of icky but probably soon to be commonplace applications that spring up almost every day.  Whether you use it to maintain some privacy, for convenience of both parties, or to avoid emotional entanglement, it looks like this technology is here to stay.

A system is nothing more than a recipe.  You decide what you want to prepare and follow instructions to get a predictable (and delicious!) result.  Too many times I've talked to clients about setting up systems in their business - everything from answering email to providing a service - and they resist it. 

• "I'm the only one who can do that."  Do you have a business or do you have a job?  If you have a business, you must be able to teach others or you will always have a job.  A very expensive, time-consuming job.
• "My business is too small for systems."  How will you grow if you always plan to do everything yourself?
• "It takes too long to document what I do."  How much longer will it take you to train an employee without documentation?  Or try different methods to improve service or save money?  If you can't track it, you simply won't know.

Since hearing Michael Gerber speak about systems a few days ago, I've been trying to figure out a better way to introduce the idea of systems to my clients. 

World's Best MomI'm visiting my parents this week in New Mexico, and that always involves a batch of Mom's famous chocolate-chip cookies.  As she started making them, I had a brainstorm.  Her cookie recipe is a system, perfected over time, that always turns out delicious, perfectly baked cookies. 

1. 
   The basic recipeShe starts with a proven recipe for a successful cookie, the basic Nestle Tollhouse recipe.
2. Through trial and error, she has determined that butter-flavored Crisco is a better option than butter because it leaves the cookie with a better consistency.  So she altered the original recipe based on her results.
3. My dad loves pecans, and my parents are quite famous locally for their abundant pecan trees.  Mom doesn't have to worry about the price of pecans at the grocery store since she
   Modifying the recipe to improve itgets hundreds of pounds every year, so she generously adds pecans to the recipe.  Another change to the recipe to satisfy her "customers."
4. To keep her cookies from sticking to the pan and to make reloading the pan easier between batches, she uses parchment paper.  This is also a change from the original recipe that makes cleanup much easier.
5. Time has shown that in her oven and at her altitude, the cookies bake perfectly at 11 minutes per batch.  She knows how long it should take.  When the timer goes off, they are perfect.
   Production to Storage
6. She cools the cookies on an elevated cooling rack so the bottom of the cookies are firm.  This keeps them from sticking to each other and getting mushy.  She is just as concerned with storage as she is with production.
7. If she can keep Dad away long enough, they cool and are then placed on a plate to enjoy with a glass of milk.  She knows how to deliver her product for maximum impact.

That's it.  Perfect success every single time.  A system is really no more complicated than a chocolate-chip cookie recipe. 

You can cook up your own recipes for almost every task in your business:

• Marketing
• Lead conversion
• Customer fulfillment
• Lead generation
• Production
• Accounts receivable/payable

If a system is no more than a recipe, than an operations manual is no more than a cookbook.  You can literally start with a recipe box.  Jot your notes down on a recipe card as you perform the necessary tasks to your business.  Evaluate what you are doing, what should stay in the system and what should change, and then make it so. 

As you write your business "cookbook" you will be amazed at what you know and how much more focused your business will become.

Now get that apron on and start cooking!

"This recipe is certainly silly.  It says to separate the eggs, but it doesn't say how far to separate them."

~ Gracie Allen

Are you getting my twice-monthly audio newsletter/e-zine?  If not, you are missing out on some timely tips to streamline and promote your business.

The last e-zine talked about a free subscription service of queries from journalists.  Just this morning I heard from a listener that she signed up, responded to a query she knew something about, and the reporter has scheduled an interview with her tomorrow.  She will get some great PR for her business for less than 30 minutes of work and zero outlay of dollars.  She is thrilled and I am, too!

The previous e-zine described the new audio technology I'm using for the newsletters and my website.  It inspired one listener to do the same thing after putting off starting her newsletter for so long.  For a small monthly fee and a minor effort on her part, she can now stay in touch with her growing list of subscribers.  Another listener will be using it for testimonials on her site - powerful!

