People are like calendars

By Jenna Shackelford, posted Jan 7, 2022 on BizFayetteville.com

Choose your style wisely, buy early, perfect your imprint -- all advice that can be applied to buying a calendar or conducting business.

The other day, I realized that my large wall calendar — that never made it to a wall and sits on my desk — is approaching the end.

I considered my options carefully. Do I go digital this year? No, that’s just one more app to keep up with. Should I get one of those pocket planners? I might run out of room. I could get a two-year calendar, and that would save me from doing calendar shopping next year. But, what if I change my mind about the kind of calendar I want, and then I’m stuck with a 2022-2023 calendar for a whole extra year? I browsed Etsy, looking at downloadable PDF calendars to no avail.

I take my calendar seriously -- can you tell? Desperately needing guidance on this relatively simple task, I took to Google, typing “Tips for buying a calendar” into my search bar. Yes, really.

The first result was a 2016 article from The Vernon Company called “Three Tips To Buying the Perfect Calendar.”

The article gave three pieces of advice for businesses looking to buy calendars with their logos on them for their customers: Choose your style wisely, buy early and perfect your imprint.

Of course, I was just looking for a personal calendar that I could use, so I discarded the information on logos and bought mine at Staples. It’s a classy, floral print from BlueSky and I’ve already filled in some dates for January.

Whether you’ve picked out your calendar for 2022 or not, whether you use a print calendar or not, The Vernon Company’s advice could easily be used to find success in the business world.

CHOOSE YOUR STYLE WISELY “Each [of the types of calendars] has unique attributes that separate them from the others,” the article said. And, that’s true for us. Recently, I was pondering a conversation with a businessperson who has been kind to me on multiple occasions and has kept me in the loop on numerous evolving news stories. I found myself thinking, “This person’s ability to be savvy and shrewd while also being relational and authentically generous is incredible.” Business is more than seeing a task to its completion or delivering a product. Hard work coupled with good character makes a profound impact that lasts.

BUY EARLY “Whether it’s early buyer bonuses, special pricing or new stock — there are definite benefits to planning ahead,” the article said.

Don’t be afraid to invest in people before they’ve reached their full potential. Instead, set high standards and applaud the people around you for trying to reach them.

German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once wrote, “If I accept you as you are, I will make you worse; however, if I treat you as though you are what you are capable of becoming, I help you become that.” Dr. Milton H. Erickson, an American psychiatrist and psychologist in the 1900s developed what he called the Law of Expectation, which said that 85 percent of what a person thinks will happen, will. The idea here isn’t that we have some superhuman ability to control outcomes by bending possibilities with our minds, but rather that the power of suggestion is great.

Whether you’re hiring someone new or speaking with employees you’ve or coworkers you’ve had for years, calling people up instead of out with words of encouragement and affirmation where it’s due can work wonders on morale and task outcomes.

PERFECT YOUR IMPRINT “Simple imprints are best when you are purchasing a stock calendar — including your logo and contact information provides your audience the exact information they need to contact you,” The Vernon Company said.

What’s your brand? Not the company’s brand. Not your logo. You. What do you stand for and who do you serve? In the day-to-day buzz, sometimes it’s hard to be able to see the wood for all the trees. Develop your own mission statement. What are your overarching business goals? Whose needs are you trying to meet? The details can come after you know what you’re trying to accomplish.

Do you think this is a bit of a stretch, to go from buying a calendar to writing a lengthy editor’s note on professional practices? You should see what happens when I buy pencils. Just kidding — I’m more of a pen gal myself.

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