| KARS-ISMS |
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KARS-ISMS are words of wisdom, tips and "things to remember" that we've discovered that can be of assistance as you travel along your journey of either starting a small business or organization, or looking to expand one and take it to the next level.
They're not so much "rules" as they are a set of guidelines or
underlying philosophies. This doesn't mean that you're supposed to live
life by a script or strict set of "do's and don'ts" in all cases,
but instead, think of these as a set of landmarks of sorts as you plan
your journey.
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| Quick List |
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| #1: Paint the entire picture. |
#10: Vision, Value & Validation |
| #2: Find the answer & do what it tells you. |
#11: Think long term in the short term. |
| #3: Name it & make it real. |
#12: You can't be all things to all people. |
| #4: Pass the "eyeball test". |
#13: Definition of insanity. |
| #5: You're always in competition. |
#14: Tell a story, don't give information. |
| #6: Separate yourself from everyone else. |
#15: The truth about funders. |
| #7: Present both sides equally well. |
#16: It's not personal; it's business. |
| #8: Don't lose your voice. |
#17: Do what you love. Love what you do. |
| #9: Plan B is to work Plan A. |
#18: Knowledge is dynamic. |
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Elaboration & Explanation |
| 1. Learn to "paint the entire picture" with your words when communicating
your message. Tell the story from beginning to end and make sure your middle
matches up and makes sense. |
2. Every "problem" has a solution. Fast-forward to determine the answer to your problems or questions, then work backwards from the ending to create your solution. Don't inhibit your creativity by thinking about what you can't do. |
3. Name your ideas and concepts. Naming it makes it real. Making it real
makes it important. Making it important makes it worthwhile. Making it
worthwhile makes it worth fighting for and supporting. |
4. People are inherently visual, which means that in order to get them
to read your materials, you first have to make sure that it's pleasing
to the eye. We process things in groups visually--kind of like sight words--so
you need to make sure that whatever you're putting together is attractive. |
5. You're always in competition with the other demands in people's lives
in order to get their attention, their time, their money and their support.
Be sure what you're offering is more attractive than the other options
available. |
6. Tap into what makes you unique in order to stand out from everyone else.
Embrace your individuality and bring that to your dealings. |
7. Understand and be able to communicate the other person's point of view
just as well as they can so you can find common ground. |
8. Never lose the essence of who you are. Don't try to become someone else
or speak from their viewpoint. Find your voice and use it. |
9. There's more than one way to get to your original goal of Plan A. Your
"backup plan" should be another way to get to your original goal. |
10. Your image comes down to what people see when they look at you (vision);
how much you're worth or appreciated (value) adn how much you're trusted
or believed (validation). Don't take an of these lightly and cultivate
your image and your relationships with these in mind. |
11. Don't lose sight of the "big picture" even when doing things in the short term. Every action should ultimately lead to achieving your goals. |
12. Don't try to be all things to all people. Decide who you are, what
you're going to offer, stick to it and be the best at it you can be. |
13. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting
a different result. If it's not working, do something different. |
14. Don't just present facts and give static information, people do things
because of emotional connections they make. Give them the complete picture
by telliing a complete story that they can believe and support, but that
also helps them to connect with You. |
15. Funders are ultimately looking for the project that will provide a
return on investment---be it in the form of money, public image or publicity.
Always understand what's important to them and craft your proposal so that
you convince them that you can fulfill that need. |
16. Never make a business decision based on emotions and personal issues
and don't take business decisions personally. |
17. In the grand scheme of things, you only have one moment at a time that
you can devote to something. You might as well spend it doing something
you love. If it becomes a "job" or a "task", then you
won't love what you do; won't be as fulfilled doing it, and won't do your
best. |
18. Information is static. Knowledge is dynamic. You have to take the information
you get and do something with it to create knowledge. |
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