Are you taking advantage of all the great info I give out for *free* every month?  Check out the latest one underneath the signup box in the sidebar of my website.  Better yet, just sign up and it will show up in your inbox every couple of weeks.  You'll even get a download of my free report on Blogging from Start to Finish.

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If you have a business, then you likely have the opportunity to attend at least one trade or membership convention every year.  They can be great opportunities to expand your business, make valuable partnerships, and get feedback on your business plans from experienced leaders.  They can also be exhausting wastes of time and money. 

Fortunately, it is up to you to decide which one it will be.

First, make sure the conference is right for you.

• What do you expect to get out of the conference?  Is that outcome worth your time and expense?
• Will the attendees be good resources/customers for you?
• Can you contribute in a meaningful way?
  

If the conference is right for you, then start planning.  Many people spend more time considering what to put in their luggage than what to do for their business.  Don't make that mistake!

• Study the agenda and make plans to meet influential attendees/speakers. If you have a proposal for a book, article, or idea, carry it with you.  You may not have the chance to present it (and shouldn't push it off on someone unsolicited), but if the opportunity arises, be prepared to give it away immediately when asked.  If you have to go back to your room or email it later the magic of timing may be lost.
• Let your existing contacts know what you are doing.  Set up an out of office email message that lets your customers know when you will be checking email/voicemail each day along with an exciting message about where you will be and why. 
  
• Do you have enough business cards? 
  
• Do your cards have your picture on them? If you attend a show with over 500 people, chances are you will be easily forgotten without one (make sure it is a recent one that actually looks like you, not a 10-year-old glamour shot)
• Can you write on the back of your card? If you get glossy cards, make sure the back is matte so you can write something to jog the memory of the person you are talking to.  Do the same on the back of their cards when you get them to help you follow up later.
  
• If you are attending a very large show and expect to give out at least a box of cards, consider printing a special set just for the conference with pertinent information ("see me at booth 123" or "mention the conference special to get 15% off at my website")
• My friend Zita Gustin recommends using Ziplock bags for every day of a conference to sort your cards (and even further sort them if you like by "potential customer" and "potential referral partner").  When you get that many cards, it is hard to keep them organized, and you will not remember if you don't have a system. 
  
• Make a plan for followup before you leave. 
  
• If you write cards, bring enough with you along with stamps.  Mail them from the hotel so your contacts will have their cards when they get home. 
• Avoid writer's cramp and save time by using an online card system like Send Out Cards.  I love the way I can customize cards, use my own handwriting, and insert a digital business card on the inside cover.  And I never have to worry about buying stamps because Send Out Cards prints and mails them for me.  Spend 20 minutes every night on this in your hotel room and you won't have a mountain of cards at the end of the week wondering who all of these people are and why you want to know them.
  
• Bob Burg of Endless Referrals advocates using a "referral card" - an 8-1/2 by 3-1/2 inch card with your picture and relevant info - to send as your first contact with a new person.  He then continues to follow up with Send out Cards.  I just had these printed and will be using them for the first time at the eWomen Network Conference in Dallas this month and will let you know how this works.  Here is a copy of the card I'm using.
• Will you have a booth?  Offer a giveaway in exchange for signing up for your subscription list.  Make it easy by allowing them to drop in a business card instead of filling out a form.  Then scan the business cards into your list when you get home with a tool like Neat Receipts.
  
• Prepare a followup item such as a special newsletter, report, ebook, or pictures from the conference to send out to your new contacts afterward.  Provide something of value along with a link to sign up for your subscription list.  It goes without saying (though I am saying it) that you cannot add people to your email marketing list without their permission.  Don't risk being labeled a spammer and lose your credibility by doing this.  Always get permission.

If this sounds like a lot of trouble, you may not be in the right frame of mind to make the most of the convention.  It does take time to prepare, but if you love what you do it is a great opportunity to grow your business and won't feel like work. 

"Coming together is a beginning.  Keeping together is progress.  Working together is success."

~ Henry Ford