Paul Skeith, Managing Partner
Richard Rodriguez & Skeith LLP

Paul Skeith, the managing partner for Richards Rodriguez & Skeith, understands business.  When he’s not representing mid-sized businesses and nonprofits as their outside general counsel, he’s running a growing business himself.  Paul has served as managing partner for Richards Rodriguez & Skeith since he founded the firm with his partners in 2005.  In his spare time, he attends The Alternative Board of Austin peer-advisory membership organization to better his business acumen.  Even Paul’s commitment to the community reflects his dedication to business pursuits.  He serves on the board of Capital Idea, a local nonprofit which empowers working families by providing competitive professional skills to enable them to create life-long financial independence.

Mr. Skeith’s practice in business and corporate law includes negotiating mergers and acquisitions, drafting and reviewing business contracts, structuring business entities, real estate transactions, employment contracts, and business succession strategy.  Paul’s clients are busy CEOs, entrepreneurs, nonprofit directors and board members, which is why he often makes site visits to his clients’ places of business.  Site visits allow Paul to gain a better understanding of his clients’ business environment and staff.  He also finds that these visits offer him a chance to converse with business owners and managers on a one on one basis.  He believes attorneys must be attentive to client needs, which is one reason why the firm conducts a biannual client survey to obtain constructive feedback.  To encourage participation, client responses are matched with a firm donation to the American Cancer Society.

Paul is dedicated to giving back to his community.  He recently completed his service as an appointed member of the City of Austin Electric Utility Commission, and now serves on the board for Capital Idea, a local nonprofit.  His leadership role in Capital Idea underscores his commitment to helping low income working families in Central Texas by empowering them with professional training and networking opportunities.  His invitation as a board member came from his experience as a business leader and his participation in Austin Interfaith, an organization of congregations, schools, and other civic institutions devoted to creating a healthy dialogue between citizens, business, and local government. Paul also now serves on the Vestry (board) of St. David’s Episcopal Church.

Paul earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, before moving to Austin to attend the University of Texas to seek a dual degree in law and Public Affairs.  His training at the LBJ School of Public Affairs offered him additional background in nonprofit management.  As a law student, he was a staff member of the Texas Journal on Civil Liberties and Civil Rights.  Paul was chosen after law school to serve as a law clerk to the Honorable Thomas M. Reavley, Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Richards Rodriguez & Skeith LLP provides outsourced general counsel services to businesses in Texas. They help clients resolve disputes, document key agreements, understand and comply with government regulations, protect their assets, raise capital, minimize taxes, buy and sell real estate, and protect ideas and inventions.

This month marks the fifth anniversary of the firm.  To celebrate, the firm is rolling out a series 90-second videos to give business owners a 10,000 foot view of hot button legal issues.  The links to these videos will be posted by the end of this month on their website and TAB Austin’s LinkedIn group and blog.  The first topic – how to get your business ready for health reform.

“I have been a TAB member since co-founding my law firm five years ago.  Law school did not teach me how to run a business – my TAB board members and facilitators taught me that.”
                                                                                                                                                              -Paul Skeith

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Today we are highlighting some great awards that have been received by Austin CEO’s and active members in The Alternative Board of Austin.  

Samantha Young: Texas Blazing Star Award

The Women’s Chamber of Commerce of Texas held their annual awards luncheon for Texas Business Woman of the Year (TBOY) on April 22nd. Austin business owner Samantha Young won one of the coveted Texas Blazing Star Awards! The Blazing Star Awards “recognize businesswomen on the success fast track who follow their own distinctive paths.”

Samantha owns Practical Care Continuum, a leading and innovative home care business, and has been a member of TAB Austin since 2005. Samantha was joined by fellow Austinite Mary Pat Mueller, owner of Door Number 3, and several other Texan women in winning a Blazing Star.

Kevin O’Brien: Rackspace Fanati Award

The Fanati Award from Rackspace for Outstanding Customer Service for the year of 2009 went to PetRelocation.com! The award was won with the help of PetRelocation’s own customers in creating a video sharing how they have been supported.

PetRelocation.com is a full service pet relocation company which specializes in the local, national and international transportation of live animals. It was founded by TAB member Kevin O’Brien and his wife in 2000.

Congratulations to Samantha and Kevin-Austin business leaders!

Jay Pearce, President
Reunion Ranch

Jay Pearce is a truly versatile entrepreneur.  He was born and raised in Austin, Texas and started his first company, J’s Roof and Gutter Cleaning Service, at the age of 20 (he still believes there is a huge market for gutter cleaning).  Three years later, Jay formed Precision Ground Care, maintaining lawns for small offices and apartment complexes.  He obtained his real estate license five years later in Georgetown, Texas, and was ranked #5 among 265 agents.

In 1986, Jay started the Reunion Ranch Event Facility, entertaining large corporate groups.  In August of 1991, he was cited as 1 of 3 outstanding entrepreneurs in the state of Texas by the Entrepreneur Magazine of California.  In 1998, he started Cowboy Cooked Briskets, offering pre-cooked briskets in grocery store chains.  He had never dealt with the retail industry before, let alone the grocery industry, and describes the experience as “tough,” learning some expensive and very valuable lessons.

Next, Jay returned to his passion of real estate and started accumulating property.   He was asked to teach real estate courses for a local real estate school in 2003.  For every 40 students taught, 3 to 4 wanted to work for him, so Jay started Jay Pearce Real Estate.  The company grew up to 58 agents in 23 months and in 2007 Jay was awarded the Realtor of the Year for all of Williamson County.

