Dave Block & Victoria Munro of Make-it-Fly

Feature Article: 10 Tips to Help You Make a Positive First Impression: You Only Get One Chance!

Business Owner in the Spotlight
 Gunther Mueller
Abo’s New York Pizza

Refueling Recommendations
Make-it-Fly® Programs
Alumni Board Openings

Make-it-Fly® MarketPlace

Next Make-it-Fly® Café

ISSN# 1552-3705

May 15, 2007
Volume 4, Issue 10

"In-Flight Refueling" is published twice a month.

Click here to read archived newsletters.

A Note from Dave & Victoria

In our last ezine, we told you about the goose who built a nest outside our office and was sitting on seven large eggs. A few days later, seven fluffy goslings hatched and were promptly marched by their parents to a lake in a nearby park. En route, they crossed a busy main street with several lanes of traffic. Some things in life are risky and take a lot of courage and determination!

As we prepare to grow Make-it-Fly® and start training Flight Instructors to facilitate Advisory Boards in other cities, we’ve been putting final touches to the new website—we’ll let you know when it’s live. We’ve also been doing some spring cleaning and de-cluttering our offices. This is a challenge for Dave, who struggles with being a packrat! For a change of pace, last weekend we enjoyed planting flowers on the patio.

Our very best regards,

Dave and Victoria

Business Owner in the Spotlight

Gunther Mueller
Abo’s New York Pizza

Gunther Mueller knows about seeing a need and filling it in business. He opened his first Abo’s New York Pizza franchise restaurant to fulfill one simple need: “I wanted one in my neighborhood,” he says. “So I opened a store.

 Gunther Mueller of Abo's New York Pizza

“I went to CU-Boulder and always enjoyed the great taste of a slice of Abo’s Pizza.” So in 2002, he went for it, opening his first location on Kipling and C-470 in Littleton and then his second location in February of 2004.

Abo’s Pizza has been serving the Front Range of Colorado since 1977 starting on the “Hill” in Boulder, and now has 18 locations. “We serve authentic hand-tossed thin crust New York Pizza baked to perfection in a 500-degree deck oven using only the freshest and purest ingredients available. Home-made Pasta selections, Fresh Salads, Awesome Appetizers and some Delectable Desserts are also on the menu.”

Abo’s also provides catering for 50 to 50,000 people. “You’ll be the superstar when you either use us for your next event or refer us to valued clients and friends,” Gunther says. “Remember to ask about our exclusive On Time or It’s FREE Guarantee.”

Q: What do you find most fulfilling about the business?
GM: What I love most about running Abo’s Pizza is the feeling I get when someone comes up to me and lets me know that either the food was fantastic just like they remembered back in New York City, or someone on our staff went out of their way to make them feel special or just really took great care of them in a super-professional manner. And of course, being able to get a great slice of pizza any day I want—just one of the special perks.

Q: What motivated you to get into this business?
GM: After college I was a professional ski-bum for about three years, working in very upscale fine dining restaurants. I did some commercial fishing in Alaska in the summers and just got into being around food in various aspects. In 1992, I started a gourmet food distribution route in the ski towns of Colorado, and in 1999 took it online.

Q: What book has been most helpful to you in your business?
GM: The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber.

Q: Who has influenced you most in your life?
GM: My greatest influence in life is the inerrant Word of God. It has guidance and instruction for every area of my life. Integrity, truthfulness, persistence and wisdom are the principles by which I work each day to build and improve both my personal family life and my business life.

Q: What has proved to be your most successful marketing strategy?
GM: Getting out there and meeting people personally with enthusiasm and letting them know where we are and what we do.

My marketing objective is to make sure that people know we are ready to help them solve a problem because being hungry in essence is a problem, or feeding 100 people something worth eating and making a great impression on a tight budget with almost no notice could be considered a problem as well.

Getting in front of decision makers and getting them to think about me and my business the way I need them to think so that we are top of mind, and they are excited and confident to refer me to someone else who might have a problem we love to solve.

Q: What have been the greatest challenges you have had to overcome, or are currently facing, in your business?
GM: Staying on an increasing revenue growth curve. Determining what methods of marketing and advertising will truly give us the type of ROI we are looking for.

Q: How have you benefited from participating in a Make-it-Fly® board?
GM: The greatest benefit to me about the Advisory Board is to be able to lay an idea in front of others who were total strangers before the board and get real-time feedback, and then to give back to someone who is in a non-competing field who can benefit from my experience in business and hopefully avoid making some of the same mistakes. .

Q: What would you say to other business owners who are contemplating getting involved in a Make-it-Fly® board?
GM: I would say it is worth your investment of both time and money. I know Dave and Victoria work diligently to select the right people to create a board that is balanced with different perspectives, and they are always conscientious about making the program a real benefit to you personally so that you can go out from the board and create real results in your business and in your personal life.

Abo’s New York PizzaIn the end, they are just two of the finest people I know in this city, and if you get invited to join a board consider it a privilege, go and enjoy the experience, and then get to work on making a difference in your life and in the lives of those around you.

Gunther Mueller can be reached by phone at: 303-598-1609 or visit his website at: www.abosnypizza.com.

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Dave Block, Co-Founder of Make-it-FlyDave’s Networking Tip:

Keep your promises. When meeting and chatting with people at networking events, we often tell others we’ll get back in touch and give them a phone number, name or pass along some helpful information. Since most of us lead busy lives and it’s easy to become distracted, make a habit of always taking care of this before the end of that day, or at least make a note of what you promised to do and when you will get it done.


Make-it-Fly Feature Article

Victoria Munro, Co-Founder of Make-it-Fly10 Tips to Help You Make a Positive First Impression: You Only Get One Chance!
By Victoria Munro

You only have a few seconds to make that positive first impression! Experts tell us that in those first few seconds, you make an indelible impression that may be impossible to reverse.

It’s Not What You Say
When meeting someone, your nonverbal communication (body language, appearance, tone of voice, etc.) accounts for 93 percent of how you will be judged, and the actual words you say make up for only 7 percent.

Ensuring that the other person feels important is key to making your best possible first impression. So be sure to allow him or her to bask in the spotlight.

Ten Top Tips to Help You Make the Best Possible First Impression:

1. The Initial Contact
Use your whole body to express how eager you are to meet this person, and show excitement and anticipation at the prospect. Act as though he or she is a dear friend you haven’t seen for a long time—or perhaps someone who is going to become a wonderful new friend.
2. .Eye Contact
Our eyes—the windows of our soul—reveal the truth about our sincerity. Hold a good thought about the other person. Show that you’re interested and listening to what he or she has to say.
3.3. Facial Expression
Smile! Smile with your eyes as well as your mouth. Smiling slowly conveys genuineness as you’re developing a true appreciation of the person. Smiling also releases endorphins that make us feel better.
4. The Handshake
The way we hold another’s hand will express presence and enthusiasm or send a negative message. Offer a firm handshake, with thumb notches contacting each other. Maintain the contact for at least two seconds.
5. Body Posture
Energy is key! No matter how you may feel—work at putting yourself in a happy frame of mind. Leaning forward ever so slightly will express your interest.
6. Dress
The dress-for-success advocates were right—your appearance does have an impact. Dress modestly and appropriately for the occasion. Colors also make a profound, immediate impression.
7. Name Recall
The sweetest word for all of us is our own name! Using people’s names emphasizes their importance to us. It can also help us to remember their names
8. Sincere Compliments
Offer honest compliments on a person’s appearance, actions, skills, character or attitude. Be specific and sincere. When expressing admiration about an action or character trait, explain how this affected you—perhaps it inspired or encouraged you.
9. Listen
Never interrupt or give the impression that you’re simply waiting for an opportunity to talk about yourself and what you do. Pay careful attention, nodding occasionally to show that you’re listening and comment, “Really?” or “I understand.”
10. Asking That First Question
Begin the conversation with a question that indicates a genuine interest in the other person. Develop some thoughtful initial conversation starter questions you can use. Resist the temptation to simply ask, “And what do you do?”