His family business of Reunion Ranch was still going strong, and when the president stepped down, Jay moved back to take over the position in 2006.   Today, Jay is very happy to be back in the saddle at Reunion Ranch and says, “life is good.”

“My initial idea was to join The Alternative Board of Austin (TAB) with CEO peers in order to increase my revenues.   However, I have now learned that the contacts are invaluable. The knowledge of the group and their business experience is very helpful in my own business and life.”

                                                                                                                                                     -Jay Pearce

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Most of us have heard of the 80/20 Rule.  Few of us have considered its practical use.

Test the following examples of the 80/20 Rules as they apply to Your Business: 

*80% of our business comes from 20% of our Customers.

*80% of our revenue comes from 20% of our products or services.

*80% of complaints come from 20% of our Customers.

*80% of our internal HR issues stem from 20% of our employees.

*80% of our sales are generated by 20% of our salespeople.

Sound about right???

It is important for entrepreneurs and executives to develop a clear understanding of their 20% areas.  It is also vital that they help their employees define the areas in each of their respective departments. 

These areas, your RESULT DOMAINS are where performance resides.

Result Domains are those areas where your greatest attention is required.  Focusing upon them with efficiency can lead to dramatic results.   The majority of your organization’s time and resources should be allocated to these areas.

Accountability metrics should be derived and driven around Result Domains.

Focus on your 20% areas and watch your business grow.

Copyright ©   Joe Zente  2010.   All Rights Reserved.

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Just about every day, I meet business owners, leaders and managers who refuse to accept mediocrity in their Operations, Product Quality, Distribution or Customer Service.  Interestingly, those same leaders ARE willing and consistently accept mediocrity in their Sales Force, resulting in millions of dollars of lost revenue and profit.  Sound familiar?  While this assertion may seem incredible, it is unfortunately the rule and not the exception.  The good news is that this phenomenon can be reversed.    

If you would like to eliminate under-achievement from your Sales Force and transform it from Good to Great, all it takes is a DECISION and a COMMITMENT.  The rest is formulaic.

So what is it about some salespeople, teams and companies that cause them to win while others fizzle?  Here are the ten biggest differences between Sales Winners (over achievers) and Sales Losers (under achievers). 

1.  Choice - Over achievers consistently choose to do the things they don’t like to do.  Weak players postpone or avoid them entirely.

2.  Strategy - Winners develop specific strategies for both long-term and near-term success and for the accounts they seek to obtain or grow.  Weaker salespeople spend little or no time strategizing.  A solid strategy is required for effective execution.  In the absence of a strategy, execution is a hope, not a reality.

3.  UnConditional Commitment - Over achieving salespeople use Selling Time to Sell.  Period.  They have a Success Recipe and let nothing stand in the way of executing the required activities necessary to succeed.  A winner who commits to making 25 calls in a given day will make them and not allow distractions and excuses like “I had to do more research”, “my computer locked up”, “my boss needed that report” or “the dog ate my homework” to prevent them from executing their committed activities.  

4.  Mental Toughness - When over-achievers lose a battle or experience a curve ball during a sales interview or cycle, they simply get back on their horse and strategize as to how their next call will achieve the desired result.  When under-achievers lose a battle they often retreat, sulk, complain, give up, call someone who will be more accepting or kind, surf the internet, play solitaire or do nothing.

5.  Expectations - Over achievers expect to win.  Under achievers expect to just play.  Expectations are even more important than goals.  While goals provide long-term motivation, expectations set the bar for each and every interaction and meeting, as well as for the behaviors we might expect from ourselves, associates, prospects and Customers.

6.  Reaction to Adversity – Adversity exists and no one is exempted.  The only difference is in the reaction.  Winners always see a challenge or opportunity where weak players see obstacles.  Over achievers embrace challenges and even get excited about them. Under achievers become overwhelmed with challenges.  They attempt to avoid obstacles, including “tough” conversations.  

7.  Emotional Control -  When winners fail to get the desired result, they will not self-pity, lose control, find a comfort zone or become upset.  They will simply stay in the moment and make their next move.  When weaker players fail to get desired results they panic, become emotionally involved, become defensive and lose their objectivity.

8.  Process - Over achievers “own” a process that they know is effective that keeps them effective, focused and efficient.  They know how to maintain control of all selling interviews.  They will execute it independent of the size or scope of the opportunity.  Under achievers typically allow prospects to control the conversations and process and their results show it.

9.  Self-Improvement – Winners consistently over achieve because they are relentless in their pursuit of improvement and refining their skills via reading, webinars, training, coaching and practice.  Under achievers don’t necessarily see value in improving or practicing.  Winners don’t just accumulate knowledge, they put it into action.  Many weak players think they are “good enough”.  Winners create a recurrent Development Plan and commit to continuous improvement.

10.  Passion - Over achievers are passionate about their job and profession.  They love what they do.  Under achievers typically can’t wait to finish their day and go home.

If you would like to rate your Salespeople, be objective and use the following ratings.

1 -  Poor  
2 -  Needs Significant Improvement   
3 -  Room for Improvement   
4 -  Needs Some Fine Tuning  
5 -  Congratulations, No Need for Improvement

It would be a good idea to ask each of your people to rate themselves as well, so you can compare results and develop a plan accordingly.

Compare your results according to this scale:

A Players:                   40-50
B Players:                   30-39
C Players:                   20-29
Emergency:                Under 20                

Any surprises?

Any lessons learned?

Now that you know what you have, will you be making any changes?

Please share what you’ve learned

Continued Success! 

Z3 Performance Development, Inc.

Austin, Texas  78750

www.zthree.com