People do business with people they know, like and trust. Use these tips to grow your business by making a positive and lasting first impression whenever you meet someone for the first time.

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Victoria’s Marketing Advice

Make Your Words Count
Even though the words you speak have less impact than your tone of voice and body language, it’s important to choose those words carefully. Be prepared with a strong sound bite or ten-second commercial that showcases your business in a way that is emotionally engaging, intriguing and memorable.

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Refueling Recommendations
Is Your Marketing Copy Promoting
or Demoting Your Business?

A picture is worth a thousand words, but a picture alone won’t sell your product or service. Your printed words are your call to action.

Boring brochures, lackluster websites, and uninspiring newsletters demote your business. Good copy promotes your business!

You didn’t go into business to write copy – I did.

For effective marketing copy, including brochures, flyers, newsletters, press releases, websites, e-mail marketing, and more,
call me, Shannon Kolman, at 720-220-2180.

Turning Point Presentations

During the month of May, Speaker and Speech Coach
Angela Libby Jankousky
is offering a two-hour speech coaching session for $100.
That’s 50% off of the special Make-it-Fly® price.
Call 303-279-7647 now to schedule your session.

READING THIS AD? THEN WHY NOT PUT YOURS HERE TOO? The In-Flight Refueling Ezine reaches more than 1,800 entrepreneurs, small-biz owners, consultants and marketers. Reserve your advertising spot today in the next In-Flight Refueling Ezine,
http://www.make-it-fly.com/ezineads.html.

Paid Advertising Disclaimer: Make-it-Fly® LLC does not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any of the paid advertisements above or the quality of any products, services, information, or other materials displayed, purchased, or obtained by you as a result of an offer in connection with any ad. It's common sense to do your own due diligence before purchasing any product.

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Refueling Recommendations

The Make-it-Fly® Advisory Board 101

Each Make-it-Fly® Advisory Board 101 program consists of 12 non-competing business owners who meet once a month for three consecutive months. In the spirit of giving, they offer each other solutions, ideas, resources and encouragement. Dave and Victoria facilitate each group and share powerful tools to assist business owners in reaching their goals and living more balanced lives.

If you have experienced a Make-it-Fly® program, please share the following openings with other business owners who need support. Call Dave for more information at 720-962-8888.

Programs are held from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Current program openings in Denver:

  • Thursdays - July 5, August 2, September 6, 2007
  • Fridays - September 7, October 5, November 2, 2007
  • Tuesdays - October 2, November 6, December 4, 2007

Click here to sign up for Advisory Boards.
Or call Dave at 720-962-8888.

Alumni Boards are groups of 12-14 small-business owners who have participated in at least one Make-it-Fly® Advisory Board 101 and wish to continue the support and accountability with a group of like-minded, giving business associates. Members meet once a month for a three-hour meeting. If you completed the initial Make-it-Fly® Advisory Board 101 and are interested in more information on Alumni Boards, call Dave at 720-962-8888.

Make-it-Fly® CaféMake-it-Fly Café - High Altitude Networking, where exceptional people help each other
High altitude networking, where exceptional people help each other.

Next Café is scheduled for

Date: Thursday, June 28, 2007

Time: 4:30 to 7 p.m.

Location: Seasons Café in the DTC, located at 8101 East Belleview, in the Marina Square Center.

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Contact Make-it-Fly® - Dave and Victoria:

email: info@make-it-Fly.com
voice: 720-962-8888
web: www.make-it-fly.com
Reprint Permission:
Please email or call Victoria if you'd like to reprint any information contained in this newsletter. Thanks! © Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
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Make-it-Fly® LLC
720-962-8888
355 South Teller Street, Suite 200, Lakewood, CO 80235, USA
http://www.make-it-fly.com